You may notice, as either a host or a future Airbnb guest, there is a fee present when going to book an Airbnb listing. Unfortunately, the fees are only calculated after you plug in the dates for your desired trip, so keep that in mind as to not set yourself up for disappointment. In addition, Airbnb also requires a fee when it comes to using their platform to host. We are going to break down each type of fee structure so no matter which end you find yourself on, you won’t be surprised.
Last year, Airbnb changed their fee structure from a shared Host and Guest fee to their new and default Host-Only fee. All hosts who were using Airbnb before June 4th, 2019 have the option of switching back to the old structure if they wish. What does this new fee structure mean for the host? A bigger commission fee. And for the guest? You’ll start seeing the “guest fee” disappear from the listing page.
1. The OG shared host and guest fee.
OG = original gangster for all you non-millennials ;)
Host service fee:
Most of the time, this fee is 3% of the booking. However, there are some exceptions such as:
hosts in Italy
Airbnb Plus hosts
hosts with a strict cancellation policy
hosts with listings in Mainland China
What’s the calculation for this fee?
nightly rate + cleaning fee + additional guest fee - Airbnb fees and taxes
Guest service fee:
Most of the time, this fee is less than 15% of the subtotal price of the booking.
However, there are some exceptions such as:
guests staying in Mainland China do not have to pay this fee
What’s the calculation for this fee?
nightly rate + cleaning fee + additional guest fee - Airbnb fees and taxes
2. The new host-only fee.
This new pricing method was created to supply hotels and hospitality services with more power in defining the guest’s final payment.
According to Airbnb, “The host-only fee ranges from 14% to 20% (plus 2% for listings that have a Super Strict cancellation policy) and is the required fee structure for hotels and some other categories of hospitality business.”
Other fees:
cleaning fee:
This fee applies to the guest only and is determined by the host in order to cover some of the costs that it takes to manage a listing. Some hosts choose to include this fee into their nightly rate.
Hosts: Keep in mind that the cleaning fee will also have the service fee tied to it because it is included in the guest’s total payment.
Well, there you have it! I hope this post made Airbnb fees a little less confusing and a little more comprehendible.
Are you a host who doesn’t want to worry about prices & fees? ConciAirs can help with that.