Mashvisor dissects the new Airbnb’s 15.5% single fee model and shows how to overcome it and stay profitable using smart short-term rental data tools.
If you’re an Airbnb host using property management or channel management software, beware of a major change that will directly impact your revenue. Starting August 2025 for new users and October 27 for existing ones, Airbnb’s old split-fee system disappears.
Don’t bother, if you’re not using a channel manager – the split-fee scheme stays the same for you.
What Happened and Why Mashvisor Wants to Protect Short-Term Rental Investors’ Margins
All these years, Airbnb split fees between hosts and guests were distributed like this:
- Hosts used to pay around 3%.
- Guests – between 14 and 16.5%.
Airbnb switches from that double-sided to a single flat host fee of 15.5%. Guests will see the exact price you set, and Airbnb will deduct 15.5% from your pocket. For example, if your property cost per night is $200, before guests paid $233, and you got $194 after your 3% host fee. Now guests will pay $200, and you receive $169 after the 15.5% host fee.
That’s a crazy $25 gap every single night! Over a busy month, there are hundreds of dollars in lost income. Unless you cope with adjusting. No worries here, Mashvisor got you covered. We have a set of smart and accurate Airbnb datasets, calculators, and comps to make your life easier.
For example, you could start with Mashvisor’s Property compare tool
How to Deal with the New Airbnb’s fee structure?
Logically, you just increase the price of your Airbnb stay per period. The new single fee gives more transparency for guests, and it’s even better for sales – from a psychological perspective.
But this could become a tricky part, too. While guests see a simpler price, you carry more of the platform’s side gigs and finance analytics. Because guests will scroll through multiple short-stay listings side by side, and how you set your prices will absolutely determine whether you stay profitable or start losing bookings.
What Short-Term Rental Investors Are Saying
The Airbnb announcement, which, like several hosts reported, landed in spam, has already heated debates among short-term rental hosts and investors. Many are going to increase nightly rates by 15% to cover the new fee. But if some hosts decide not to or just even forget to adjust, remember that the announcement ended up in spam folders, and their listings will look cheaper. 100% stealing bookings from those who already raised prices.
What Experts Are Saying
This Airbnb move is aligning with their competitors. VRBO and Booking.com have already used similar models for a while. Hosts familiar with those platforms aren’t surprised. Hosts also have concerns over the new Airbnb model refunds and partial payments – they think that it could further reduce their share.
Moreover, some Airbnb could start reconsidering short-term rentals altogether. For low-margin properties, this single-fee change could be the tipping point.
So there are plenty of opinions – some will raise prices, some won’t. Some will quit. Meaning, the short-term rental market is about to get a lot more unpredictable. And in unpredictable markets, the hosts who win are the ones armed with data. Your accurate short-term rentals data awaits you today.
How Mashvisor Helps You Strategize Airbnb’s Single-Fee Model
With the new Airbnb fee structure, you really have three choices:
- Raise your prices
Simple but risky. If competitors keep prices flat, guests may book with them. - Absorb the fee
Keeps you competitive but cuts into profits. Remember the $200/night example: that’s $525 lost per month and $6,300 lost per year – just from fees. - Use data to price strategically
The smart option. By understanding your market, occupancy rates, and competitor pricing, you can find the sweet spot: covering fees without scaring off guests.
Stay Ahead in the Single Fee Airbnb Model
Guessing is dangerous in this new short-term rentals investment environment unless you are a psychic, a guru of intuition, or Warren Buffett. The difference between setting your nightly Airbnb booking rate at $199 or $209 – so we are talking about 10 bucks – could decide whether your property stays booked – or stays empty. Mashvisor gives you the analytical tools to make those decisions with butterflies-in-the-gut confidence:
- Rental Property Calculator
Understand how Airbnb’s new 15.5% host fee affects your cash flow, cap rate, and ROI from an easy-to-navigate professional dashboard.
- Accurate Short-term Rentals Market Analytics
Compare your listing against competitors in your city, neighborhood, or even street. Spot whether others are raising prices and how much, or holding steady.
- Dynamic Performance Simulations
Run “what-if” scenarios: What if I raise rates by 5%? 10%? How will occupancy shift? Mashvisor shows you the numbers before you make the move.
- Neighborhood Insights
If your current market is getting compromised and narrows, Mashvisor helps you identify nearby areas where STRs are still profitable – even under the new fee model.
While many hosts react blindly to Airbnb’s change, you’ll know exactly how to respond – thanks to Mashvisor.
Why Airbnb’s 15.5% Single Fee Model Could Reshape the STR Market
Airbnb’s new single 15.5% host fee impacting short-term rental market trends and property profitability
The thing is, that it’s not just a fee adjustment – it’s part of a broader trend. Airbnb is aligning with VRBO and Booking.com. This makes pricing look simpler for guests, but puts more pressure on short-term rental investors and hosts. Margins could tighten, and some casual hosts may drop out, reducing supply and reshaping the market. Professional operators will dominate.
But the hosts who use data-driven tools will adapt quickly and capture market share.
If you’re serious about STR investing, now is the time to act like a professional. And professionals don’t guess – they measure, forecast, and adjust.
With Mashvisor, you can:
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- Simulate exactly how the new Airbnb host’s fee scheme impacts your property’s bottom line.
- Benchmark against your competition.
- Adjust pricing using rental market data.
- Find better-performing markets if your current one no longer works.
Airbnb changed the rules. The question is – are you ready to adapt? Don’t wait until your profits disappear. Try Mashvisor now, get actionable data to restructure your Airbnb pricing wisely.