Airbnb / VRBO Short-Term Rental Revenue Calculator

A Short-Term Rental Revenue Calculator estimates your net profit from vacation rental properties across different booking platforms. Enter your nightly rate, occupancy rate, cleaning fee, operating expenses, and property investment details to see gross revenue, platform fees, expenses, net profit, cap rate, cash-on-cash return, and break-even occupancy across Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com.

Airbnb typically has the lowest host fee at 3% for professional hosts (connected via API or property management software). VRBO charges approximately 5% host service fee plus 3% payment processing (8% total). Booking.com charges the highest at 15-18% commission. However, higher-visibility platforms may drive more bookings, potentially offsetting higher fee rates with greater occupancy.

Cap rate = (Net Operating Income / Property Value) × 100. Net Operating Income is your annual net profit plus your mortgage/rent expense (since cap rate measures property performance independent of financing). A cap rate of 8-12% is generally considered good for short-term rentals, though this varies significantly by market.

Cash-on-cash return measures your annual net profit divided by the total cash you invested (down payment). For short-term rentals, a cash-on-cash return of 8-15% is considered solid, while 15%+ is excellent. This metric is more relevant than cap rate if you have a mortgage since it accounts for your actual cash invested and financing costs.

Break-even occupancy tells you the minimum occupancy rate you need to cover all your monthly expenses (mortgage, utilities, maintenance, etc.). If your break-even occupancy is 45% and your actual occupancy is 70%, you have a healthy 25% buffer. If your occupancy drops near the break-even point, you may need to adjust pricing or reduce expenses.

Listing on multiple platforms (Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com) can increase your total bookings and occupancy rate. However, it requires careful calendar management to avoid double-bookings, and each platform has its own fee structure. Use this calculator to compare net profits across platforms for your specific property and decide which combination works best.

Yes, 100% free with no signup, no account, and no usage limits. Calculate your rental revenue as many times as you need, across as many scenarios as you want. All calculations run locally in your browser - no data is sent to any server.

Occupancy rates vary widely by market and season. Popular vacation destinations may see 70-85% annual occupancy, while less touristy areas may average 50-65%. For a conservative estimate, use 60-65%. For an optimistic scenario, use 75-80%. Most short-term rental investors aim for at least 60% occupancy to generate positive cash flow.