The formula
Your goal is to keep the same payout after the fee:
new price = old price × (1 − old host fee) ÷ (1 − new host fee)
For a host on the usual 3% split fee moving to the usual 15.5% single fee,[1] that's 0.97 ÷ 0.845 = 1.1479. In other words, raise prices 14.8%.
Why you see three different numbers online
| Number | Where it comes from | When it's right |
|---|---|---|
| +14.8% | 0.97 ÷ 0.845 | You were on the 3% split fee and want the same payout. |
| +15% | Airbnb's own example: $100 becomes $115 and still pays about $97.[2] | The same goal, rounded. $115 × 0.845 = $97.18. |
| +18.3% | 1 ÷ 0.845, the "~18.34% markup" Hospitable cites to neutralize the 15.5% fee[3] | Your base price is meant to be your full take-home with no Airbnb fee, for example a channel-manager markup on a fee-free base rate. |
Adding 15.5% overshoots a little ($115.50 × 0.845 = $97.60). Adding the 12.5-point difference falls short ($112.50 × 0.845 = $95.06).
If your old fee wasn't 3%
| Old fee → new fee | Multiply prices by | Raise |
|---|---|---|
| 3% split → 15.5% single (most hosts)[1] | 0.97 ÷ 0.845 = 1.1479 | +14.8% |
| 4% split → 16% single (Brazil and Mexico)[1] | 0.96 ÷ 0.84 = 1.1429 | +14.3% |
| No fee built into your base rate → 15.5% | 1 ÷ 0.845 = 1.1834 | +18.3% |
Some hosts on the single fee pay a rate other than 15.5% (typically 14%–16%).[1] Hospitable notes that some hosts, including some in Italy and Brazil, pay a different percentage, and you can find yours under Payments and Payouts → Service fee.[3] Use your own rate in the formula.
Worked examples (3% → 15.5%)
| Price | Old payout (97%) | New price | New payout (84.5%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $150 nightly | $145.50 | $172.19 | $145.50 |
| $200 nightly | $194.00 | $229.59 | $194.00 |
| $95 cleaning fee | $92.15 | $109.05 | $92.15 |
Do the cleaning, pet and extra-guest fees too. Airbnb charges the single fee on all of them.[2]
VAT and GST
Where VAT applies to Airbnb's fee and you aren't VAT-registered, the fee effectively grows by the VAT rate. Airbnb's example with 20% VAT adjusts $100 to $119.[2] The exact formula gives 0.97 ÷ (1 − 0.155 × 1.2) = 1.1916, or $119.16. Our repricer has a VAT setting for this.
Should you raise by exactly that much?
The neutral raise keeps your payout flat. Guests used to pay a 14.1%–16.5% service fee on top of your price,[1] so after a 14.8% raise the guest total stays close to what it was. Going higher earns more per booking. Staying lower could win bookings but cuts your payout. Airbnb has a price adjustment tool that changes all your listings at once.[2] If you use a channel manager or dynamic pricing, though, make the change there, or it may overwrite your Airbnb prices.