What is Airbnb's host-only fee, and who pays it?
Airbnb's host-only fee is a single service fee, 15.5% for most hosts, taken entirely out of the host payout. Guests no longer pay a separate Airbnb service fee. It replaces the older split fee, where the host paid about 3% and the guest paid the rest. Some hosts pay 14% to 16%.
If your prices didn't change for the 15.5% fee
$0a month
$26,210 a year, or $33 on every booked night.
Price that keeps your take-home flat
$298
x1.148 from a 3% fee
The common "divide by 0.845" rule
$308
About 3% too high, so fewer bookings
For 6 listings, a Stayvane plan is $399 a month, flat. This is an estimate: it ignores cleaning fees and your real occupancy.
What is the Airbnb host-only fee?
The host-only fee, which Airbnb calls the single-fee structure, charges the host the whole Airbnb service fee. Airbnb states that most hosts pay 15.5%, while others typically pay 14% to 16%, and hosts in Brazil and Mexico pay 16% (Airbnb Help Center). The guest sees the listed price with no Airbnb service fee added on top.
Under the split fee, the host paid about 3% and the guest paid a further service fee at checkout. The total take was similar. What changed is who is charged, and therefore what your payout looks like if your listed price stays the same.
What does the 15.5% apply to?
The host-only fee applies to the booking subtotal: the nightly rate plus cleaning, pet and extra-guest fees. It does not apply to taxes that Airbnb collects (Rental Scale-Up). A host who raises the nightly rate but leaves the cleaning fee alone still loses 15.5% of that cleaning fee on every booking.
How much less does a host keep on $100?
A host who changes nothing keeps $84.50 of a $100 booking under the host-only fee, instead of $97 under the old 3% host fee. That is a drop of about 12.9% in take-home on every booking, with no change in what the guest pays.
| Fee structure | Host fee | Host keeps on $100 | Guest pays Airbnb a service fee? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split fee (before) | About 3% | $97.00 | Yes |
| Host-only fee (after) | 15.5% | $84.50 | No |
| Host-only, price raised by x1.148 to $114.80 | 15.5% | $97.01 | No |
Can a host switch back to the split fee?
No. Airbnb says that once a host moves to the single-fee structure, they cannot switch back, and the split-fee option is being phased out. The new fee applies to bookings made after the switch. Bookings made before it keep the old fee, even if the stay happens afterward (Airbnb Help Center).
When does it start for your account?
The date depends on how you connect to Airbnb. Hosts using property-management software moved first, in October 2025. Hosts without it have a final date of September 15, 2026. The exact rollout is in our guide to which Airbnb fee date applies to you.
When does the host-only fee matter less?
The fee matters less for a host who already repriced through a channel markup in their software, and for a host whose calendar is nearly full and who accepts a lower payout in exchange for occupancy. It also matters less on listings where guests compare few alternatives. The fee itself is not a reason to raise prices. Your market and your reviews decide what guests will pay.
This page describes Airbnb's published fee. It does not tell you what your own rate is. Check the service-fee details on your listing, because the rate can differ by country, listing type and cancellation policy.
Questions hosts ask
Hosts ask the questions below most often on this topic. Each answer is complete on its own, with the figure and the condition that changes it. We last checked them on October 23, 2026.
Is Airbnb's host fee really 15.5%?
For most hosts, yes. Airbnb says most hosts pay 15.5% and others typically pay 14% to 16%, with 16% in Brazil and Mexico. Your own rate is shown in your listing's service-fee details.
Do guests still pay an Airbnb service fee?
Under the single-fee structure the guest pays no separate Airbnb service fee. The guest sees the listed price, and Airbnb deducts its fee from the host payout instead.
Does the 15.5% apply to taxes?
No. The fee applies to the nightly rate and host-set fees such as cleaning, pet and extra-guest fees. It does not apply to taxes that Airbnb collects on the stay.
Do bookings I already have get the new fee?
No. Airbnb applies the single fee to bookings made after your switch. Reservations made before the switch keep the old fee, even if the stay dates fall afterward.
What price keeps my payout the same?
If you paid 3% before, multiply your price by about 1.148, which is 0.97 divided by 0.845. A $200 night becomes about $229.60. Use the calculator for other starting fees.
Sources checked
Every fee, date and rule on this page comes from the pages below, which we read on October 23, 2026. Platforms change their terms often, so confirm anything that affects your account against the current page.
See what the 15.5% fee costs your listings
Paste your Airbnb link and your email. The free audit shows the fee gap listing by listing, in dollars, within one US business day.
Market figures use public data from Inside Airbnb (CC BY 4.0). The fee math is arithmetic on the published rates, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Check each platform's current terms for your account.