How to raise your prices after Airbnb's 15.5% fee
If you were on Airbnb's old split fee (about 3% paid by the host), multiply your prices by 1.148: 0.97 divided by 0.845. A $200 night becomes $229.59 and you keep $194.00 either way. Do not divide by 0.845. That overprices you by about 3%.
What changed
Airbnb is moving US hosts from a split fee (about 3% paid by the host, 14 to 16% paid by the guest) to one 15.5% host-only fee taken out of the payout. September 15, 2026 was the final date for US hosts without property-management software (software-connected hosts moved in October 2025; see which date applies to you). It applies to the nightly rate plus cleaning, pet and extra-guest fees. It does not apply to taxes.
If your prices did not move, you now keep 85% of each dollar instead of 97%. That is about 13% less per night.
Step by step
- Confirm your old fee. Most US hosts were on the split fee, which is a 3% host fee. If you were on something else, the factor changes. The calculator page shows the general formula.
- Use the factor, not the shortcut. The flat-earnings factor is 0.97 / 0.845 = 1.148. The popular shortcut, 1 / 0.845 = 1.183, assumes you paid no host fee before.
- Apply it to every charge the fee touches. That means the base nightly rate, cleaning fee, pet fee and extra-guest fee. Leave taxes alone. Do it in one place only: your pricing tool, your property-management system, or Airbnb's own adjustment tool. Doing it in two stacks the markup.
- Change the base, not each night. If you use a pricing tool, change the base price or its percentage adjustment so seasonal and event pricing keep working on top of the new base.
- Set a floor and a ceiling. A guardrail stops a bad rule from underpricing a weekend or overpricing a quiet week. We never move a price by more than 15% without a yes from the owner.
- Check after three weeks. Compare booking pace and gap nights with the same weeks last year and with nearby listings. Seasonality moves prices too, so judge against comparables, not against last month.
What each price becomes
| Your price now | Flat earnings (x1.148) | Shortcut (x1.183) | Shortcut overshoot |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | $114.79 | $118.34 | $3.55 |
| $150 | $172.19 | $177.51 | $5.33 |
| $200 | $229.59 | $236.69 | $7.10 |
| $300 | $344.38 | $355.03 | $10.65 |
| $450 | $516.57 | $532.54 | $15.98 |
All figures assume a 3% starting fee. Round to a price that looks normal on the calendar.
Should you pass the whole fee on?
You have three honest options. None is free.
- Raise by the full factor. Your payout stays flat. Guests see a higher price and some book the listing next door. This works best where your reviews and calendar are strong.
- Raise part of it. You keep more bookings and accept a smaller payout per night. A fair choice for listings with gaps.
- Hold your prices. You keep the most bookings and absorb the whole 12.5 points of fee. Do this on purpose, not by default.
Nobody can promise how many bookings you will lose or keep. Check your own calendar and your nearest comparables.
What other hosts did
We compared Inside Airbnb's June 2026 and September 2026 snapshots for 99,343 listings in 12 US markets. 16% showed the same nightly price in both. Only 3% moved by about the flat-earnings factor. See the market-by-market numbers.
Common mistakes
- Dividing by 0.845 and calling it done.
- Raising the nightly rate but not the cleaning, pet and extra-guest fees.
- Copying the Airbnb factor to Vrbo. Vrbo's fee is different, so the right factor is too.
- Repricing once and never checking. Compare against nearby listings, not against last month.
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.
How much should I raise my Airbnb prices for the 15.5% fee?
From the old 3% host fee, multiply by about 1.148, which is 0.97 divided by 0.845. A $200 night becomes about $229.60 and you keep the same $194 as before.
Should I use Airbnb's price adjustment tool?
It is built for hosts without property-management software and changes prices and fees for the next two years. Airbnb does not publish its ratio, so check a few dates against your own math.
Do I raise cleaning and pet fees too?
Yes. The fee applies to the nightly rate plus cleaning, pet and extra-guest fees, so each needs the same multiplier. Taxes are left alone.
Do my existing bookings 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.
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.
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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.