Guides / Hotels
Airbnb break-even calculator: how many nights do I need to book?
Before profit there is a number of nights that just pays the mortgage, the cleaner and the platform. Find it before you buy the second listing.
Skip the reading. The tool does this maths for you, free, as you type.
Find your break-even nightsEvery booking pays a platform fee, a cleaner, supplies and utilities before a cent reaches the mortgage. What is left per night, divided into your fixed monthly costs, is how many nights you must book before the listing earns anything.
The formula
Net per stay = (rate × nights + cleaning fee) × (1 − platform fee). Profit per night = (net − turnover cost − supplies − utilities × nights) ÷ nights. Break-even nights = fixed costs ÷ profit per night.
What a good number looks like
Comfortable. Most markets book that in a slow month.
It works in season and hurts in February. Build a reserve.
You need 60%+ occupancy just to stand still. Fix the turnover cost or the rate.
What to do about it
- Charge a cleaning fee that covers the real turnover cost, including your own time if you do it.
- Set a minimum stay. Two one-night stays cost two turnovers for the price of one.
- Provincial short-term rental rules and municipal licences are fixed costs. Put them in.
Now do it with your numbers.
Free, no account, saved on your device. The verdict comes back while you type.
Find your break-even nights