Airbnb calculator for short-term rentals
Enter a price, a nightly rate and occupancy to see what a short-term rental earns after every cost. Change any number and the results update.
Also assumed: a 30-year loan, 5% of revenue each for repairs and capital expenditures, and a 10% lodging tax paid by you. Occupancy already accounts for empty nights.
Results
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A $325,000 home furnished for $20,000 and listed at $250 a night, booked 68% of the time, bought with 20% down at 6.5%.
- Purchase price
- $325,000
- Closing costs
- $9,750
- Furnishing
- $20,000
- Down payment
- 20%
- Interest rate
- 6.5%
- Nightly rate
- $250/night
- Occupancy
- 68%
- Property tax
- $4,000/yr
- Insurance
- $2,400/yr
- Utilities, internet and supplies
- $450/mo
- Property management
- 20%
- Monthly cash flow
- $476
- Cash-on-cash return
- 6.0%
- Cap rate
- 7.8%
- Total cash needed
- $94,750
After management, lodging tax, utilities and reserves it clears $476 a month: a 6.0% cash-on-cash return on $94,750 invested. That's fair, but under the 10% many short-term rental investors look for.
How it's calculated
- Monthly revenue
- Nightly rate × occupancy × 365 nights ÷ 12.
- Monthly cash flow
- Revenue minus the mortgage, property tax, insurance, utilities, lodging tax, and reserves for repairs, capital expenditures and management.
- Cash-on-cash return
- A year of cash flow divided by the cash you put in: down payment, closing costs and furnishing.
- Cap rate
- A year of net operating income (before the mortgage) divided by the price.
What's a good result?
Short-term rentals usually need higher returns than long-term ones to be worth the extra work and swings: many investors look for a cash-on-cash return of 10% or more.
Questions
Where do I find a nightly rate and occupancy?
Look at similar listings nearby on Airbnb and Vrbo: their prices and how booked their calendars are. Use a conservative occupancy for a new listing.
Who pays the lodging tax?
In many places the platform adds it to the guest's bill, so it costs you nothing. This calculator counts it as your cost to stay cautious; the full analysis lets you change the rate or mark it as paid by guests.
Why is management so high?
Short-term rental managers handle guests, cleaning turnovers and pricing, and usually charge 20–30% of revenue. Set it lower if you'll host yourself.
Learn more: Short-term rentals. More calculators: Rental property · Fix & flip · BRRRR · Mortgage · Cap rate · Cash-on-cash return · 70% rule