Short-term rental platform fees compared

What each platform charges

Most Airbnb hosts on the company’s single service fee pay 15.5%, deducted from their payout, and Airbnb says it is moving all home hosts to that structure¹. Expedia Group, which owns Vrbo, says Vrbo hosts on pay-per-booking will pay a flat 12% commission that includes payment processing, with the change taking effect from 29 October 2026¹¹. Booking.com publishes no standard commission; its partner help says the percentage depends on the country, the property type and the agreement the property signed¹⁴.

Among smaller platforms, Hipcamp charges private landowners 15% and parks integrated through property management software 12.5%¹⁶. Furnished Finder charges landlords an annual subscription of $199 per listing from 2 January 2026, and says travellers pay no service or booking fee¹⁸¹⁹.

The figures on this page come from each platform’s own help centre, partner pages or newsroom, read on 8 and 9 October 2026. Where a platform changed its text during 2025 or 2026, earlier versions are cited from copies kept by the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine.

Airbnb split fee and single fee

Airbnb runs two fee structures for stays. Under the split fee, which Airbnb says is being phased out, the host pays a service fee and the guest pays a second one. Under the single fee, Airbnb deducts the entire fee from the host’s payout¹.

• Split fee, host: most hosts pay 3%, though Airbnb says “some pay more”, and listings in Brazil and Mexico pay 4%. The fee is a percentage of the nightly price and any fees the host charges, excluding the guest service fee and taxes¹.
• Split fee, guest: 14.1% to 16.5% of the booking subtotal, which is the nightly price plus the host’s fees, before the guest fee and taxes. Airbnb says the guest fee varies with a range of factors and may be higher or lower on a given booking¹.
• Single fee, host: most hosts pay 15.5%, the remaining hosts typically pay 14%-16%, and listings in Brazil and Mexico pay 16%¹.

Airbnb says the single fee is mandatory for most hosts, including hotels and serviced apartments, hosts who use property management software and hosts in countries subject to it. A host who has switched cannot switch back, and bookings made before the switch keep the old structure¹. Where VAT applies, the fees Airbnb shows to hosts and guests include it¹.

In Airbnb’s own example, a $100 nightly price on the split fee shows guests $115 and pays the host $97. On the single fee, a host who keeps the price at $100 earns $84.50 and the guest sees $100, while a host who raises it to $115 earns $97². Airbnb says the 15.5% rate is based on its global average service fees².

Other Airbnb categories have their own rates: typically 15% for services, with a minimum of $6 USD, and typically 20% for experiences¹.

Airbnb hosts on property management software

Hosts who manage prices through property management or channel management software moved first. The version of Airbnb’s fee article archived on 6 October 2025 set out the schedule⁵.

• 25 August 2025: new hosts who use such software and sign up with Airbnb can only choose the single fee⁵.
• 27 October 2025: most hosts who use the software move automatically to the single fee, and most hosts already on the single fee who are connected to the software start paying 15.5%⁵.
• 1 December 2025: most single-fee hosts who are not connected to such software start paying 15.5%. Listings in Brazil stay at 16%, and hotel listings under contract with Airbnb Travel LLC are excluded⁵.

A later Airbnb article, dated 10 April 2026, says software-connected hosts who were still on the split fee switched to the single fee on 13 April 2026, and that some had switched in late 2025⁸. Airbnb’s article dated 29 July 2026 says software users not yet on the single fee will switch on 13 October³. None of these articles names the countries covered by each wave.

Airbnb’s 2026 switch for all home hosts

During 2026 Airbnb extended the single fee to hosts without software, country by country. An article dated 22 March 2026 says hosts living in Peru or South Korea switch on 25 May and hosts living in Germany or the UK on 22 June⁴. An article published on 7 July 2026 and updated on 24 August gives the deadline to adjust prices as 15 September for hosts living outside the European Economic Area and 13 October for hosts in the EEA or Switzerland. Airbnb says hosts who miss their deadline will see lower prices and payouts per night².

The same article shows how VAT on the fee works for a host who is not VAT-registered in a country with 20% VAT. Its $100 example price adjusts to $119, made up of a single service fee of $17.83 and VAT on that fee of $3.57, which leaves a payout of $97.60². Airbnb’s price adjustment tool adds such taxes automatically unless the host is VAT or GST registered and self-assesses VAT².

Mexico moved to Brazil’s rates in 2026. The fee article archived on 7 May 2026 said hosts would pay a 4% split fee and a 16% single fee for listings in Mexico starting June 2026⁷. The current article lists Brazil and Mexico together at those rates¹.

Airbnb Super Strict policies, currency and payout charges

Airbnb’s fee article no longer lists a surcharge for Super Strict cancellation policies. The version archived on 6 October 2025 said single-fee hosts typically paid 14–16%, that hosts with Super Strict policies “may pay an additional 2%”, and that fees for stays of 28 nights or more may be less⁵. The same wording appears in the copy archived on 3 February 2026⁶. The current article, read on 8 October 2026, does not mention Super Strict policies¹.

Currency mismatches carry their own charges. When a guest pays in a currency different from the listing’s, Airbnb adds an amount to the guest service fee, taking it to as much as 16.5% of the booking subtotal¹. On the host side, Airbnb deducts an exchange fee from the payout when the listing currency differs from the payout currency. The help article gives no rate and says hosts can avoid the charge by changing the currency in the listing’s pricing settings⁹.

Hosts in the US who choose Fast Pay, which sends payouts to an eligible debit or prepaid card within 30 minutes, pay 1.5% of each payout, with a maximum of $15 USD including tax. Airbnb says Fast Pay is not available outside the US¹⁰.

Vrbo commission from 29 October 2026

Expedia Group’s newsroom published a question-and-answer page on Vrbo’s compensation model dated 1 October 2026¹¹. Its main points:

• Vrbo is retiring its subscription model and moving those hosts to pay-per-booking¹¹.
• Pay-per-booking hosts will pay a flat 12% commission on bookings, which includes payment processing fees. Rates may vary by region and across Vrbo’s heritage brands, ranging from 12-15%, and hosts can see the rate for each listing in the Vrbo dashboard¹¹.
• From 29 October 2026, payment processing fees end for hosts on Vrbo’s merchant of record, with some regional exceptions¹¹.
• Changes begin on 29 October 2026. For hosts on a subscription, they apply at the end of the subscription term¹¹.
• Bookings made before the change keep the host’s previous commission, plus the usual processing fee where Vrbo is the merchant of record. The rate follows the time the booking was made, whatever the stay dates¹¹.
• The commission is charged on the nightly rate and the host’s additional fees, such as cleaning, pet and boat fees. Taxes and refundable damage deposits are treated separately¹¹.

Vrbo’s help article on pay-per-booking fees already shows the new rate, described as a flat, all-in 12% commission that includes processing¹². It adds that bookings from Vrbo’s expanded distribution partners may carry higher fees, that hosts using property management software pay 12%, or 12%-15% in some regions such as Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and that hosts on such software pay a 10% booking fee when a reservation comes from Vrbo’s sites without going through its checkout¹². Where VAT applies, it is charged in addition to the commission. The same article still says taxes and security deposits are subject to a 3% payment processing fee¹².

Vrbo fees before the change

The copy of the same Vrbo help article archived on 1 April 2026 set out the earlier pay-per-booking fees¹³.

• A 5% commission on the rental amount and any fees the host charges the guest, such as cleaning, pet and boat fees¹³.
• A 3% payment processing fee on the total payment from the guest, including taxes and refundable damage deposits. The part charged on a deposit was returned when the deposit was refunded, and the processing fee did not apply to hosts using property management software¹³.
• For hosts using property management software, a 5% booking fee on bookings through Vrbo’s sites, or 12%-15% in some regions such as Europe, Australia and New Zealand¹³.
• For properties in Australia, New Zealand and Japan, no processing fee and a 5% commission plus GST¹³.

Vrbo also charges travellers a service fee but does not disclose its range. The newsroom page says the fee will typically be lower after the change and that Vrbo prices it dynamically according to market conditions¹¹.

Booking.com commission

Booking.com charges properties a commission set as a percentage of the total booking amount: the room rate plus fees the property charges, such as cleaning or service fees and charges for no-shows or cancellations. It is applied once the guest checks out, and non-refundable or partly refundable bookings carry commission whether or not the guest stays¹⁴.

Booking.com’s partner help gives no standard rate or typical range. It says the exact percentage depends on the country, the property type and the accommodation agreement signed on joining, and that properties can see what applies to them during registration¹⁴. Taking part in the Preferred Partner Program or Visibility Booster adds a percentage on top of the base commission, and the rate is locked at the moment the guest books¹⁴.

Booking.com does not charge commission on local taxes such as city tax, but in most countries it charges commission on VAT or GST, depending on local law. Commission is invoiced once a month for stays that ended in the previous month, and invoices must be paid within 14 days of issue¹⁴.

Payments by Booking.com, the company’s guest-payment service, has no setup fee. Properties paid by bank transfer pay a payment service fee set as a percentage of the total value of each completed reservation, depending on the property’s location; the page gives no figure. Properties paid by virtual credit card pay a per-reservation transaction fee to their own bank or payment provider¹⁵.

Hipcamp

Hipcamp, a booking platform for campsites and outdoor stays, says listing is free and that it takes a commission only on bookings: 15% for private landowners and 12.5% for parks integrated through property management software, deducted from each booking¹⁶. Guests pay a Hipcamp service fee proportional to the cost of the booking, with a minimum of $3 per booking. Hipcamp says the fee varies from booking to booking¹⁷.

Furnished Finder

Furnished Finder, a listing site for monthly furnished rentals, charges landlords an annual subscription. From 2 January 2026 the price is $199 per listing, $149 per add-on unit and $750 for an entire hotel or full apartment complex. The hotel and complex price rises to $1,000 per year from 27 October 2026¹⁸.

Travellers pay no service or booking fee to search, contact landlords or find housing. Where a landlord collects rent through Furnished Finder’s online payments, a card processing fee set by Stripe or Baselane may apply¹⁹.

Common questions

Sources

1. Airbnb, Inc., Airbnb service fees (Help Centre article 1857). Primary source, read 2026-10-08.
2. Airbnb, Inc., Simplifying service fees on Airbnb (Resource Center, published 7 July 2026, updated 24 August 2026) (2026-08-24). Primary source, read 2026-10-08.
3. Airbnb, Inc., Simplifying Airbnb service fees (Resource Center) (2026-07-29). Primary source, read 2026-10-08.
4. Airbnb, Inc., Simplifying service fees (Resource Center) (2026-03-22). Primary source, read 2026-10-08.
5. Airbnb, Inc., archived by the Internet Archive Wayback Machine, Airbnb service fees (Help Centre article 1857), copy archived 6 October 2025 (2025-10-06). Primary source, read 2026-10-08.
6. Airbnb, Inc., archived by the Internet Archive Wayback Machine, Airbnb service fees (Help Centre article 1857), copy archived 3 February 2026 (2026-02-03). Primary source, read 2026-10-08.
7. Airbnb, Inc., archived by the Internet Archive Wayback Machine, Airbnb service fees (Help Centre article 1857), copy archived 7 May 2026 (2026-05-07). Primary source, read 2026-10-08.
8. Airbnb, Inc., archived by the Internet Archive Wayback Machine, Simplifying Airbnb service fees (version dated 10 April 2026), copy archived 16 April 2026 (2026-04-10). Primary source, read 2026-10-08.
9. Airbnb, Inc., Calculating your payout (Help Centre article 459). Primary source, read 2026-10-08.
10. Airbnb, Inc., Payouts by Fast Pay (Help Centre article 3326). Primary source, read 2026-10-08.
11. Expedia Group, Vrbo Compensation Model Changes (newsroom FAQ) (2026-10-01). Primary source, read 2026-10-09.
12. Vrbo (HomeAway.com, Inc.), About the pay-per-booking (PPB) model (Vrbo Help). Primary source, read 2026-10-09.
13. Vrbo (HomeAway.com, Inc.), archived by the Internet Archive Wayback Machine, About pay-per-booking fees (Vrbo Help), copy archived 1 April 2026 (2026-04-01). Primary source, read 2026-10-09.
14. Booking.com, Understanding your commission (Booking.com for Partners, Partner Help). Primary source, read 2026-10-09.
15. Booking.com, Joining Payments by Booking.com (Booking.com for Partners, Partner Help). Primary source, read 2026-10-09.
16. Hipcamp, How much does it cost to list on Hipcamp and is there a commission fee? (Hipcamp Help) (2025-08-18). Primary source, read 2026-10-09.
17. Hipcamp, What is the Hipcamp service fee? (Hipcamp Help). Primary source, read 2026-10-09.
18. Furnished Finder, Furnished Finder 2026 Pricing and FAQs (Help Center). Primary source, read 2026-10-09.
19. Furnished Finder, Is Furnished Finder Free to Use as a Traveler? (Help Center). Primary source, read 2026-10-09.