Airbnb's new fees: the host-only commission, all-inclusive pricing and what changes for your margins

Here we go: Airbnb has announced the end of its dual-track system. From 13 October 2026 all European hosts move to a single host-only fee of 15.5% (15 September 2026 for hosts outside the European Union). It no longer applies only to those using a management tool: it becomes the standard for everyone, individual hosts included. Together with the all-inclusive price now shown up front in search results, the change affects how much you earn and also raises a few questions on the tax side. Let's look at what actually happens, what's certain and how to redo your numbers.

The two commission models: split fee and host-only

Until now Airbnb has used two schemes. The first, the split fee, divides the cost: the host pays a small share of the booking value (typically around 3% + VAT) and the guest pays a separate, higher service fee, usually around 14-15%, added to the total at checkout. The second scheme is the host-only fee: the guest pays no service fee and the entire cost falls on the host, deducted directly from the payout. It is this second model that, from 13 October 2026, becomes mandatory for all European hosts, at a fixed rate of 15.5%.

• Split fee (until 2026): host ~3% + VAT, guest ~14-15% added to the total. The cost to the host looks low, but the guest sees a higher final price
• Host-only (from 13 October 2026 in the EU): guest 0%, host 15.5%. The price shown to the guest is the one you set, but the entire commission falls on you
• The 15.5% fee applies to the whole booking value, cleaning fee included: if you charge cleaning to the guest, you now pay commission on that too
• Stricter cancellation policies can mean an even higher host fee: weigh the trade-off between security and cost

The dates: when the change kicks in

Airbnb has notified hosts by email and through the dashboard, with two different dates depending on the region: 15 September 2026 for hosts outside the European Union and 13 October 2026 for hosts within the European Union. From that date the dual-track model disappears and only the single host-only fee remains. Until then, many individual hosts stay on the old split fee, but it's worth preparing now because the switch is automatic and requires no action on your part: one day, simply, the commission deducted from your payouts will be higher.

• 15 September 2026: switch to the host-only model for hosts outside the EU
• 13 October 2026: switch to the host-only model for hosts within the EU
• No action required: the change is applied automatically by Airbnb; you'll just see a reduced payout
• Anyone already connecting Airbnb to a property management tool or channel manager (via API), or classified as a professional host, has effectively been on this model for some time

The total price in search: the second change

Alongside the commissions, Airbnb has made all-inclusive pricing standard: in search results the guest sees the full cost of the stay from the outset — nightly rate, cleaning fee and commissions included (taxes are usually still shown separately) — rather than just a headline nightly rate. It's the same transparency logic the European Union is imposing across all digital channels, and which we find in the new EU short-term rental regulation: the first price the user sees must be the one they'll actually pay.

For you, one practical but important thing changes: inflated cleaning fees or artificially low base rates no longer work. Before, a home with a low nightly rate and a steep cleaning fee could climb the results and surprise the guest at checkout; now the guest compares the real total, and a disproportionate cleaning fee penalises you in ranking and conversion. The price has to be built honestly and in full from the start.

How much it really affects your net

Let's do the math with concrete numbers. A booking of €1,000 in rent over a month. With the new 15.5% host-only fee, Airbnb withholds €155 from the payout: you receive €845 (before any VAT on the commission where applicable). With the old split fee, as a host you paid around 3% — €30 — and the guest covered the rest: on the same income, the commission you bear therefore rises from ~€30 to €155. What you keep is then affected by taxes — the tax treatment depends on your country, so check locally — and by the hard costs of cleaning, linen and utilities. That's why "how much do I earn with Airbnb" and "how much do I actually pocket" are two very different questions.

• The 15.5% fee is calculated on the booking value, cleaning fee included: the higher the total, the higher the fee in absolute terms
• Depending on your country, your tax regime may not let you deduct running costs (cleaning, utilities, maintenance): the tax treatment depends on where you are, so check locally
• Compared with the old split fee, the host's share grows more than fivefold (from ~3% to 15.5%): it's a real increase in the platform cost, not just an accounting shift
• To estimate YOUR real net — after commissions, taxes and costs — you can use Keyo's free calculator

And tax? What to keep an eye on

On the tax side it's worth being clear, because there's a lot of confusion online. The key point is simple: the tax treatment of short-term rental income depends on your country, and in many places you cannot deduct running costs — cleaning, linen, utilities, maintenance — from what's taxed. With a commission rising from ~3% to 15.5%, your margin gets thinner; and if your local rules don't let you offset costs, the net calculation needs to be redone carefully. Check the rules that apply where you are.

The other thing worth clarifying — and it's the question we get asked most — concerns the taxable base under the new model: it isn't always obvious whether tax is calculated on the full price paid by the guest or on the amount net of the platform's commission, and that difference matters. Until you have certainty, avoid the shortcuts that circulate online: keep your Airbnb payment summaries, don't take the taxable base for granted, and check with a local tax adviser how to set up your return. The tax treatment depends on your country — check locally. It's the kind of detail best sorted out up front, not the following year.

Try it yourself: the margin calculator

Enter the nightly rate you advertise and your tax rate, and compare at a glance what you keep under the old split fee and the new 15.5% host-only fee. The calculator also shows the rate you'd need to move to in order to keep the same margin. The tax estimate is simplified (applied to the advertised price): for your real taxable base, refer to a local tax adviser.

How to protect your margin (without cheating on price)

Moving to the host-only model means seeing a higher commission deducted from the payout: it's normal, but it needs to be absorbed well. A few concrete moves.

• Rebuild your pricing with the commission built into your target price: start from the net you want and work back to the rate, not the other way round
• Set a realistic cleaning fee, not an inflated one: with the total price shown up front, a proportionate cleaning fee converts better than a headline rate
• Diversify your channels: syncing Airbnb, Booking and the other portals with a channel manager reduces dependence on a single platform and its fees
• Push the direct channel when you can: returning guests, a mini-site, word of mouth — every off-platform booking is commission saved
• Weigh the platform cost against the value of professional management: a good property manager often raises occupancy and average rate by more than they cost (we cover this in our guide to fees)

In short

Airbnb's new fees should be read together: from 13 October 2026 (in the EU) a single 15.5% commission entirely on the host, applied to cleaning too, and an all-inclusive price shown to the guest right from the results. On the tax side there's an honest caveat: the tax treatment of short-term rentals depends on your country — in many places running costs can't be deducted, and how Airbnb calculates the taxable base under the new model isn't always clear — so check locally with a tax adviser. The practical consequence is just one: redo your numbers now, with the commission already inside your target price, because the time of headline rates is over. If you'd rather rely on people who do these calculations every day, on Keyo you can compare property managers in your area with declared commissions and verified reviews, or post your request for free and get clear terms proposed before you commit.