Airbnb bookkeeping: track income and expenses for free

Quick answer

This page is general information for hosts, not tax or legal advice. What counts as income, which costs you can deduct and how long to keep records depend on your country, your region and how you use the property. Check with an accountant or your tax authority before you file.

Record income from every platform

A payout to your bank often covers several reservations, and the booking site has already taken its fee. If you record only the payout, your income looks smaller and the fee disappears from your expenses. Record each reservation instead: the gross earnings (nightly rate plus cleaning fee), the host fee the site kept, and the net that reached your bank.

• Airbnb: export your transaction history from Earnings as a CSV for the year. It lists each reservation with its confirmation code, listing, amount and fees.
• Vrbo and Booking.com: download the payout or reservation report for the year. Column names differ, but each has a reservation number, dates, the amount and the commission.
• Direct bookings: record the amount the guest paid, the card processing fee and any booking page fee (StayPerk's is 1% when guests pay online).
• Other income: damage reimbursements, add-ons you sell to guests, and resolution payments.

Use the confirmation code as the key. If a reservation is already in your books, a second import of the same file should skip it rather than count it twice. Payout rows (the transfer to your bank) should be skipped too, because their reservations are already counted.

Expense categories for short-term rentals

In the US, IRS Publication 527 covers residential rental property, including vacation homes, and explains that repairs and improvements are treated differently. IRS Topic 415 explains how personal use of the home changes what you report. In the UK, HMRC's guide to working out your rental income lists allowable expenses, and GOV.UK explains the £1,000 property allowance. In Canada, see the CRA's T4036 Rental Income guide.

Split shared costs by property. If you run two listings, put each cleaning, repair and bill against the property it belongs to, so you can see which one makes money. A cost that covers both, such as a software subscription, can go on the property you use most, or be split by a rule you apply every year.

Keep receipts you can find again

• Save every receipt and invoice: a photo, the email or the PDF.
• Write a short note with each expense saying where the receipt is, such as "Email from the hardware store, 14 March".
• Keep one folder per year, with the booking site reports in it.
• Set up repeating costs once (internet, insurance, mortgage) so each month is recorded without retyping.

How long to keep records depends on where you file. The IRS says three years in the usual case and longer in some situations (How long should I keep records?). HMRC asks landlords to keep records for at least five years after the 31 January deadline for the tax year (working out your rental income).

What to send your accountant

1. 1
   A profit and loss summary per property: income by type, expenses by category, net profit.
2. 2
   A CSV of every row for the year: date, property, category, amount, fees and the booking reference.
3. 3
   The original booking site reports and your receipts folder.
4. 4
   Notes on anything unusual: days you used the property yourself, large purchases, a property bought or sold during the year.

How StayPerk Finances does it

StayPerk is free for hosts. The Books tab in Finances keeps income and expenses for each property, one year at a time, and shows a profit and loss summary with a month-by-month chart.

• Import your Airbnb, Vrbo or Booking.com CSV. Columns are matched for you and can be changed, listings are matched to your properties, and a preview shows each row before anything is saved. Rows already imported are skipped by confirmation code.
• Add an expense in a few taps: amount, category, save. Tick Repeat every month for bills like internet or a mortgage, and add a receipt note.
• Income from StayPerk add-ons and services that guests buy through your manual appears automatically.
• Export every row for the year as a CSV, or print an annual summary per property for your accountant.

StayPerk keeps cash-basis records from what you enter and import. It does not file returns or tell you what to deduct.