Short-term rental break-even calculator: occupancy you need
Find the booked nights and occupancy a short-term rental needs each month to cover rent or mortgage, utilities, cleaning, supplies and platform fees.
Operations · · 2 min read · By StayPerk Team · Updated
See it live
The calculator is on this page and updates as you type: enter your costs and see the occupancy you need.
Quick answer
The break-even formula
Each stay leaves its booking total, less the platform fee, cleaner and supplies. Divide your monthly fixed costs by what one stay leaves, then multiply by the average stay length. That is the number of nights you need booked each month before the rental makes money.
Short-term rental break-even calculator
Enter your monthly costs and what each stay brings in. The calculator shows the booked nights and occupancy you need each month to cover your costs.
Mortgage or rent, utilities, internet, insurance
nights
Toiletries, coffee, laundry
%
15.5% on Airbnb's single fee
Booking total (one stay)
570
Left from each stay after fees, cleaning and supplies
387
Stays needed a month
6.2
Booked nights needed a month
19
Break-even occupancy
61%
What to include in fixed costs
- Mortgage or rent, and any HOA or service charges.
- Utilities: power, water, gas, internet and TV.
- Insurance that covers short-term rental use.
- Software subscriptions, licences and permit fees, spread per month.
- A maintenance allowance for repairs and replacements.
What to do with the answer
If break-even occupancy is above about 60 to 70 percent, a quiet month can lose money. Raise the nightly rate, set a minimum stay so cleaning costs spread over more nights, or charge a cleaning fee that covers the cleaner. If it is below 40 percent, the rental has room to absorb slow seasons.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good occupancy rate for a short-term rental?
It depends on the market and season. What matters for profit is the gap between your actual occupancy and your break-even occupancy: the wider it is, the safer the rental.
Should the cleaning fee cover the cleaner?
Many hosts set it close to the cleaner's cost, so short stays don't lose money. The calculator counts both the fee you charge and what you pay, so you can see the effect of changing either.
Which platform fee should I enter?
On Airbnb's single fee most hosts pay 15.5%. For direct bookings on a StayPerk booking page, enter about 4%: card processing plus StayPerk's 1%.
Still have a question?
Write to us and a person will reply, or look it up in the Help Center.
Useful StayPerk pages
- Airbnb host fee calculator
Your payout on one Airbnb booking.
- Direct booking savings
What direct stays save against Airbnb's fee.
Sources for this page
- Airbnb service fees - Airbnb Help Center
- Stripe pricing - Stripe