In today’s bustling vacation rental market, managing Airbnb properties demands time, expertise, and a keen understanding of guest expectations. Enter Airbnb property managers, the professionals who streamline operations, enhance guest experiences, and maximize returns for property owners. But what exactly are Airbnb management fees, and how much do Airbnb property managers charge? Let’s delve into the world of Airbnb property management to uncover the answers.
What is Airbnb Management Fee?
As the name indicates, Airbnb vacation home managers oversee the Short-term Rental (STR) properties on behalf of the hosts. As your partner in property management, a dedicated Airbnb manager will take care of your home and guests while ensuring better ROI for your business.
Marianne Heder (Director of Vacation Rentals at Property Management Inc.) told on Shawn Moore’s channel that professional property managers ensure enterprise-level services to keep the guests happy during their stay. Eventually, they’ll rebook the rental home to enjoy the same five-star experience.
How much do airbnb property managers charge?
Airbnb hosts pay short-term rental property management fees to cover the operational costs of the vacation homes. This management fee includes costs for various services, including on-site maintenance, guest communication, and marketing. These professionals have in-depth knowledge of local regulations and market insights that help maximize the property’s potential.
However, the Airbnb management fee depends on various factors, such as property size, location, type of service plan, and vacation rental seasonality demand.
According to Gitnux, vacation home managers generally charge 10% to 15% average Airbnb property management fee on the gross profits.
Cost Breakup Based On the Type of Airbnb Management Solution
The fee structure for Airbnb home management differs based on the types of services property managers carry out, i.e., half-service or full-service. Generally, service providers charge the vacation home hosts using a commission-based pricing model.
Service providers charge 10% to 15% of monthly STR income for half-service Airbnb management. The services include listing optimization, advertising, bookings, revenue management strategy, guest communication, tax collection, and property damage protection.
On the other hand, fees for full-service Airbnb management companies range between 15% and 40% due to the Airbnb add-on service. Apart from services covered in half-service, this management model includes extra services, such as restocking supplies, home furnishing, inspections, cleaning, repairs, regular maintenance, and legal requisites.
What Factors Can Influence the Cost of Airbnb Property Managers?
To estimate Airbnb management fees accurately, consider the following crucial factors:
Location
Due to increased competition and market dynamics, Airbnb property managers charge more for high-demand tourist areas than non-prime locations.
Property type/size
The type and size of the rental homes both influence the final Airbnb management fee. The maintenance requirements differ for each type of property.
For instance, there are more unexpected upkeep needs in older houses. Besides, villas with many rooms require more cleaning and maintenance services. So, understanding the work involved is crucial for property managers before quoting the charges.
Scope of Service
The level of service hosts choose impacts the overall Airbnb management fee. The managers charge more for every added property management solution, such as advertising the property, collecting rent, managing repairs, pet services, revenue management, etc.
As mentioned above, the cost depends on whether the host opts for full or half-service Airbnb management.
Reputation and expertise
The credibility of the Airbnb manager also influences the Airbnb management fee. Seasoned experts who understand the local market’s nuances usually charge more.
Vacancy rate
Airbnb managers charge higher fees for properties with low occupancy rates. It allows property management companies to cover themselves when the rental home is vacant. Generally, it’s a one-time upfront payment or fee per vacant unit.
On the contrary, some Airbnb managers offer discounts on property management costs for longer stays, such as weekly and monthly rentals, to boost Airbnb occupancy rates.
Market dynamics
Every destination experiences a peak and a low season. Thus, property managers adjust prices and minimum stay rules on Airbnb listings based on seasonal patterns. However, manually tracking and updating nightly costs is cumbersome.
So, professional property managers use the Pricelabs Dynamic Pricing automation tool. This software automatically reflects new rental supply and demand using a hyper-local pulse Airbnb algorithm. It even tracks competitor’s price plans for a specific calendar date according to current market trends.
Whether it’s a special event, weekend, or peak seasonality, the software recalculates daily booking costs for Airbnb listings. Thus, integrating the advanced vacation rental pricing tool with the Airbnb platform saves property managers time and effort.
Miscellaneous costs and fees
Airbnb managers charge additional costs and fees depending on the specific requirements of an STR business. It includes:
- Set-up fees: Also called onboarding fees, some property managers impose a one-time initial set-up fee for listing optimization.
- Cleaning service fee: Airbnb managers charge between $50 and $100 per night for Airbnb cleaning service, depending on the property size. Typically, guests pay this cost.
- Maintenance/repair cost: Property managers may charge extra if an unexpected issue arises during stays. The final fees include prompt repairs, regular inspections, pest control, and maintenance costs.
- Pet fees: Pet-friendly properties charge guests an additional fee due to extra cleaning efforts. The fee ranges from $10 to $50 per night.
- Value-added services cost: Airbnb management companies will charge more for providing additional perks, like exclusive tours or vacation home furnishing.
- Supplies restocking fees: Property managers impose monthly fees for restocking between stays based on specific supplies, like kitchen items, linens, and toiletries.
- Vacation rental insurance fee: Damage protection, bed bugs, fleas, burglary, Airbnb squatter, and liability coverage incur an extra charge.
- Early termination fee: Some rental property managers charge hefty fees if hosts want to terminate the contract before time.
Are Airbnb Property Management Fees Justified? Weighing The Costs Vs. Benefits
| Pros | Cons |
| A perfect solution to manage multiple Airbnb properties | High Airbnb property management service fees in prime locations |
| Handles last-minute bookings and maintenance issues | Hosts lose autonomy in running daily operations |
| Ensures enhanced and seamless guest experience | Limited control over pricing |
| Provides responsive support | |
| Saves valuable time |
Method to Calculate Airbnb Property Management Fees
Airbnb managers collect their fees directly from the monthly revenue of an STR property. Suppose a beachfront villa generated a monthly rental income of $5,000.
With the 20% Airbnb management fee, the property manager receives a $1000 fee for the services. The host will also pay fees for additional services, like a $300 restocking fee and a $100 cleaning fee. Further, property managers will directly pay an Airbnb platform fee of 3% to 14%.
So, here’s the formula to calculate net revenue and final income on the vacation rental homes with a 3% Airbnb platform fee:
Calculate Net Revenue
(Total Revenue) * (1- (Management Fee + Airbnb Platform Fee)) = Net Revenue
$5,000 * [1- (20%+3%)] = $3,850
Deduct any miscellaneous fees
Net Revenue – Additional Fees = Final Income
$3,850 – ($300+$100) = $3,450
So, the Airbnb manager will make a final payment of $3450 to the STR business owner.
Key Takeaways
- The Airbnb management fee varies based on your property needs, scope of service, and local market.
- Hosts typically choose from half or full-service Airbnb property management fees.
- Usually, property managers charge a percentage of commission on rental income.
- Airbnb property managers provide an all-inclusive STR management service, including listing, marketing, maintenance, cleaning, check-out, and guest communication.
About PriceLabs
PriceLabs is a revenue management solution for the short-term rental and hospitality industry, founded in 2014 and headquartered in Chicago, IL. Our platform helps individual hosts and hospitality professionals optimize their pricing and revenue management, adapting to changing market trends and occupancy levels.
With dynamic pricing, automation rules, and customizations, we manage pricing and minimum-stay restrictions for any portfolio size. Prices are automatically uploaded to preferred channels such as Airbnb, Vrbo, and 100+ property management systems and channel integrations.
Every day, we price over 300,000+ listings globally across 135+ countries, offering world-class tools like the Base Price Help and Minimum Stay Recommendation Engine. Choose PriceLabs to increase revenue and streamline pricing and revenue management. Sign up for a free trial at pricelabs.co today.