Airbnb Changes Its Commission Structure: What the New Single Fee Means for Property Owners and Accommodation Managers
Airbnb is changing one of the most important parts of its distribution model: the way it charges service fees. The platform is gradually moving away from the split-fee system, where the service fee was divided between host and guest, toward a single fee deducted directly from the host’s payout. Airbnb states that most hosts under this structure pay 15.5%, although in some cases the percentage may range between 14% and 16%.
This change is especially relevant for professional accommodation providers, hotels, serviced apartments, and managers using a PMS or channel manager, as the single-fee structure applies to most of these profiles. More than just a change in commission, it means reviewing how prices are calculated, how much the accommodation actually receives, and how Airbnb compares with other sales channels.
What Exactly Is Changing on Airbnb?
Under the traditional split-fee model, part of the service fee was paid by the host and another part was added to the price paid by the guest. This meant that the rate set by the accommodation was not necessarily the final amount shown to the traveler.
Airbnb explains the change with a simple example: if a host previously set a price of $100, the guest could end up paying around $115 after the guest service fee was added, while the host would receive approximately $97 after their own fee was deducted. Under the new structure, the accommodation could set a price of $115 directly, the guest would see that $115 price, and the host would receive approximately the same $97 after the single fee was deducted.
Therefore, seeing a 15.5% commission on the payout does not automatically mean that the accommodation will earn less. The key is to correctly review and adjust the published price to reflect the new structure.
The Mistake Would Be to Keep Exactly the Same Prices
This is one of the most important points for property owners and managers. If an accommodation moves from a structure where the host paid approximately a 3% fee to one where around 15.5% is deducted, while keeping exactly the same rates, its net income per booking can decrease significantly.
For this reason, the change should not be analyzed only by looking at the commission percentage. It is necessary to calculate the price required to maintain the same net income after channel costs. Airbnb has even introduced a price adjustment tool for certain hosts during the transition, allowing them to update existing prices and additional charges more easily.
The objective should be simple: determine how much we want to receive after commission and, from there, calculate the price the guest needs to see.
The Published Price Matters Less Than the Net Revenue
This change also requires a different way of analyzing accommodation performance. Simply comparing the published price on Airbnb with Booking.com or a direct booking website can be misleading because each channel has a different cost structure.
A room or apartment sold for €200 on two different platforms does not necessarily generate the same final revenue. Commissions, promotions, payment processing costs, and any other expenses associated with acquiring that booking must also be taken into account.
That is why it is becoming increasingly important to work with concepts such as net price, distribution cost, and margin by channel. The question should no longer simply be, “How much are we selling for?” but rather, “How much do we actually keep after the sale?”
What Happens to Properties Connected to a PMS or Channel Manager?
For professional managers, this point is especially important. Airbnb specifies that the single-fee structure applies to most hosts using property management software, as well as traditional hospitality businesses such as hotels and serviced apartments.
When rates are distributed from a PMS or channel manager across different platforms, it does not always make sense to send exactly the same base price to every channel. If Airbnb, Booking.com, and direct bookings have different costs, the pricing strategy may need specific adjustments to keep net revenue aligned.
This is where a well-designed multichannel strategy becomes even more important. Synchronizing availability is only one part of the process; it is also necessary to understand how each platform affects final profitability.
Does This Mean Airbnb Has Become More Expensive?
Not necessarily.
Airbnb explains that the 15.5% figure used in its new structure is based on the global average of its previous service fees. The main difference is that the cost is no longer divided between guest and host and is instead concentrated on the host side, making the final price shown to the traveler more direct.
For the accommodation, this makes the commission much more visible on each payout, but it also provides a clearer view of the final price presented to the guest. The real impact will depend on how rates are adjusted after the transition.
Airbnb, Booking.com, and Direct Bookings Should Not Be Analyzed in the Same Way
Each channel serves a different purpose. Airbnb can provide visibility, international guests, and demand that the accommodation may not be able to generate on its own.
Booking.com can reach a different type of traveler and offer enormous international exposure, while direct bookings may allow the accommodation to retain a larger share of the value of each stay.
The objective should not be to decide which channel is generally “better,” but to analyze which channel delivers the best results for each property, season, and guest profile.
Airbnb’s new structure makes it even more important to understand the true cost of every booking. A channel can have a higher commission and still be profitable if it generates bookings that would not otherwise have been obtained. Problems arise when the same prices and the same strategy are used across every channel without considering their differences.
An Opportunity to Review the Entire Pricing Strategy
Changes like this may appear to be simple technical updates from a platform, but they also provide a good opportunity to review whether the accommodation’s commercial strategy still makes sense.
It is worth checking base rates, promotions, discounts, additional charges, weekend pricing, seasons, and differences between channels. Net revenue from each booking should also be reviewed, rather than focusing only on the published price.
Airbnb also states that once a host moves to the single-fee structure, they cannot return to the split-fee model. Bookings made before the change retain their previous fee structure, while the new fee applies to new bookings made after the transition.
What Should a Property Owner or Manager Review Now?
Rather than automatically increasing prices by 15.5%, each accommodation should be analyzed individually. The starting point should be determining how much net revenue was generated before the change, how much the property wants to maintain, and what final price remains competitive within the market.
It is also important to review which promotions are active, how rates are distributed through the PMS, what differences exist compared with other channels, and whether the strategy maintains the right balance between competitiveness for the guest and profitability for the owner.
Commission is only one variable. Occupancy, demand, positioning, and the price travelers are willing to pay remain equally important.
Conclusion
Airbnb’s move toward a single-fee structure should not be viewed simply as a new commission. It represents a change in how prices are displayed and how the revenue from each booking is calculated, requiring property owners and managers to pay even closer attention to the net amount they actually receive.
Keeping the same rates without reviewing the impact of the new structure can reduce margins, while increasing prices without considering the market can also affect competitiveness. The key is to find the right balance between final price, commission, positioning, and net revenue.
For accommodations working across several channels, this change reinforces a fundamental principle: not every channel has the same cost, and therefore they should not always be managed in exactly the same way.
At AndStay, we manage the commercial strategy of tourist apartments and hotels by considering dynamic pricing, multichannel distribution, platform costs, and net profitability, adapting rates so that changes from Airbnb, Booking.com, and other channels do not simply become additional costs, but decisions that can be managed strategically.
