Airbnb Investment Calculator: Will a Short-Term Rental Pay?
Short-term rentals can out-earn long-term leases — but only after a much heavier cost stack. Here's how to evaluate an Airbnb investment properly before you buy or convert.
Start with ADR and occupancy
Your revenue is roughly ADR × 365 × occupancy. An average daily rate of $250 at 68% occupancy earns about $62,000 a year. Use real comps from your market — optimistic occupancy assumptions are the most common way STR analyses go wrong.
Don't forget the STR cost stack
Short-term rentals carry costs long-term rentals never do: cleaning and turnover, platform fees, higher management (15–25%), owner-paid utilities, supplies, furniture reserves and pricier insurance. These can eat 50%+ of revenue.
Always compare to long-term rent
The real question isn't 'does Airbnb make money?' — it's 'does it make more money than just leasing the place, after all that extra work and cost?' A good STR model shows this comparison directly.
Airbnb / Short-Term Rental Calculator
Stop computing this by hand. The Airbnb / Short-Term Rental Calculator does it for you — instantly, with a clear verdict at the end. One-time $34, works in Excel & Google Sheets.
View the Airbnb / Short-Term Rental Calculator