Who This Is For
Hosts who manage their own listing, owners whose Airbnb has felt softer since mid-September, and anyone modelling an Airbnb purchase. If you use a manager, the same checks apply: ask them to show you what they changed and when.
Airbnb Market News
Airbnb's 15.5% Host-Only Fee: What Australian Hosts Should Do Now
On 15 September 2026 Airbnb finished moving hosts outside Europe onto a single service fee. Instead of the host paying about 3% and the guest paying a separate fee on top, the host now pays one fee of 15.5%, taken out of the payout. Guests see a cleaner price. Hosts who did not reprice are quietly earning less on every new booking. This guide explains exactly what changed, runs the numbers, and gives Australian owners and buyers a practical checklist for the week ahead.
Key Takeaway
Airbnb's single fee is now the standard for Australian hosts. Under Airbnb's own example, a $100 nightly price that used to pay the host $97 now pays $84.50 unless the price is lifted to about $115. The change is a pricing job, not a reason to abandon short-term rental. Owners who treat it as a revenue-management task can protect most of their income.
Do This Week
Five checks that take less than an afternoon for most listings.
1Confirm your fee: Open a recent payout or transaction record and check which fee structure applied.
2Check your prices: Compare base, weekend, seasonal and minimum prices with what they were before the switch.
3Check host fees: Cleaning, pet and extra-guest fees now sit inside the 15.5% calculation.
4Check GST: See how GST on Airbnb's fee appears in your records and whether your ABN is recorded.
5Check other channels: Make sure Stayz, Booking.com and direct rates still make sense next to the new Airbnb price.
What Airbnb Changed On 15 September 2026
Airbnb announced on 7 July 2026 that it was "combining both fees into a single 15.5% service fee". Its hosting resource on the change, updated on 24 August 2026, set two deadlines: 15 September for hosts outside the European Economic Area, and 13 October for hosts living inside it or in Switzerland. Australian hosts fall under the first date. Listings in Brazil and Mexico keep a 16% single fee.
This was the final step of a longer rollout rather than a sudden new idea. Airbnb's help centre already described the single fee as mandatory for traditional hospitality listings such as hotels and serviced apartments, for hosts using property management software, and for hosts in countries that had been moved earlier. Many professionally managed Australian listings have therefore been on the single fee for some time. The September deadline brought in the remaining hosts who were still on the split structure.
That makes this the right moment to check the numbers, even if you believe your prices were adjusted months ago.
Check the source yourself
Read Airbnb's Simplifying service fees on Airbnb resource and its service fees help article. Platform fees and deadlines can change, so confirm the current wording before relying on any figure in this article.
Split Fee Versus Single Fee: How Each One Works
Under the old split structure, Airbnb's help centre says most hosts paid a 3% service fee, while guests paid a separate service fee "ranging from 14.1% to 16.5% of the booking subtotal". The guest saw your price, then Airbnb's fee added on top. You received your price less 3%.
Under the single structure, Airbnb says most hosts pay 15.5%, and the entire fee is deducted from the host payout. The guest no longer sees a separate Airbnb service fee added to the price. The number you set is much closer to the number the guest sees before taxes.
Both fees are calculated on the same base. Airbnb defines the booking subtotal as "the nightly price and any additional fees charged by the host", excluding the guest service fee and taxes. In plain English: your nightly rate, cleaning fee, extra-guest fee and pet fee are all inside the calculation.
Split fee: host
Most hosts paid 3% of the booking subtotal, deducted from the payout.
Split fee: guest
Guests paid 14.1% to 16.5% of the booking subtotal on top of the host's price.
Single fee: host
Most hosts pay 15.5% of the booking subtotal, deducted from the payout.
Single fee: guest
No separate Airbnb service fee is added to the price the guest sees.
Why Airbnb Says It Made The Change
Airbnb's stated reason is simplicity. Its resource says the change is designed "to simplify pricing" and to make it "easier to know what guests pay and price competitively". A guest scrolling search results sees a price that is closer to what they will actually pay, rather than discovering a large fee at checkout.
For hosts, the effect depends entirely on what happened to the price. Airbnb built a tool that adjusts prices across all of a host's listings at once so the payout can stay about the same. Owners who used it, or whose manager repriced correctly, should see little change in the guest's total or their own payout. Owners who ignored the prompts may have handed a large share of their margin to the platform without noticing, because the calendar still looks the same.
The Maths: How Much To Lift Prices To Keep Your Payout
Airbnb's own example is the clearest starting point. A host charging $100 under the split fee kept $97, and the guest saw about $115. Under the single fee, Airbnb suggests pricing at $115, so the guest still sees about $115 and the host still keeps about $97.
The general formula is simple. Take your old payout and divide it by 0.845, because under a 15.5% fee you keep 84.5% of the subtotal.
The repricing formula
New price = old price x 0.97 / 0.845. That works out to the old price multiplied by about 1.148, or a lift of roughly 14.8%, for a host who previously paid a 3% fee. Your exact figure depends on the fee you actually paid before and any GST treatment.
The illustrative nightly prices below show how that looks in practice. They exclude GST and assume the host previously paid 3%.
$180 a night (illustrative)
Old payout $174.60. Price needed to keep it: about $207. If unchanged, payout falls to $152.10.
$250 a night (illustrative)
Old payout $242.50. Price needed to keep it: about $287. If unchanged, payout falls to $211.25.
$400 a night (illustrative)
Old payout $388.00. Price needed to keep it: about $459. If unchanged, payout falls to $338.00.
The higher listed price is not the guest paying more. Before the switch, the guest was already paying roughly that total once Airbnb's guest fee was added. The number has simply moved from the checkout screen to your calendar.
What Happens If You Did Nothing
Airbnb is direct about this. Its resource says that if a host does not act before the deadline, "your prices and payouts per night will be lower". Its example: keep a $100 price and you earn $84.50 after the 15.5% fee is deducted, instead of $97.
That is $12.50 less on every $100 of booking value. On a $250 night the illustrative gap is $31.25. Across 200 booked nights that is $6,250 a year, before GST considerations, for a listing that looks exactly as busy as it did before.
There is a second, less obvious effect. A host who did not reprice is now showing guests a lower total than before, because the guest fee has disappeared. That listing may pick up extra bookings. It can feel like a good month while the property is actually earning less per stay, filling dates that could have gone at a better rate, and adding cleaning and wear for less money.
Busier is not the same as better. Check the payout per booked night, not just the number of nights booked.
Cleaning, Pet And Extra-Guest Fees Are Inside The 15.5%
Because the fee is calculated on the booking subtotal, it applies to every host-set charge, not just the nightly rate. A cleaning fee that once cost you 3% in platform fees now costs 15.5%.
Take an illustrative three-night stay at $250 a night with a $150 cleaning fee. The subtotal is $900.
Old split fee (illustrative)
Host fee 3% = $27. Host payout $873. The guest paid Airbnb's fee separately.
Single fee, no repricing
Host fee 15.5% = $139.50. Host payout $760.50, which is $112.50 less for the same stay.
Single fee, repriced
A subtotal of about $1,033 keeps the payout near $873, for example $287 a night plus a $172 cleaning fee.
Two practical consequences follow. First, if your cleaner charges you $150 and you charge guests $150, you are now losing about $23 on the cleaning line before GST, because $150 x 0.845 is $126.75. Second, because cleaning is now charged at the same rate as the nightly price, the old argument for hiding cost in the cleaning fee is weaker. Some hosts will find it cleaner to fold part of the cleaning cost into the nightly rate, particularly for longer stays.
Pet and extra-guest fees work the same way. If they were set to cover a specific cost, lift them by the same ratio or they will no longer cover it.
Related WTP reading on fees
Our guide to pricing Airbnb cleaning fees explains how guests react to cleaning fees and when folding them into the nightly rate makes sense.
GST: Check How It Shows In Your Records
Airbnb's Australian help centre states that "Airbnb service fees are subject to 10% GST". It also says hosts who are registered for GST and have added their Australian Business Number (ABN) "may not be charged GST on Airbnb service fees", although they may still need to account for it in their own GST reporting.
This matters more now because the fee on your side of the booking is roughly five times larger than before. Where GST is charged on a 15.5% fee, it is charged on a much bigger number. On an illustrative $100 of subtotal, a $15.50 fee attracts $1.55 of GST if it is charged in addition, compared with $0.30 on the old $3 fee.
Do not assume. Open a recent transaction record, find the service fee line and confirm how GST appears. If you are GST-registered, check that your ABN is recorded correctly in your Airbnb account. If you are not, ask your accountant whether anything about your situation should change.
Separately, Airbnb's 2026 Australian tax guide, prepared by an independent firm, notes that GST generally does not need to be charged to guests on residential accommodation such as a short-term holiday stay, and that GST credits generally cannot be claimed for expenses related to that supply. Your own position depends on the property and your structure.
General information only
This is general information, not tax advice. Speak with a registered tax agent about GST registration, how platform fees are treated in your return and how any personal use of the property is apportioned.
Which Bookings Use Which Fee
Airbnb says the single service fee "will only apply to reservations made after you switch from a split fee to a single fee". Bookings confirmed before your switch date keep the fee structure they were made under.
That creates a transition period in your numbers. If your calendar already holds reservations for Christmas, New Year and the January school holidays that were booked before 15 September, those stays will pay out on the old basis. New bookings for the same period will pay out on the new basis. Two guests staying in the same week can produce noticeably different payouts at the same listed price.
1Split your forward bookings: Separate reservations made before and after your switch date in your own records.
2Recalculate summer: Work out the payout on the dates still open for December and January at your current prices.
3Update your budget: Use the single fee for every booking you have not yet taken, including next year.
4Watch alterations: Check how changed dates or guest numbers on existing bookings are priced before approving them.
What Guests Now See When They Compare Listings
The single fee changes how your listing sits next to competitors. A guest searching for a coastal weekend now sees prices that already include Airbnb's cut. Every host who repriced will show a higher number in the calendar than before. Every host who did not will look cheaper.
In the short term, that means your market may be uneven. Some neighbouring listings will be underpriced because the owner missed the change. That is not a reason to follow them down. It is a reason to check your comparable set carefully and look at what similar properties are actually booking at, not just what they are advertising on quiet dates.
It also raises the importance of listing quality. When guests compare prices that are closer to the final total, the photos, reviews, title and amenities have to justify the difference. A property that is well presented and well reviewed can hold a higher price. One that is not will feel the new transparency more.
Related WTP reading on pricing
See how to set the right Airbnb base rate and why percentile pricing beats guesswork for the method behind a defensible base and minimum price.
Reset Minimum, Weekend And Seasonal Prices, Not Just The Base
Airbnb's adjustment tool lifts prices across listings in one step, but many hosts price with a mix of settings: a base rate, weekend premiums, custom seasonal prices, length-of-stay discounts and a dynamic pricing tool with its own minimum. If only one of those moved, the others may still be sitting at their old level.
The minimum price deserves the most attention. Dynamic pricing tools drop towards the minimum on quiet dates. If the minimum was set to cover cleaning, linen, utilities and a margin under a 3% fee, it may no longer cover them under a 15.5% fee.
Base price
Check it moved by the right ratio, not by a rounded guess.
Minimum price
Recalculate the break-even night using the new fee, then add a margin.
Weekend and event premiums
Fixed-dollar premiums shrink in real terms if they were not lifted too.
Custom seasonal prices
Prices typed in manually for summer, Easter or local events do not always follow a bulk change.
Weekly and monthly discounts
A percentage discount on a higher base is fine, but check the result still covers costs.
Last-minute and early-bird rules
These can push a repriced night back below break-even if they were set aggressively.
Spring is the right time to do this properly. The Australian summer peak is when a large share of annual income is earned in many holiday markets, and underpriced peak nights cannot be recovered later.
Other Channels, Rate Parity And Direct Bookings
If your property is listed on more than one platform, a higher Airbnb price changes the comparison with every other channel. The fees are different on each one, so identical prices no longer mean identical payouts.
Stayz, for example, states on its help centre that pay-per-booking hosts pay a 7% commission on successful bookings and that travellers are charged a 2% service fee. Booking.com sets commission by property and market, so check the rate in your own extranet rather than relying on a figure from another host. Direct bookings through your own website avoid platform commission but carry payment, marketing and management costs of their own.
For owners using a channel manager or property management system, the question is whether the Airbnb markup was applied on the channel side or in the base price. If it went into the base price, your other channels may now be overpriced. If it was applied as an Airbnb-only adjustment, check that it matches the fee ratio.
1List every channel: Note the host fee, guest fee and any payment processing charge for each one, from the platform's own help pages.
2Compare payouts, not prices: Work out what you keep from the same night on each channel.
3Check where the markup sits: Confirm whether your software adjusted the base price or only the Airbnb channel.
4Review parity terms: Read each platform's current terms before setting different prices on different channels.
Related WTP reading on channels
Our article on listing only on Airbnb versus diversifying booking channels covers when extra channels help and when they add more work than income.
Does This Change The Case For Airbnb Over A Long-Term Rental?
No, but it does change how carefully the numbers need to be run. Long-term rentals are a good, legitimate investment. Our view is that a well-chosen, well-run short-term rental can do better from the same property, gives the owner control of pricing and personal use, and can always fall back to a normal lease. The fee change does not alter that logic. It punishes lazy pricing.
Here is an illustrative comparison for one property, before loan costs, insurance, rates and depreciation, which apply to both strategies. These numbers are examples, not a forecast for any property.
Long-term rental (illustrative)
$650 a week for 52 weeks = $33,800. Less a 7.7% management fee = about $31,200.
Short-term rental (illustrative)
215 nights at $270 plus 70 cleaning fees of $160 = $69,250 subtotal. Less 15.5% Airbnb fee ($10,734), cleaning ($10,500) and running costs ($7,500) = about $40,500 before management.
The fee shift inside that example
At the old 3% host fee, the platform cost on the same subtotal would have been about $2,078. If prices had not been lifted, that $8,656 gap comes straight off the owner's result.
Two honest points sit alongside those numbers. First, a manager or co-host fee reduces the short-term figure, and on some properties that closes the gap entirely. That is why the property, the location and the operating model have to be chosen together. Second, if this owner repriced correctly after 15 September, the guest's total barely changes and the owner's result stays close to the old split-fee outcome. The fee change is a pricing problem, and pricing problems can be solved.
The owners who lose from this change are the ones who did not notice it. The strategy still works when the numbers are managed.
If You Are Buying An Airbnb Now
Anyone modelling a short-term rental purchase should update their spreadsheet today. Older calculators, courses and online examples often assume a 3% host fee because that was the familiar figure for years. On a property expected to earn $70,000 in booking subtotal, the difference between a 3% and a 15.5% host fee is $8,750 a year in the model, before GST.
The fix is not to assume lower income. It is to model the guest's total price, then work backwards. Research what comparable listings are actually achieving, treat that as the total a guest will pay, and deduct 15.5% plus any GST that applies to you. That gives a realistic payout figure to test against loan repayments and running costs.
Interest rates are the other half of the calculation. The Reserve Bank's cash rate target is 4.35%, effective 12 August 2026, and the next decision is due on Tuesday 29 September 2026. Whatever the outcome, a purchase model should work with a buffer above today's repayments, not just at today's rate.
Revenue line
Use realistic guest totals from comparable listings, not optimistic peak-season rates.
Platform line
Use 15.5% of the subtotal for Airbnb, plus GST if it applies to you, and each other channel's own fees.
Operating line
Cleaning, linen, consumables, utilities, internet, insurance, maintenance and management or co-host support.
Rules line
State and council registration, night caps, levies and strata by-laws for the exact address.
Related WTP reading on buying
Before you buy, read the hidden costs of Airbnb ownership so the operating line in your model is complete.
A Seven-Day Action Plan For Australian Hosts
1Day 1, confirm the switch: Check a booking made after 15 September and read the service fee line.
2Day 2, find your old payout: Pull payout per night for similar dates booked before the switch.
3Day 3, reprice the core: Lift base and minimum prices by the correct ratio, or use Airbnb's tool and then check its result.
4Day 4, reprice the extras: Cleaning, pet and extra-guest fees, plus custom seasonal and event prices.
5Day 5, check GST and ABN: Confirm how GST appears on the fee and speak to your tax agent if unsure.
6Day 6, align other channels: Compare payouts on Stayz, Booking.com and direct bookings at the new prices.
7Day 7, watch the pace: Compare booking pace for summer against last year and adjust gradually, not in panic.
Reprice first, then watch the market for a couple of weeks. Small adjustments beat big reactive cuts.
Platform Information Used In This Article
Platform information in this article was reviewed on 28 September 2026. Airbnb, Stayz and other platforms change fees, tools and policies regularly, so check the current version of each page before relying on a figure.
- Airbnb: Simplifying service fees on Airbnb (deadlines and single 15.5% fee)
- Airbnb Community Center: the 7 July 2026 announcement
- Airbnb: Simplifying service fees (the $100 example and existing reservations)
- Airbnb Help Centre: Airbnb service fees
- Airbnb Help Centre: GST and service fees in Australia
- Stayz Help: How pay-per-booking works
- Reserve Bank of Australia: cash rate target
This article is general information only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting, get licensed financial, tax, legal and lending advice for your own circumstances.
How WTP Helps Owners Through Fee Changes
Airbnb with everything means the property, the setup, the pricing and the day-to-day running all work together. When a platform changes the rules, that is exactly the work we do.
Revenue Management and Optimisation
We reset base, minimum, seasonal and fee settings for the single fee, align every channel and track payout per night, not just occupancy.
Airbnb revenue management
Full-Service Airbnb Management
Guests, cleaning, maintenance, pricing and reporting handled end to end, so platform changes are dealt with before they reach your payout.
Airbnb full-service management
Short-Term Rental Buyers Agent
We model purchases on real guest totals and today's fee structure, then help you buy in a location where the numbers and the rules both work.
Short-term rental buyers agent
FAQs About The Airbnb Host-Only Fee
What is the Airbnb host-only fee?
It is Airbnb's single service fee structure. Instead of the host paying about 3% and the guest paying a separate service fee, the host pays one fee, 15.5% for most hosts, which is deducted from the payout. Guests no longer see a separate Airbnb service fee added to the price.
When did the single service fee start for Australian hosts?
Airbnb set 15 September 2026 as the switch date for hosts outside the European Economic Area, which includes Australia. Hosts using property management software, hotels and some other groups were already required to use the single fee before that date.
How much should I raise my Airbnb price to keep the same payout?
For a host who previously paid 3%, multiply the old price by 0.97 and divide by 0.845, which is a lift of roughly 14.8%. Airbnb's own example moves a $100 price to $115 so the host still keeps about $97. Check your exact old fee and GST position before applying a ratio.
What happens if I did not adjust my prices?
Airbnb says your prices and payouts per night will be lower. Using its example, a $100 price now pays $84.50 instead of $97. Your listing may also look cheaper to guests, which can lift bookings while lowering income per night.
Does the 15.5% fee apply to cleaning fees?
Yes. Airbnb calculates the fee on the booking subtotal, which it defines as the nightly price plus any additional fees charged by the host, excluding taxes. Cleaning, pet and extra-guest fees are all included, so they may need lifting too.
Is GST charged on Airbnb's service fee in Australia?
Airbnb's Australian help centre states that its service fees are subject to 10% GST, and that GST-registered hosts who add their ABN may not be charged GST on the fee. Check how GST appears in your own transaction records and ask a registered tax agent about your situation.
Should I move my listing from Airbnb to Stayz or Booking.com because of the fee?
Each channel has different fees and a different guest audience, so compare what you keep per night, not just the commission rate. Stayz states a 7% commission for pay-per-booking hosts plus a 2% traveller fee. Many owners do best on more than one channel with prices set so each payout makes sense.
Is an Airbnb still a better investment than a long-term rental after this change?
It can be, when the property is well chosen and well run. The fee change does not alter the core case, but it does mean older models using a 3% host fee overstate income. Model real guest totals, deduct the current fees and costs, and compare honestly. Get licensed financial and tax advice before buying.
Does the new fee affect how my property manager is paid?
It can. If your agreement charges a percentage of gross booking value rather than the payout after Airbnb's fee, the base for the manager's fee may be different from what you expect. Ask your manager to confirm how revenue is defined in your agreement.
Not Sure Your Prices Moved With The Fee?
Book a 15-minute call and we will look at a before-and-after payout for your listing, check your minimum and seasonal prices, and tell you plainly what we would change.
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