1. The 15.5% host service fee

Since December 2025, Airbnb charges all Australian hosts a single 15.5% service fee on the booking subtotal. This is the only fee Airbnb charges hosts. There is no separate guest service fee.

1.1 What the fee applies to

The 15.5% is calculated on the booking subtotal, which includes:

• Nightly rate
• Cleaning fee
• Extra guest fees
• Pet fees
• Any other host-set charges

It does not apply to taxes, security deposits, or Airbnb's own fees.

1.2 How it works in practice

A 2-night stay at $220 per night with a $50 cleaning fee gives a subtotal of $490. Airbnb takes 15.5% ($75.95). You receive $414.05. The guest pays exactly $490 with no additional platform fee at checkout.

1.3 What changed from the old model

Under the previous split-fee model, hosts paid just 3% and guests paid 14-16.5% on top. From late 2025, Airbnb consolidated everything into the 15.5% host-only fee globally. The transition happened in stages: PMS-connected hosts moved in April 2025, new accounts in August 2025, and all remaining hosts by December 2025.

If you were on the old 3% model, you need to raise your nightly rates by roughly 14-16% to maintain the same net payout.

2. How Airbnb compares to Booking.com and Stayz

The 15.5% fee puts Airbnb broadly in line with Booking.com but above Stayz/Vrbo.

2.1 Platform comparison

Airbnb: 15.5% of booking subtotal. No guest platform fee. Payment processing included.

Booking.com: 15% standard in Australia (range 12-18%). No guest platform fee. An additional 2-3% payment processing fee applies if using Payments by Booking.com.

Stayz/Vrbo: 8-12% in Australia. A separate traveller fee is charged to the guest on top. Payment processing included.

2.2 Net revenue per $100 booking

Airbnb: approximately $84.50 net to host.

Booking.com: approximately $85-88 net to host.

Stayz/Vrbo: approximately $88-92 net to host.

The differences add up over a year. On $50,000 gross revenue, the gap between Airbnb (15.5%) and Stayz (10%) is roughly $2,750 in fees. This is why most professional hosts list on multiple platforms and use a channel manager to synchronise availability. For a full comparison, see our guide to Expedia vs Booking.com for hosts.

3. GST and state levies

3.1 GST on accommodation

Standard residential short-term rental income is generally GST-exempt in Australia, even if your turnover exceeds the $75,000 GST registration threshold. GST applies only if you supply commercial residential premises (hotel-like services).

3.2 GST on Airbnb's service fee

Airbnb includes 10% GST in the 15.5% service fee it charges Australian hosts. If you are GST-registered, you may need to self-assess and declare this on your BAS.

3.3 State levies

Victoria: a 7.5% short-stay levy on the total booking fee has been in effect since 1 January 2025. Airbnb collects this from the guest. It does not reduce your payout.

ACT: a 5% levy on bookings under 28 nights has been in effect since 1 July 2025. Also collected from the guest by the platform.

These levies are separate from Airbnb's host fee. Your net payout is unaffected, but guests see a higher total, which may affect booking conversion in those states.

4. Payment and payouts

4.1 When you get paid

Airbnb releases your payout within one business day after guest check-in. For stays of 28 nights or more, payouts are sent in monthly instalments starting one day after check-in.

4.2 Payout methods

• Fast Pay: within 30 minutes (verified instantly).
• Bank transfer (AUD): 3-5 business days.
• Payoneer: approximately 24 hours.
• PayPal: available but may incur additional PayPal fees.

4.3 Currency conversion

If your listing currency differs from your payout currency, Airbnb charges approximately 2-3% on the conversion. To avoid this, ensure both your listing and payout are set to AUD.

5. How fees stack with property management

If you use a property manager, their fee is charged on top of Airbnb's 15.5%. How this stacks depends on whether the PM calculates their commission on gross or net revenue.

5.1 The double-dipping risk

On a $1,000 booking:

• Airbnb takes 15.5% = $155. Your payout is $845.
• PM at 20% of gross ($1,000) = $200. You keep $645. Total take rate: 35.5%.
• PM at 20% of net ($845) = $169. You keep $676. Total take rate: 32.4%.

Always confirm in writing whether your PM calculates commission on gross booking revenue or net payout after platform fees. The difference is meaningful at scale.

5.2 Typical Australian PM fees

Short-let property management fees in Australia typically range from 15% to 25% of rental income, with most sitting around 20-22%. For a detailed state-by-state breakdown, see our guide to property management fees in Australia. For the full picture of what running a short-let costs, see our guide to costs of running a holiday let.

6. How to protect your revenue

6.1 Adjust your rates

If you were on the old 3% model, raise your nightly rate by 14-18% to maintain the same net payout. Some pricing tools recommend an 18.5% markup to fully compensate after rounding.

6.2 Use dynamic pricing

Airbnb's built-in Smart Pricing is free but tends to undervalue properties. Third-party tools like PriceLabs, Beyond Pricing, or DPGO use more sophisticated algorithms and typically generate higher revenue per available night.

6.3 List on multiple platforms

Diversifying across Airbnb, Booking.com, and Stayz reduces dependency on any single platform's fee structure. A channel manager synchronises availability across all three. Stayz at 8-12% is meaningfully cheaper than Airbnb's 15.5%.

6.4 Build a direct booking channel

A booking engine on your own website (via Lodgify, Hostaway, or similar) eliminates the 15.5% platform fee entirely on direct bookings. Even a small percentage of direct bookings significantly improves your blended fee rate.

6.5 Claim fees as a tax deduction

All platform fees are deductible against your rental income. Keep records of every fee charged. For more on how Australian tax works for Airbnb hosts, see our guide to Airbnb hosting fees (global version).

6.6 Negotiate your PM's commission basis

If you use a property manager, insist on commission calculated on net payout (after platform fees), not gross booking revenue.

7. Superhost and pricing tools

7.1 Does Superhost reduce fees?

No. Superhosts pay the same 15.5% as every other host. The benefits are search visibility, a trust badge, priority support, and a $100 annual travel coupon. Airbnb reports that Superhosts earn roughly 60% more revenue per available night than non-Superhosts, but this comes from higher occupancy and rates, not lower fees.

7.2 Free tools from Airbnb

Airbnb's professional hosting tools are included in the 15.5% fee at no extra charge: multi-calendar management, team accounts, co-host access, performance analytics, automated messaging templates, and in some markets, free professional photography.

7.3 Cleaning fee strategy

Since Airbnb charges 15.5% on cleaning fees as well as nightly rates, consider whether to bundle cleaning into your nightly rate or charge it separately. Bundling can improve search ranking (lower displayed total per night for multi-night stays) but makes single-night stays less profitable. Test both approaches and compare conversion rates.