Airbnb is moving every home host to a single service fee paid entirely by the host. According to Airbnb's help centre article on service fees, most hosts on that structure pay 15.5% of the booking subtotal. Under the older split fee most hosts paid 3% and the guest paid the rest on top. The change means the price you set is now the price the guest sees, so it needs to be higher to leave you the same payout.
The two fee structures
Airbnb's help centre describes both, as at the end of September 2026.
| Split fee (being withdrawn) | Single fee | |
|---|---|---|
| Host pays | 3% for most hosts | 15.5% for most hosts, 14% to 16% for others |
| Guest pays | A service fee of 14.1% to 16.5% of the subtotal | No separate Airbnb service fee |
| Who is on it | Hosts not yet moved | Hosts using property management software, hotels and serviced apartments, and all hosts once the move is complete |
Three points from the same page matter to an owner:
- The move is compulsory. Airbnb says it is "in the process of transitioning all home hosts" and that the split fee will no longer be available once every host has moved.
- There is no way back. A host who has switched cannot return to the split fee.
- Existing bookings are protected. The new fee applies to bookings made after the switch, even if the stay itself happens later.
If your listing is run through a property management system, as professionally managed listings almost always are, the single fee already applies.
Why the price has to change
Under the split fee, a host who wanted £100 a night listed at about £103, Airbnb kept 3%, and the guest paid about £118 to £120 once the guest fee was added. Under the single fee the guest pays what you list and Airbnb takes 15.5% from it.
Illustration only, using round figures and the most common rates.
| Split fee | Single fee | |
|---|---|---|
| Listed price | £103.09 | £118.34 |
| Airbnb's fee from the host | £3.09 (3%) | £18.34 (15.5%) |
| Host receives | £100.00 | £100.00 |
| Guest pays | about £118 to £120 | £118.34 |
The guest pays much the same. What changes is the number on the listing and in the search results, and the number your accounts record as income. A host who moves to the single fee without changing the price has cut their payout by 12.5% of the listed price.
Cleaning fees follow the same logic: the fee is calculated on the subtotal, so a cleaning charge set to cover a £60 clean needs to be about £71 to leave £60 after 15.5%.
What it means for the price you set
- Price from the payout backwards. Decide the nightly amount you need, then divide by 0.845 at the 15.5% rate.
- Compare like with like. Guests compare the total they will pay, so compare your listing with others in Bournemouth or Poole on the total a guest pays, not on the nightly figure alone.
- Keep other channels in line. Booking.com charges its commission to the property and Vrbo has its own fees. A single fee on Airbnb changes the relationship between your prices on each channel, and the calendar should be priced as a whole.
Our holiday let pricing strategy guide explains how nightly rates move with the season.
What we do about it
Sea Breeze is an Airbnb Superhost and runs every listing through one property management system, so our listings are on the single fee. Pricing is reviewed daily with the fee built in, across Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo and more than 20 other channels. The detail of the service is on our Airbnb management page, and the local picture is on Airbnb management in Bournemouth.
To see what your property could earn once every channel's fees are counted, use the holiday let income calculator.
