Airbnb Fee Increase: Strategies to Protect Your Revenue
Dynamic pricing and margin optimization in response to increased 15.5% commissions
At a glance
- The Airbnb fee increase raises commissions from 15% to 15.5% for hosts using property management software, a change that directly impacts rental profitability.
- An intelligent pricing strategy can help you offset the Airbnb fee increase without losing competitiveness by adjusting prices based on high and low demand periods.
- Fine-tuned price management is key to keeping your net revenues stable while maintaining your visibility on the platform.
The Airbnb fee increase starting in October 2025 creates a new reality for all short-term rental property owners. This commission increase of 0.5% (rising from 15% to 15.5%) may seem minor on the surface, but it directly impacts your profit margins. In response to the Airbnb fee increase, the best strategy isn’t to raise all your rates uniformly, but rather to implement a smart, differentiated approach.
What’s Changing with the Airbnb Fee Increase in 2025
Prior to this update, hosts had a choice between two pricing models:
- Model 1 – Shared fees: approximately 3% for hosts and 14-16% for guests
- Model 2 – Unique fees: 15% for hosts only, with guests paying nothing
Starting October 27, 2025, only one model will apply:
🔔 The shared fees model is being phased out for all hosts using property management tools (PMS/Channel Manager). The Airbnb commission increases to 15.5% of each reservation’s subtotal (excluding taxes and deposits), while guests no longer pay any fees.
This evolution is part of a strategy aimed at making the platform more attractive to users, as Airbnb explains in its official communications.
How to Offset the Airbnb Fee Increase with Smart Pricing
⚠️ The common pitfall: raising all your prices uniformly by 0.5-1%.
In reality, this approach carries a major risk: you lose competitiveness, especially during low-demand periods when every booking matters.
How to manage pricing adjustments
First and foremost, an effective pricing strategy relies on careful analysis of your calendar and demand patterns. Moreover, the key is to adjust your pricing based on seasonal periods:
📈 High season: absorb the Airbnb fee increase
- To begin with, demand is strong enough to absorb a price increase
- Additionally, guests are actively searching and more readily accept higher rates
- As a result: increase your prices by 1.0% to 1.5% during high season
- Consequently: you’ll easily offset the Airbnb fee increase
📉 Low season: don’t worsen the situation with the Airbnb fee increase
- In practice, price is the deciding factor for guests
- Notably, raising your rates, even slightly, pushes you out of guests’ search ranges
- Therefore: maintain pricing stability (0% to +0.2%)
- This way: you gain occupancy and recover lost nights
✓ The math that makes sense: losing 3 bookings in low season (€450) to gain 0.5% in commission savings (€30)? No. Keep your occupancy high and compensate during peak season for better returns.
Key KPIs to monitor continuously
- ADR (Average Daily Rate): your average price per night
- Occupancy Rate: your actual occupancy percentage
- Booking Pace: reservation rhythm vs. historical data
- RevPAR: revenue per available room (the key indicator)
Maintaining Pricing Consistency Across Distribution Channels
Generally speaking, if you distribute your property across multiple platforms or via your direct website, managing price gaps requires special attention. Indeed, the temptation to offer very different prices is strong.
✅ What Airbnb tolerates
First off, price differences of 5 to 10% between Airbnb and your other channels are acceptable because they reflect the absence of commissions on your direct sales.
Example: Airbnb Rate = $150 → Direct Site Rate = $140-145 ✓
❌ What hurts your visibility
However, displaying significantly higher rates on Airbnb sends a negative signal to the algorithm:
- First, guests compare prices and click on your listing less often
- Thus, your CTR (Click-Through Rate) drops
- Next, Airbnb detects this decline and penalizes your ranking
- As a result, you lose visibility → fewer future bookings
⚠️ Recommendation: maintain overall pricing consistency. Beyond 10% differences, you risk dragging down your Airbnb performance without real benefit.
Professional Management Makes the Difference
In practice, managing this pricing strategy over 12 months requires time, expertise, and appropriate tools. Moreover, doing it manually creates several risks:
- First, you risk overlooking price inconsistencies or errors
- Next, you leave optimization opportunities on the table
- Finally, you spend dozens of hours each month reviewing rates
How Rield helps you
Specifically, an automated revenue management solution analyzes your data in real-time and:
- Automatically detects periods when rate adjustments are needed
- Recommends optimal price increases/decreases each week
- Synchronizes your rates across all distribution channels
- Maximizes your RevPAR without manual daily effort
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ When does the Airbnb fee increase take effect?
The increase applies starting October 27, 2025 for hosts using property management software (PMS/Channel Manager), and starting December 1, 2025 for other property owners. This staggered timeline allows everyone to adapt gradually.
❓ What’s the real impact on my rental income?
A 0.5% increase in commission represents an automatic decline in net revenue if you don’t adjust your rates. Example: for 100 nights at $150, this means about $750 in lost revenue per year. Impact varies by booking volume and average rate.
❓ Should I raise all my prices uniformly?
No, that would be counterproductive. Increase more during high season (1-1.5%) where guests accept higher rates, and maintain stability in low season (0-0.2%) to preserve occupancy.
❓ Can I keep the shared fees model?
If you use property management software, no. The shared fees model disappears on October 27, 2025. All hosts with a PMS/Channel Manager automatically switch to unique fees at 15.5%.
❓ Can my prices differ between Airbnb and my direct website?
Yes, Airbnb allows your rates to be slightly lower on direct channels (5-10% difference is acceptable). However, showing significantly higher rates on Airbnb can reduce your CTR and hurt your visibility.
❓ How do I optimize my pricing strategy after this fee increase?
Optimization relies on careful analysis of your historical data and market trends. You need to adjust rates period by period, accounting for seasonality, local events, and competition. Professional guidance helps you make these adjustments while protecting profitability.
📩 Want to see the precise impact on your property?
Contact Rield for a complimentary personalized projection of your pricing strategy in response to this new commission structure.
You can also check out our related article: How to increase your Airbnb revenue?