Revenue depends on occupancy rate and nightly rate rather than a fixed monthly rent, and per-stay cleaning costs are a real expense a long-term rental never has.
How it works
Gross revenue is nightly rate times booked nights (available nights times occupancy rate). Cleaning costs are the number of separate stays times the per-stay cleaning fee, subtracted along with other monthly expenses to find net profit.
What this does not include
This doesn’t model platform fees (Airbnb/VRBO commissions), seasonal rate variation, or local short-term rental taxes and licensing costs — all real costs that vary significantly by market and platform.
How to use this calculator
- Enter nightly rate, available nights, occupancy rate, and average nights per stay.
- Enter cleaning cost per stay and other monthly expenses.
A worked example
A $150 nightly rate, 30 available nights, 70% occupancy, average 3-night stays, $75 cleaning fee per stay, $500 other monthly expenses: gross revenue = $3,150, cleaning costs = $525, net profit = $2,125.
What the variables mean
| Variable | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Nightly rate | Average price charged per night |
| Available nights, occupancy rate | How many nights are bookable and what share actually get booked |
| Avg nights per stay | Typical guest stay length, used to estimate how many separate cleanings are needed |
| Cleaning fee per stay, other expenses | Recurring costs subtracted from gross revenue |
Edge cases worth knowing
Cleaning costs scale with the number of separate stays, not total nights booked. Shorter average stays mean more turnovers and more cleanings for the same total occupied nights, which is why average stay length matters for the cost side, not just the revenue side.
An occupancy rate over 100% is impossible, so the calculator declines to show a result for that input.
Frequently asked questions
Why does average nights per stay matter?
Because cleaning costs are charged per stay, not per night — more, shorter stays at the same occupancy rate mean more total cleaning costs than fewer, longer stays.
How sensitive is short-term rental income to occupancy?
Very — unlike a long-term lease’s fixed monthly rent, a drop in occupancy rate directly and proportionally reduces gross revenue.
Does this account for seasonal rate changes?
No — this uses an average nightly rate for the period; a property with strong seasonal demand would need separate calculations for peak and off-peak periods for an accurate annual picture.
