Airbnb's 15.5% host-only fee: what changed in 2025–26 and how to reprice
Airbnb has moved almost every host from the old split fee to a single host-only fee, which Airbnb says is 15.5% for most hosts. If you did not raise your prices when you switched, you are now earning less per night than before. This guide sets out what changed and when, then shows in baht how to reprice so your payout stays the same.
Key takeaways
- Under the split fee, most hosts paid 3% and guests paid about 14.1–16.5% on top. Under the single fee the host pays the whole fee, 15.5% for most hosts, taken from the payout.
- Software-connected hosts moved first, from October 2025 in the US and Canada; hosts outside the EEA had until 15 September 2026, and software-connected hosts still on the split fee were switched on 13 October 2026.
- To keep the same payout, divide the net you want by 0.845. To net 3,000 THB, list at about 3,550 THB.
- Moving from the split fee, a price rise of about 15% keeps your payout and leaves the guest's total roughly where it was.
Split fee vs host-only fee
| Split fee (being phased out) | Single host-only fee | |
|---|---|---|
| Host pays | Most hosts 3% (4% in Brazil and Mexico) | Most hosts 15.5%; others typically 14–16%; 16% in Brazil and Mexico |
| Guest pays | 14.1–16.5% of the booking subtotal on top of your price | No separate guest fee; the price you set is what the guest sees, plus taxes |
| Charged on | The booking subtotal: nightly price plus your fees, excluding taxes | The same subtotal |
| Who it is mandatory for | — | Most hosts, including hotels, serviced apartments and hosts using property management software |
The subtotal includes your cleaning fee and any other fees you charge, so the 15.5% applies to those too. A 1,000 THB cleaning fee now costs you 155 THB in Airbnb fees, where under the split fee it cost 30 THB.
What changed, and when
Airbnb rolled the change out in waves and has not published one timeline. The dates below come from Airbnb's Resource Centre where it gives them, and from property management software companies where it does not.
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 25 August 2025 | New software-connected accounts could only choose host-only pricing | Hostfully |
| 27 October 2025 | Host-only fee of 15.5% became mandatory for US and Canadian hosts using a PMS or channel manager | Hostfully, Rental Scale-Up, Hospitable |
| 13 April 2026 | Remaining software-connected hosts worldwide reported switched | Hostfully, Rental Scale-Up |
| 25 May and 22 June 2026 | Hosts in Peru and South Korea, then Germany and the UK, moved to the single fee | Airbnb Resource Centre |
| 7 July 2026 | Airbnb set final deadlines for all remaining hosts | Airbnb Resource Centre |
| 15 September 2026 | Deadline for hosts outside the European Economic Area, which includes Thailand | Airbnb Resource Centre |
| 13 October 2026 | Deadline for hosts in the EEA and Switzerland; software-connected hosts not yet on the single fee were switched | Airbnb Resource Centre |
For a Thai manager the practical upshot is simple: if your listings are connected to any channel manager or PMS, they are on the single fee, and if you host directly on Airbnb you were moved by 15 September 2026. Check one recent booking's earnings breakdown to confirm the percentage you are being charged.
How to reprice so your payout stays the same
Under the single fee, your payout is your price times 0.845. So the price to set is the net you want divided by 0.845, or about 18.3% above your target net.
| Payout you want per night | Price to set on Airbnb | Airbnb fee (15.5%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2,000 | 2,367 | 367 |
| 3,000 | 3,551 | 551 |
| 5,000 | 5,918 | 918 |
| 10,000 | 11,835 | 1,835 |
If you were on the split fee
The comparison that matters is with what you earned before. Airbnb's own example takes a $100 listing on the split fee (host keeps $97, guest sees about $115) and raises it to $115 on the single fee, which keeps the host's payout and the guest's price where they were. The same in baht:
| Split fee | Single fee, price unchanged | Single fee, repriced | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your nightly price | 3,000 | 3,000 | 3,444 |
| Guest service fee (about 15%, assumed) | +450 | — | — |
| Guest sees (before taxes) | 3,450 | 3,000 | 3,444 |
| Host fee | −90 (3%) | −465 (15.5%) | −534 (15.5%) |
| Your payout | 2,910 | 2,535 | 2,910 |
Leaving the price at 3,000 THB costs this host 375 THB a night, about 13% of the old payout, while guests see a cheaper total. Raising it by about 15% puts both numbers back where they were. Over a 200-night year on one villa that is 75,000 THB, which is why owners notice.
What guests see
Under the single fee, the price you set is the price the guest sees, plus taxes; Airbnb includes taxes in the total shown before checkout. Repricing by the right factor therefore does not make you look more expensive than before the switch. Not repricing makes you look cheaper and earn less, which is a discount you did not choose.
Airbnb offers a tool that adjusts prices across all listings at once. If your prices come from a channel manager, set the change there instead, or the next sync overwrites it. Airbnb also asks software-connected hosts to check that prices, discounts and promotions look right in every system they use.
How 15.5% compares with Booking.com and Agoda
| Airbnb | Booking.com | Agoda | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headline rate | 15.5% for most hosts | 10–25% by country, property type and agreement | Not published |
| Charged on | Nightly price plus host fees, excluding taxes | Total booking amount including fees; usually including VAT | Reference sell rate, after any promotion |
| Things that add to it | — | Preferred Partner, Visibility Booster, payment fee on bank transfer payouts | 7% VAT on commission for non-VAT-registered Thai properties |
| Discount programmes | Your own discounts | Genius (10% standard) | Seasonal, Essential and Targeted promotions |
Airbnb's single fee is at the higher end of the range but has no programmes layered on top. A Booking.com property on 15% commission with Genius and Preferred Partner, or an Agoda property running stacked promotions, can easily end up paying more per night sold. For the set-up of each, see our guides to Booking.com and Agoda.
VAT on Airbnb's fee
Thailand is on Airbnb's list of countries where it applies VAT to its service fees, under the e-Service VAT rules in force since September 2021. Airbnb says the fee it shows hosts and guests is VAT-inclusive where applicable, so check the earnings breakdown rather than adding 7% yourself. A VAT-registered business can add its VAT or tax ID under Taxes in the Airbnb account; it may then need to self-assess the VAT in its own return.
Per-channel markups: one base price, a price per channel
The simplest way to absorb a fee change is not to reprice every listing by hand but to keep one base rate (the net you want) and add a markup per channel that covers that channel's cost. With a 3,000 THB base:
| Channel | Cost assumed | Markup | Price the channel shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbnb | 15.5% host fee | +18.4% | 3,551 |
| Booking.com | 15% commission (assumed) | +17.7% | 3,530 |
| Agoda | 15% commission plus 7% VAT on it (assumed) | +19.1% | 3,574 |
When a channel changes its fee again, you change one number. In Propool, per-channel markups sit on top of the unit's base price and price rules, and are sent to Airbnb, Booking.com and Agoda over direct connections. Read more on channel markups.
Airbnb in Propool
Propool connects Airbnb directly: you sign in and authorise, and nightly rates, availability and reservations sync with one calendar per unit. Airbnb allows one channel manager per host account, so disconnect any other software first. Before the first sync, Propool shows Airbnb's current prices next to yours, so you can see whether your listings were repriced for the 15.5% fee before anything is sent. See the channel manager guide.
Questions
What is Airbnb's host-only fee?
It is a single service fee taken entirely from the host's payout instead of being split between host and guest. Airbnb says it is 15.5% for most hosts, with others typically paying 14–16%.
When did Thai hosts move to the 15.5% fee?
Hosts outside the European Economic Area, including Thailand, had to switch by 15 September 2026. Hosts connected through software moved earlier, and any still on the split fee were switched on 13 October 2026.
How much should I raise my Airbnb price to keep the same payout?
Divide the payout you want by 0.845. To net 3,000 THB a night you need a price of about 3,550 THB; if you were on the split fee, a rise of about 15% keeps your old payout.
Can I switch back to the split fee?
No. Airbnb says the split fee is being phased out and hosts who have switched cannot switch back. Bookings made before your switch keep the fee structure they were made under.
Does the 15.5% include VAT?
Airbnb says the service fee it shows is VAT-inclusive where VAT applies, and Thailand is on its list of countries where it applies VAT to its fees. Check your earnings breakdown and confirm with a Thai accountant.
Product guides
Sources
- Airbnb service fees
- Simplifying service fees on Airbnb
- Simplifying Airbnb service fees (software-connected hosts)
- Simplifying service fees (country switch dates)
- Value Added Tax (VAT) and how it applies to you
- Airbnb host fees: the 15.5% host-only fee explained
- Airbnb's 15.5% host-only fee is coming for all hosts
- Understanding Airbnb's host-only fee change
- VAT on electronic services guide
- How much commission do I pay?
- What commission do I pay to Agoda?