Short-Term Rental Occupancy Breakeven

Pressure-test your short-term rental occupancy target before peak season. Enter monthly fixed costs and your average nightly rate to see how many booked nights you need after variable expenses and what occupancy percentage that represents. Adjust available nights to reflect owner stays or local caps.

Mortgage, cleaning retainers, utilities, insurance, and platform subscriptions.
Net nightly rate after platform fees.
Defaults to 18% if blank to cover turnover costs, consumables, and host fees.
Defaults to 30 nights if blank; adjust for owner stays or local regulations.

Model assumes consistent nightly rates and variable costs. Validate results against your detailed property P&L before making pricing decisions.

Examples

  • $12,500 fixed costs, $325 nightly, 18% variable, 30 nights ⇒ Nights required to break even: 47.56 • Net nightly revenue after variable costs: $266.50 USD • Breakeven occupancy: 158.53% • Shortfall at full availability: $2,995.00 USD
  • $8,900 fixed costs, $410 nightly, 12% variable, 26 available nights ⇒ Nights required to break even: 25.07 • Net nightly revenue after variable costs: $360.80 USD • Breakeven occupancy: 96.42%

FAQ

How do I account for seasonal demand swings?

Run the calculator with lower nightly rates and fewer available nights for off-season months to see how much cushion peak months must create.

Can I include dynamic pricing fees?

Yes. Add those percentages into the variable cost field so the net nightly revenue reflects all per-booking expenses.

What if I offer weekly or monthly discounts?

Convert the discounted stay to an average nightly rate and rerun the calculator to understand the new occupancy requirement.

Additional Information

  • Variable cost percentage should include turnover cleaning, restocking, and platform fees that scale with bookings.
  • Adjust the average nightly rate to reflect seasonal pricing if you want to stress-test shoulder periods.
  • Owner stays, local caps, or minimum-stay rules reduce available nights; lowering the denominator raises breakeven occupancy.

Related calculators