Airbnb's host-only fee

In December 2020 Airbnb introduced a new service fee / commission structure that obliges Lodgify customers connected via API to change their way of charging a service fee to the guest. In the following, we will explain to whom this change applies, what the differences are to the traditional service fee model, and how to adjust your prices if necessary.

💡 Note: The host-only fee applies:

• As soon as you connect your Airbnb account to your Lodgify account via API, even if the synchronization has not yet been set up.
• If a traditional hospitality listing (such as bed & breakfast, hotel, or serviced apartment) exists in your Host Account, Airbnb will automatically switch your account from the split-fee to the Host Only fee.

Read about:

• What are the two service fee strategies
• Who is affected by Airbnb's host-only fee
• Actions to take
• Linked Resources

What are the two service fee strategies

Airbnb's traditional service fee model was based on split-fee pricing. This means that with for booking, the guest pays a service fee (between 12-20% of the booking price), and sometime the host used to pay a small amount (around 3%).

Now with Airbnb's new simplified pricing, there will be no visible service fee for the guest.
Instead, the host will pay 15% of the payout to Airbnb.

💡 Notes:

• The service fee for your property depends on a variety of factors such as your location, the length of stay, the traveler's country, etc.
• With the traditional split-fee pricing, if your guest pays in a different currency than what you have set, airbnb will charge the guest an extra 2+% in the service fee. Learn more here.

Who is affected by Airbnb's host-only fee

All Airbnb accounts that are connected to a 3rd party software such as Lodgify via API have to move to the new simplified pricing model and can no longer keep the traditional model. If you are connected via iCal, or if your listing is based in one of the following countries, you can still choose which pricing structure you prefer.

💡 Note: If you have listings in several countries and the majority of your listings are based e.g. in the US, you can decide on the pricing model. If you have the same number of listings in the US and in Europe, you will need to use simplified pricing.

Countries that are currently exempt from the obligation to use simplified pricing:

• US
• Canada
• Mexico
• Bahamas
• Argentina
• Taiwan
• Uruguay

Actions to take

If you still want to use the traditional fee model (not the simplified pricing model but the split fee model) and you are not connected via API and/or based in one of the previously mentioned countries that are exempt from the change, you can check with the Airbnb Support team that you are still using the Traditional fee model. 

While in Lodgify, in order to adjust your Airbnb rates according to these changes and keep your final payout from Airbnb the same, you will need to increase your rates' mark-up in Lodgify. To do so, you can head to your rental's Pricing section:

💡 Note: Mark-ups only apply to the room rate. Fees are not affected by mark-ups.