Booking.com & Airbnb commissions: what a rental property loses and how to keep more
Booking platforms are valuable for bringing in new guests. But a commission is paid on every booking, and by the end of the year the total is often larger than owners expect. Here’s how it works and how to keep more of your income.
How commissions work
Booking.com charges the property a commission as a percentage of the booking value. Airbnb, depending on the fee structure that applies to your account, takes a fee from the host, the guest, or both.
The commission usually reaches up to around 15% of the booking, and some visibility programmes can add further charges. Exact rates vary, so always check the terms and fees of your own account.
How they add up over a year
A commission on a single booking looks small. But because it applies to every booking, all year round, the amount grows with your bookings.
There’s also something that often goes unnoticed: when a guest who already knows you comes back through a platform, you pay commission again for a guest who is already yours.
An illustrative example
Hypothetical example with round numbers. These are not a real client’s figures.
Imagine a property with the following numbers:
- Platform bookings over the year: €20,000
- 15% commission: €3,000
- If a quarter of those bookings (€5,000) were made directly, the commission would be €750 lower
Your own costs for direct bookings, such as payment fees and website hosting, come off that amount. Your figures will be different. The example only shows the logic of the calculation.
Direct bookings have costs too
For a fair comparison, count the costs of direct bookings as well: hosting and maintaining the website, payment provider fees if you accept online payments, and the time it takes to answer requests.
Platforms, on the other hand, give you visibility to guests who don’t know you yet, along with their own payment and support tools. That’s why, for most properties, the sensible strategy is a combination: platforms bring new guests, and your own site keeps those who have already chosen you.
How to keep more
The goal isn’t to leave the platforms. It’s to stop every booking depending on them.
- Your own direct-booking website, so people searching for your property by name can book directly
- A complete Google Business Profile that leads to your site
- A relationship with your guests: with their consent, stay in touch and invite them to book directly next time
- Clear information on your site: prices, cancellation terms and payment method, with no surprises
Always respect each platform’s terms. For example, don’t promote direct bookings through the platform’s own messages.
For what such a site includes and costs, read our guide to the cost of a direct-booking website. Or see how we work on our homepage.