Short-Term Rental Break-Even Occupancy — Rex's Toolbox

Rex says

Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.

Try a scenario

Click to load — tweak from there.

Inputs

Average daily rate($/night)

Platform fee on booking(%)

Cleaning fee charged to guest($/stay)

Cleaner's actual cost($/stay)

Average length of stay(nights)

Consumables per night($/night)

Mortgage payment($/mo)

Other fixed monthly costs($/mo)

Taxes, insurance, utilities, internet, HOA, licence

Co-host or management fee(% of revenue)

Long-term rent it would earn($/mo)

Long-term operating costs(% of rent)

Result

Occupancy needed to break even

64%

Occupancy needed to beat a long-term lease

66%

Net revenue per booked night

$136

Booked nights per month to break even

Fixed costs per month

$2,630

Monthly cash flow as a long-term rental

$86

Monthly cash flow at 65% occupancy

$60

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Ask Rex about this resultRex reads your numbers and suggests the next move.Rental Property Cap Rate CalculatorNet operating income over price — the unlevered yield that lets you compare any two deals.House Hacking Cost to Live CalculatorWhat living in your own multi-unit or rented-rooms property actually costs each month.Rental Property Cash Flow CalculatorMonthly cash flow after mortgage, vacancy, and reserves.

How to use this

1Enter average daily rate ($/night).
2Enter platform fee on booking (%).
3Enter cleaning fee charged to guest ($/stay).
4Enter cleaner's actual cost ($/stay).
5Enter average length of stay (nights).
6Enter consumables per night ($/night).
7Enter mortgage payment ($/mo).
8Enter other fixed monthly costs ($/mo) — Taxes, insurance, utilities, internet, HOA, licence.
9Enter co-host or management fee (% of revenue).
10Enter long-term rent it would earn ($/mo).
11Enter long-term operating costs (% of rent).
12Read your occupancy needed to break even on the right — it updates as you type.
13Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.

About this calculator

A short-term rental converts a predictable monthly rent into a variable nightly business with cleaning, supplies, platform fees, higher utilities, and far more management. This calculator computes net revenue per booked night after fees and cleaning, then solves for the occupancy required to cover fixed costs and the occupancy required to beat what the same property would earn on a long-term lease. The second figure is the decision: if you need to run above realistic market occupancy just to match a boring twelve-month tenancy, the extra work is buying you nothing.

FormulaNet per night = ADR × (1 − platform fee) + cleaning fee charged − cleaning cost − variable supplies. Break-even nights = fixed monthly costs ÷ net per night. Occupancy = nights ÷ days in month.

Worked example

Using the values the calculator loads with:

Inputs

Average daily rate: 185 $/night
Platform fee on booking: 3 %
Cleaning fee charged to guest: 95 $/stay
Cleaner's actual cost: 110 $/stay
Average length of stay: 3 nights
Consumables per night: 6 $/night
Mortgage payment: 1850 $/mo
Other fixed monthly costs: 780 $/mo
Co-host or management fee: 18 % of revenue
Long-term rent it would earn: 2200 $/mo
Long-term operating costs: 12 % of rent

Results

Occupancy needed to break even: 63.5%
Occupancy needed to beat a long-term lease: 65.6%
Net revenue per booked night: $136.15
Booked nights per month to break even: 19.32
Fixed costs per month: $2,630.00
Monthly cash flow as a long-term rental: $86.00
Monthly cash flow at 65% occupancy: $60.30

What each field means

Inputs

Average daily rate ($/night): The average daily rate used in the calculation, measured in $/night. Starts at 185 $/night so you have a working example on load.
Platform fee on booking (%): The platform fee on booking used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 3 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–25 %.
Cleaning fee charged to guest ($/stay): The cleaning fee charged to guest used in the calculation, measured in $/stay. Starts at 95 $/stay so you have a working example on load.
Cleaner's actual cost ($/stay): The cleaner's actual cost used in the calculation, measured in $/stay. Starts at 110 $/stay so you have a working example on load.
Average length of stay (nights): The average length of stay used in the calculation, measured in nights. Starts at 3 nights so you have a working example on load.
Consumables per night ($/night): The consumables per night used in the calculation, measured in $/night. Starts at 6 $/night so you have a working example on load.
Mortgage payment ($/mo): The mortgage payment used in the calculation, measured in $/mo. Starts at 1850 $/mo so you have a working example on load.
Other fixed monthly costs ($/mo): Taxes, insurance, utilities, internet, HOA, licence
Co-host or management fee (% of revenue): The co-host or management fee used in the calculation, measured in % of revenue. Starts at 18 % of revenue so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–40 % of revenue.
Long-term rent it would earn ($/mo): The long-term rent it would earn used in the calculation, measured in $/mo. Starts at 2200 $/mo so you have a working example on load.
Long-term operating costs (% of rent): The long-term operating costs used in the calculation, measured in % of rent. Starts at 12 % of rent so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–50 % of rent.

Results

Occupancy needed to break even: Returned as a percentage and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Occupancy needed to beat a long-term lease: Returned as a percentage. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Net revenue per booked night: Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Booked nights per month to break even: Returned as a whole number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Fixed costs per month: Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Monthly cash flow as a long-term rental: Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Monthly cash flow at 65% occupancy: Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.

FAQ

What occupancy is realistic?

It varies enormously by market and seasonality — coastal and ski markets can be near-full in season and near-empty out of it, while urban markets are steadier but lower. Pull twelve months of comparable listing data for your specific submarket rather than using an annual average, because the average hides the months that lose money.

Why is the cleaning fee treated as a cost?

Because guests increasingly compare total price, so a high cleaning fee suppresses bookings and often does not fully cover the cleaner. Modelling the gap per night surfaces the real economics; if your charged fee exceeds the actual cost, the figure simply works in your favour.

Should I include the mortgage in break-even?

For a cash-flow decision, yes — it is a bill that arrives whether or not anyone books. For comparing the property against alternative uses, note that the principal portion builds equity, so pure cash break-even slightly overstates the economic cost.

What about regulation risk?

It is the largest unmodelled risk in short-term rentals. Cities change permit rules, night caps, and registration requirements with little notice, and a rule change can convert a functioning STR into a long-term rental overnight. Check that the long-term column still works before you buy.

Accuracy and limitations

Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.

Related tools

Rental Property Cap Rate Calculator

Net operating income over price — the unlevered yield that lets you compare any two deals.

House Hacking Cost to Live Calculator

What living in your own multi-unit or rented-rooms property actually costs each month.

Rental Property Cash Flow Calculator

Monthly cash flow after mortgage, vacancy, and reserves.

Cite this calculator

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APA

RevenueLab. (2026). Short-Term Rental Break-Even Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/short-term-rental-breakeven

HTML

<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/short-term-rental-breakeven" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Short-Term Rental Break-Even Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>

Markdown

Source: [Short-Term Rental Break-Even Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/short-term-rental-breakeven) (2026).