Airbnb at 15.5%: how it changes your earnings management

Simplified pricing: the Airbnb update from 13 October 2026

From 13 October 2026 Airbnb eliminates the split fee commission structure (a small share charged to the host and a higher one charged to the guest) and replaces it with a flat 15.5% commission entirely charged to the host. This date applies to properties located within the European Economic Area, Italy included; for those operating outside the EEA the deadline is moved up to 15 September 2026. Airbnb officially communicated the change to European hosts on 7 July, defining the operation as a simplification of service costs.

This is not an isolated surprise: the platform is converging toward the exact same model that Booking.com has been using for years, meaning a flat commission withheld from the property and an identical, transparent price for the guest. The substantial difference is that for an Italian individual investor this change is not just a matter of visible percentages, but it directly impacts the taxable base of the flat rate tax. Let us look clearly at how to correctly recalculate prices, what changes from a tax perspective, and how to protect your real margin.

In the flat commission model, the main share is withheld directly at the source from the host earnings. This means that if you set a price of 100 euros per night, the gross value you see on your dashboard is no longer the reference point to understand if your business is profitable. With a fixed deduction of 15,5%, you will only have 84,50 euros left in cash out of every 100 euros before paying for cleaning, laundry, energy consumption, cohost fees, and maintenance.

Let us look at a practical example based on a typical three night stay at 120 euros euros per night, for a total of 360 euros. Removing the portal commission leaves around 304 euros. If you subtract 45 euros for the cleaning service, 12 euros for laundry, and 20 euros for utilities from this figure, your true margin drops to 227 euros before taxes. This does not mean that the model is wrong, but it proves that your tariff must be built starting from the desired net profit and not from the apparent gross revenue.

For local professionals, this transparency radically changes the business conversation with clients. A host who sees their net margin shrink tends to demand crystal clear quotes, certain timelines, and zero unexpected events. Those who offer services on the field and know how to communicate their value with simple price lists and operational reliability position themselves immediately in a strong competitive advantage.

What exactly changes: from the split fee to the flat commission

The most common mistake many make in this phase is increasing prices randomly by ten or fifteen euros hoping to cover the gap. In Italy, the weight of commissions is felt more heavily during the low season months, when flows are reduced and every single booking must be able to cover the fixed costs of the property.

The correct method to avoid mistakes involves four logical steps:

1. Calculate the actual net revenue per night after the portal deduction.
2. Subtract fixed costs linked to the single stay, such as cleaning, laundry, and welcome kits.
3. Divide the operational costs by the average number of nights of a typical stay in your area.
4. Insert a minimum profit margin that is sustainable and realistic.

Until today the system was based on a split:

• Host: a deduction of around 3% on the set nightly price.
• Guest: an additional service fee, on average between 14% and 16%, visible only at the moment of check out.

From 13 October 2026 the scenario reverses:

• Host: a flat 15.5% commission withheld directly from the price set by the owner.
• Guest: pays exactly the amount published in the listing, without any markup or final surprise.

From a purely mathematical standpoint the total amount collected by the portal remains similar, but moving the burden has a huge psychological and accounting effect on the manager. In the old model the host retained around 97 euros out of a baseline price of 100 euros set, whereas today the share withheld at the source rises conspicuously.

The correct formula to recalculate prices without losing margin

The most common mistake in these transition weeks is raising prices based on intuition by a round figure (10, 15, or 20 euros) hoping it will be enough. This approach is risky and in low season can push you out of the market or cause you to lose profitability without you noticing. To maintain the exact same net revenue as before, the mathematical formula to apply is the following:

New price = Desired net price divided by 0.845

If today under the old model you wanted to clear 97 euros net, to obtain the exact same earnings with the new commission you must set a price of around 114.80 euros (97 divided by 0.845). The calculation must be done starting from your actual net revenue and not from the old gross price.

Let us look again at the example of a 3 night stay that today is sold at 120 euros per night, for a total of 360 euros:

For those in charge of cleaning, the value does not lie solely in executing the job quickly. It matters to define weekday and holiday rates in advance, the cost for laundry management, methods for reporting damages with photographic documentation, and guaranteed availability during concurrent summer turnovers. Similarly, for maintenance workers, rapid intervention in emergencies and a clear price list for small repair jobs make all the difference. The real strategic mistake for a host is cutting the budget on the wrong professional: saving fifteen euros on a cleaning job or postponing a technical intervention risks translating into a negative review, forced refunds to the guest, or unbooked nights.

The tax aspect that almost no one is explaining

For the vast majority of private Italian hosts using the flat rate tax regime (at 21% or at 26% from the second property onward), taxation is calculated by law on the declared gross rent, meaning the price you set in the panel, and not on the net amount that is actually credited to your bank account after the platform deductions.

This means that if you raise the price from 100 to 115 euros to keep your net revenue unchanged, your taxable base will also rise by 15%, despite having exactly the same money in your pocket as before. This is not a simple accounting detail, but a real increase in the actual tax burden. By moving the commission entirely onto the host, the declared value rises and the State will calculate its share on that higher value.

What you need to do concretely right now:

• Recalculate the expected flat rate tax for upcoming payments taking into account the new gross prices to avoid unpleasant surprises when filing tax returns.
• If you manage multiple properties, evaluate carefully with your accountant whether this increase in gross taxable income shifts the benefit of your tax regime toward other ordinary options.
• Keep separate track in your personal reports between the gross price visible online and the actual net revenue to monitor true profitability for every single night sold.

What changes for those providing services and the Hostbudd response

With an operating margin that requires millimetric attention, owners are understandably becoming much more demanding regarding cleaning, welcoming, and maintenance services. When every single euro must be defended with precision, a confusing quote, a delay, or a lack of clarity on response times are elements that risk compromising the entire seasonal profit due to negative reviews or forced refunds to guests.

Local vendors working on the ground do not necessarily have to lower their rates to accommodate hosts, but they have an obligation to structure themselves professionally. Communicating with transparent price lists, guaranteeing availability during concurrent summer turnovers, and documenting interventions are the factors that determine an immediate competitive advantage.

The answer to this cost restructuring lies in optimizing your chain of collaborators, and this is exactly where the Hostbudd philosophy comes in. Our platform is an independent marketplace that directly connects vacation rental owners with the best professionals operating on the territory, such as cleaning experts, qualified cohosts, and skilled maintenance workers. Without forced booking commissions and without middlemen, Hostbudd allows you to intelligently reallocate resources, investing the margins saved from portals directly into those who physically protect and enhance your property on the field. Faced with rising tariffs and tax elements that increase pressure, strategic independence and a solid local team are the only sustainable path to keep earning smoothly.