STR Profit Calculator.

How it works

The profitability calculator models a short-term rental’s monthly P&L from three sides: revenue, variable costs, and fixed costs.

Revenue is straightforward — your average daily rate (ADR) multiplied by nights booked. Across a multi-month window, both numbers compound.

Variable costs scale with bookings:

• Cleaning — per turnover (one turnover = one stay)
• Supplies — toiletries, paper goods, coffee, etc., per night booked
• Utilities — electricity, gas, water, internet, per month in the window
• Platform fees — Airbnb host fee, Vrbo subscription, channel manager — total over the window

Fixed costs scale with time, not bookings:

• Mortgage — principal + interest, per month
• Insurance — STR-specific liability, per month
• Property tax — entered annually; the calculator prorates it to your window via propertyTax × (months / 12)
• HOA fees — per month
• Management fee — a percentage of gross revenue (0 if self-managed)

Net profit = revenue − variable costs − fixed costs. Profit margin = net profit / revenue.

This is a real cash-flow view, not a tax view. Depreciation, mortgage principal vs. interest splits, and capital improvements aren’t modeled here — those belong in your tax workbook.

How to use this calculator

1. Set your window — start with Months in window = 1 for a single-month snapshot, or use 12 for an annual view.
2. Enter revenue inputs — ADR and nights booked. Combined, they give you gross revenue for the window.
3. Itemize variable costs — turnovers (one per stay), cleaning per turnover, supplies per night, utilities and platform fees for the window.
4. Itemize fixed costs — mortgage, insurance, property tax (annual), HOA, management fee rate.
5. Read the result panel — gross revenue, total variable, total fixed, net profit, margin.
6. Iterate — adjust ADR or occupancy assumptions to see what gets you to a target profit.
7. Save the scenario — every change updates the URL. Bookmark or share.

Frequently asked questions

Should I include my own labor as a cost? If you self-manage and self-clean, no. Set management fee rate = 0 and cleaning per turnover = your actual cleaning supplies cost. The “profit” you see is your real take-home for your time. If you want to value your time, set a reasonable management fee rate (10–20%) and net profit becomes “what’s left after paying yourself.”

How do I model multiple properties? Run the calculator once per property. The numbers don’t combine cleanly because mortgage and tax differ per property.

What about depreciation? Not modeled — depreciation is a tax concept, not a cash-flow concept. For tax planning, see The STR Ledger’s depreciation tracker.

Why is my margin so low? STR margins typically run 15–35% net. If you’re under 10%, the usual culprits are: mortgage too high relative to ADR, occupancy assumption too aggressive, or hidden costs (capex, vacancy reserve) you haven’t itemized.

Is this tax advice? No. This is a cash-flow model. For tax planning — material participation, cost segregation, Schedule E vs. Schedule C — consult a CPA. The STR Ledger has a tax loophole playbook with the framework, but the calculator is just math.