Operations
Airbnb’s 15.5% host-only fee in Italy: what it really costs with VAT, and how to reprice
In short
Airbnb is moving every home host to the host-only fee (“single fee” in Airbnb’s Italian help pages): one fee deducted from your payout, 15.5% for most hosts, instead of the old 3% host fee plus a guest service fee. In Italy the fee carries 22% VAT, so without a VAT number the real cost is about 18.9% of what the guest pays. The deadline to reprice for hosts in the European Economic Area and Switzerland was 13 October 2026: if you didn’t raise your prices, every night now pays you less. And because the guest price now includes everything, the base for Italy’s cedolare secca grows too.
Win back margin where the fee can’t reach€9.99/unit a month until Dec 31What changed in Airbnb’s fees, and when?
Under the split fee, both sides paid: usually 3% taken from the host’s payout, and a guest service fee of 14.1% to 16.5% added on top of the price the guest saw. Airbnb is moving all home hosts to the host-only fee: a single fee deducted from the host’s payout, while the guest sees the price you set.
| Item | Split fee (being phased out) | Host-only fee (new model) |
|---|---|---|
| Host fee | Usually 3% (4% in Brazil and Mexico) | Usually 15.5%, others typically 14–16% (16% in Brazil and Mexico) |
| Guest service fee | 14.1% to 16.5% of the subtotal | No separate fee |
| Calculated on | Nightly price plus host-added fees | Nightly price plus host-added fees (cleaning, pets, extra guests) |
Airbnb told hosts about the switch in July 2026. The deadline to adjust prices was 15 September for hosts outside the European Economic Area and 13 October 2026 for hosts in the EEA, Italy included, and in Switzerland. The new fee only applies to bookings made after the switch: bookings received before keep the old terms, even if the stay comes later. Once you are on the host-only fee there is no way back.
How much does the host-only fee cost in Italy?
For most hosts the fee is 15.5%, charged on the nightly price and on every fee you add: cleaning, pets, extra guests. Airbnb says 15.5% matches the global average of its service fees.
In Italy, Airbnb’s service fees are subject to 22% VAT. Without an Italian VAT number (partita IVA), the effective fee is 15.5% × 1.22 = 18.91% of what the guest pays. If you have a VAT number and add it to your Airbnb profile, you may not be charged VAT on the fee but may still have to account for it in your VAT return: check this with your accountant (commercialista).
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Guest pays: 3 nights at €100 plus €60 cleaning | €360.00 |
| Airbnb fee (15.5%) | − €55.80 |
| 22% VAT on the fee | − €12.28 |
| Host payout | €291.92 |
| Total cost as a share of the price | 18.9% |
To set the right price, start from the payout you want and divide by 0.811 (or by 0.845 if you don’t pay VAT on the fee). To take home €100 a night you need to list at about €123.30; with a registered VAT number, about €118.30.
What if you didn’t reprice by 13 October?
Airbnb’s aim is to keep the guest price unchanged. In its own example, a host who charged €100 (the guest saw €115) has to move to €115 to keep earning €97. If you missed the deadline, your listing is now cheaper for guests and pays you less: with the price still at €100 you get €84.50, or about €81 if you also pay 22% VAT on the fee.
To fix it, Airbnb built a price adjustment tool for hosts who don’t use property management software: it updates the prices of all listings for the next two years in one go, cleaning fees included (discounts are not), and adjusts the Smart Pricing minimum and maximum. Co-hosts can’t use it on the host’s behalf. If your prices come from a PMS or channel manager, check that the software accounts for the new fee.
Does the new fee change your Italian taxes?
Airbnb warns that repricing can raise your gross turnover, so hosts with a VAT threshold may reach it sooner. In most countries that doesn’t necessarily raise taxable income, because the fee is a deductible expense. Italy’s cedolare secca is different: it is a flat tax with no deductions.
According to the Agenzia delle Entrate’s short-let guide (April 2026), the cedolare secca applies to the full amount of the rent, and the 21% withholding that a platform collecting payments on your behalf must apply is calculated on everything the guest pays, including the commission you owe the intermediary. Under the split fee, the guest service fee stayed outside your rent; with the host-only fee, the guest price includes everything.
| Item | Split fee | Host-only fee |
|---|---|---|
| Price set by the host | €100 | €115 |
| Price paid by the guest | €115 | €115 |
| Host payout | €97 | €97 |
| Amount the withholding and cedolare are based on | €100 | €115 |
| Cedolare secca at 21% | €21.00 | €24.15 |
Same payout, bigger tax base. Check the effect on your own numbers with your accountant, together with the 21% and 26% rates explained in our guide to Italy’s cedolare secca on rental income. Italy’s 2027 budget bill, still before Parliament, keeps those rates unchanged for short lets.
How to protect your margins in Italy
- Reprice on the net. Start from the payout you need per night and for cleaning, divide by 0.811 (without a VAT number) and check your Smart Pricing limits. The fee applies to cleaning fees too.
- Grow direct bookings. Bookings from your own website, Google or social media don’t pay Airbnb’s fee. But Airbnb doesn’t allow you to push its guests to book elsewhere or offer discounts for booking off-platform.
- Sell optional extras. Airbnb lets you collect optional fees off-platform if the guest agrees; mandatory fees must be in the listing price. Maurice’s paid extras, such as early check-in, late check-out and transfers, are paid by card during online check-in and go to you.
- Mind the tourist tax. In many Comuni Airbnb collects it for you; for direct bookings it’s your job. Our Italy tourist tax guide explains who pays and who files.
- Cut operating time. Answering messages, collecting IDs, filing guest registrations and chasing the tourist tax all cost hours. Maurice does it for you: see how it works for Airbnb and Booking hosts, and if you live abroad, read how to manage an Airbnb in Italy remotely.
What to do now, in five steps
- 01
Check a recent booking
In Earnings, open a transaction and look at the Airbnb service fee that was deducted.
- 02
Review your prices
If you didn’t adjust them by the deadline, recalculate them from the payout you need.
- 03
Add your VAT number, if you have one
It needs to be on your Airbnb profile.
- 04
Talk to your accountant
Check the effect on cedolare secca, the 21% withholding and any VAT threshold.
- 05
Automate the rest
Guest messages, online check-in, Alloggiati Web and tourist tax collection can run on their own with Maurice’s online check-in.
Frequently asked questions
What is Airbnb’s host fee in Italy in 2026?
On the host-only fee, most hosts pay 15.5% of the guest price, meaning the nightly rate plus any fees you add; others typically pay 14% to 16%, and 16% in Brazil and Mexico. In Italy the fee carries 22% VAT, so without a VAT number the real cost is about 18.9% of what the guest pays.
When did the 15.5% Airbnb fee kick in?
Airbnb gave hosts in the European Economic Area, Italy included, and in Switzerland until 13 October 2026 to adjust their prices, and until 15 September for hosts elsewhere. The host-only fee applies to bookings made after your account switches; bookings received before keep the old split fee.
Does the Airbnb fee apply to cleaning fees?
Yes. Airbnb says the host-only fee applies to the nightly price and to every fee you add, such as cleaning, pets or extra guests. When you reprice, remember to adjust those fees too.
Can I go back to the split fee?
No. Airbnb says that once you switch to the host-only fee you can’t go back, and that the split-fee structure will no longer be available once all hosts have migrated.
I have an Italian VAT number: do I pay VAT on Airbnb’s fee?
According to Airbnb, if you have a VAT number you may not be charged VAT on the service fee, but you may still need to include it in your VAT return. You prove your registration by adding the VAT number to your profile. Check the correct treatment with your accountant.
Does the new fee increase my cedolare secca?
It can. The cedolare secca and the platform’s 21% withholding are calculated on what the guest pays, including the commission. If you raise your price from €100 to €115 to keep the same payout, the tax base grows from €100 to €115. Check your own numbers with your accountant.
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change and local regulations vary: check with your accountant or a professional before acting.
Sources
- Airbnb — Airbnb service fees
- Airbnb Resource Centre — Simplifying service fees on Airbnb (7 July 2026, updated 24 August 2026)
- Airbnb — Using Airbnb’s price adjustment tool
- Airbnb — Value Added Tax (VAT) and how it applies to you
- Airbnb — Pricing and payment transparency
- Agenzia delle Entrate — Locazioni brevi: tax rules and rules for intermediaries (April 2026)
Matteo Anzidei · Founder of Maurice Assistant
Matteo Anzidei founded Maurice Assistant in Milan to take repetitive work off hosts and property managers: guest messages, check-in, documents, Alloggiati Web and payments. He writes practical guides on short-term rental rules and automation.
