496. Hosting Hotline: How Should Hosts Respond to Airbnb’s New 15.5% Fee?
Thanks For Visiting
Airbnb Superhosts Annette Grant & Sarah Karakaian
4.9 • 590 Ratings
🗓️ 9 September 2025
⏱️ 42 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The Hosting Hotline is buzzing with questions about Airbnb’s new 15.5% host-only fee. Starting October 27, 2025, all property management software (PMS)–connected hosts will be switched to this single-fee structure. But what does that mean for your business, your pricing, and your profitability?
Sarah and Annette are joined by Thanks for Visiting COO and revenue management expert, Colleen Prochaska, to break down what this change really means for hosts. They share their firsthand experience of being forced onto the new fee structure last year, how they adjusted without losing revenue, and why your pricing strategy matters more than ever.
From PMS considerations to direct booking diversification and preparing for 2026, this episode will help you navigate Airbnb’s fee update with confidence.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- Why ditching your PMS isn’t the answer
- How to reframe the 15.5% fee as part of your overall pricing strategy
- Tactics for co-hosts and property managers to address fees with owners
- Why focusing on your booking funnel is just as important as pricing
- How to future-proof your hosting business with diversification and forecasting
Resources:
- Booked & Profitable Bootcamp – Learn how to optimize your pricing, calendar, and booking funnel so you can thrive in any market. thanksforvisiting.com/bootcamp
- Airbnb Fee Structure Update – Read Airbnb’s official announcement here: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1857/service-fees
Mentioned in this episode:
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | STR hosts, quiet calendar. |
| 0:02.4 | We're fixing that in one week with our booked and profitable listing audit boot camp. |
| 0:07.0 | It's four live trainings for $49. |
| 0:09.3 | Bring your listing, calendar, and pricing. |
| 0:11.9 | We'll walk you step by step so you know exactly what to change to show up higher in the algorithm and get more bookings. |
| 0:18.2 | Last round just landed seven bookings in a week. |
| 0:21.9 | Alex tweaked her title and grabbed a holiday weekend within hours. |
| 0:25.7 | Doors close on September 12th, so grab your seat now. |
| 0:28.6 | Want personal eyes on your listing? |
| 0:30.2 | Upgrade to VIP for direct feedback. |
| 0:32.6 | Tap the link in the show notes or go to thanks for visiting.com forward slash boot camp. |
| 0:39.1 | Thanks for visiting.com forward slash boot camp. Save your seat now and then check your email for prep checklist and live |
| 0:44.5 | session dates. You're listening to the Thanks for Visiting Podcast. |
| 0:57.4 | We believe hosting with heart is at the core of every short-term rental. |
| 1:02.1 | With Annette's background in business operation. |
| 1:04.6 | And Sarah's extensive hospitality management and interior design experience, |
| 1:08.9 | we have welcomed thousands of guests from over 30 countries |
| 1:12.3 | earning us over a million dollars and garnering us thousands of five-star reviews. We love |
| 1:18.6 | sharing creative ways for your listing to stand out, serve your guests, and be profitable. Each |
| 1:24.7 | episode, we will have knowledgeable guests who bring value to the short-term |
| 1:28.2 | rental industry. Or we will share our stories of our own experiences so you can implement |
| 1:33.4 | actual improvements to your rentals. Whether you're experienced, new, or nervous to start your |
... |
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