Key points
- Most full-service managers charge a percentage of booking income. Published UK rates mostly sit between 15% and 25%, usually plus VAT.
- Whether the percentage is taken before or after the booking site’s fee can matter more than a couple of points on the headline rate.
- Cleaning, linen, setup and photography are often charged separately. Ask for every cost in writing.
- Since 22 June 2026 most UK hosts pay Airbnb a single fee of 15.5% plus VAT, which comes to 18.6% of each booking unless you are VAT registered.
- Before you sign, check the notice period, any exit fee and who owns the listing and its reviews.
In this guide
The short answer
Most UK companies that run Airbnb and short-let homes for owners charge a percentage of the booking income. The rates UK managers publish mostly fall between 15% and 25%, with a few offers from around 10% to 12%. Almost all are quoted plus VAT at 20%.
The headline percentage is only part of the cost. This guide goes through what the percentage is taken from, what the booking sites take, what is charged on top and what to look for in the contract, using managers’ own published pricing and the booking sites’ help pages.
The four ways managers charge
| How you pay | What it means | Published UK range |
|---|---|---|
| A percentage of bookings | The manager runs everything and takes a share of each booking. | 15% to 25% + VAT is typical; some from 10% to 12% |
| Co-hosting | Help with some jobs, such as messages and the calendar, while you do the rest. | 10% to 15% for messages and the calendar, rising to 20% to 25% as more is added |
| A fixed monthly fee | A set fee each month, whatever the bookings. Mostly offered for co-hosting. | Rare for full management |
| Guaranteed rent | A company pays you a fixed rent and keeps the booking income (“rent-to-rent”). | One manager estimates the effective cost at 25% to 30% |
Guaranteed rent swaps any upside for certainty. The Property Redress Scheme tells owners to get their mortgage lender’s written consent, check the lease, and make sure the insurance covers subletting. It also warns that ending your agreement with the company does not automatically end the rights of anyone living in the home.
Gross or net: the question that matters most
A percentage only means something once you know what it is a percentage of. Some managers take their fee from the full amount the guest pays. Others take it from what is left after the booking site’s fee, and a few after cleaning costs too.
Here is what that difference does on Airbnb, where most UK hosts now pay 15.5% plus VAT: 18.6% of each booking in total.
| A 15% fee taken from | Share of what the guest paid |
|---|---|
| The full booking value | 15.0% |
| The payout after Airbnb’s 18.6% | About 12.2% |
| The full booking value, plus VAT | 18.0% |
| The payout after Airbnb’s 18.6%, plus VAT | About 14.7% |
So a manager charging 15% of the payout costs less than one charging 13% of the full booking value. Always ask: “a percentage of what?”
What the booking sites take
Airbnb. Airbnb has moved to a single service fee paid by the host, in place of the old split between host and guest. Hosts who live in the UK switched on 22 June 2026. Airbnb’s help centre says most hosts pay 15.5% and the rest typically pay between 14% and 16%, and that the single fee is required for hosts who use property management software. It applies to new bookings; bookings made before the switch keep the old fee.
VAT at 20% is added to Airbnb’s fee, so a host who is not VAT registered pays 15.5% plus VAT, or 18.6% of each booking in all. Airbnb says a VAT-registered host who gives it a VAT number may not be charged the VAT, but must account for it themselves.
Booking.com. Booking.com does not publish a single rate. Its partner help centre says commission varies by country, property type and location, that programmes such as Genius and Preferred Partner can raise it, and that VAT may be added to commission invoices. For the homes we run, commission is usually 15%, plus about 1.6% when Booking.com processes the guest’s payment. Hosts can also choose to give Booking.com more commission through its Visibility Booster tool to push a listing up the search results, so the rate varies from home to home.
Whichever sites your home is on, their fee comes out before you or your manager see the money. That is why the gross or net question matters.
Costs on top of the management fee
Few managers include everything in the percentage. These are the costs most often charged separately, with the ranges UK managers publish.
| Cost | When | Published range |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning | Every changeover. Usually charged to the guest as a cleaning fee. | £50 to £150 a clean, by size |
| Linen and laundry | Every changeover. Sometimes included in cleaning. | £10 to £20 a bed set |
| Guest supplies | Every booking: toiletries, tea, coffee, toilet roll. | £3 to £10 a booking |
| Setup | Once, before the first booking. | From nothing to several hundred pounds |
| Photography | Once, and again after a refurbishment. | £150 to £400 |
| Maintenance | When something needs fixing. | The tradesperson’s bill, often plus 10% to 15% |
| Key safe or smart lock | Once. | £20 to £80 for a key safe, £150 to £300 for a smart lock |
Some contracts also charge an exit fee if you leave early, typically one to three months of fees. Ask for a complete list before you sign, including anything charged per booking and whether repairs are passed on at cost.
VAT: the 20% that is easy to miss
- Most published management rates are plus VAT. A VAT-registered manager adds 20% to its fee.
- Holiday accommodation is standard-rated for VAT, whatever the length of stay (HMRC VAT Notice 709/3).
- You must register for VAT yourself if your taxable turnover passes £90,000 in 12 months. For a holiday let that is usually the full accommodation income, not what is left after commission.
- If you are VAT registered, you can normally reclaim the VAT on your manager’s fee. Your accountant can confirm how this works for you.
What to check in the contract
- Term and notice. Many agreements run 6 to 12 months with 30 to 90 days’ notice. Watch for automatic renewal.
- Exit fees, and what happens to bookings already taken when you leave.
- The listing and its reviews. If the listing is on your own account, you keep it and its reviews when you leave.
- What the percentage is taken from, and whether VAT is included.
- Every fee outside the percentage: setup, photography, supplies, linen and maintenance handling.
- Repairs. The amount they can spend before asking you, and whether work is charged at cost.
- Payments. How often you are paid and what the statement shows.
- Damage. Who deals with it and how it is recovered. Our guest damage guide explains the options.
- Consent and insurance. Your lender’s and, for a flat, your freeholder’s permission, and insurance that covers short lets.
How we charge
We charge a percentage of what each booking pays out, so we only earn when your home does. There is a one-off setup fee for listing creation and guest-ready checks, and professional photography is priced separately; both are agreed with you before anything starts. Guests pay for cleaning.
The full details are in our fees, and your free earnings assessment shows what your home could earn, month by month, after every cost.
Get my free assessmentQuestions owners ask
Is 20% a fair fee for Airbnb management?
It sits within the range UK managers publish, which mostly runs from 15% to 25% plus VAT. What makes it fair is what it includes, whether it is taken from the full booking or the payout, and what is charged on top.
Do Airbnb management fees include VAT?
Usually not. Most UK managers quote their percentage plus VAT, which adds 20% to the fee when the manager is VAT registered.
Who pays for cleaning on a short let?
Usually the guest, through a cleaning fee added to the booking. Ask your manager how cleaning is charged, and whether linen and supplies are included.
What is Airbnb’s fee for UK hosts in 2026?
Most UK hosts switched to a single host-only fee of 15.5% on 22 June 2026, with VAT at 20% added on top: 18.6% of each booking for hosts who are not VAT registered.
Can I leave a management company?
Yes, on the notice your contract sets. Many run 6 to 12 months with 30 to 90 days’ notice. Check for exit fees and make sure you keep your listing and its reviews.
