Since May 25, 2025, Airbnb switched to a host-only fee model: the price you set is exactly what guests see, and 15.5% is deducted from your payout. While you cannot reduce the fee rate, there are proven strategies to minimize its impact on your net earnings.
Strategy 1 — Reverse-Calculate Your Prices
Start with your target net earning and divide by 0.845 to get the price you should set. For example, if you want ₩169,000 net: ₩169,000 ÷ 0.845 = ₩200,000.
Strategy 2 — Use Cleaning Fees Strategically
Cleaning fees are not subject to the 15.5% host service fee. Shifting some of your pricing to the cleaning fee (while keeping guest total the same) increases your net earnings per booking.
Strategy 3 — Encourage Longer Stays
Weekly and monthly discounts reduce vacancy risk and spread fixed costs like cleaning fees over more nights, raising your effective per-night margin.
Strategy 4 — Maintain Competitive Positioning
Raising prices to offset fees only works if your occupancy holds. Track competitors weekly and price to maintain your position — total revenue depends on both price and occupancy rate.
Strategy 5 — Register for VAT
A 10% VAT is charged on top of the host service fee in Korea. By registering as a business and adding your registration number to Airbnb tax settings, you can switch to direct VAT reporting, reducing your actual fee burden. See the Airbnb Host VAT Guide for details.