How to Calculate Co-Host Commission and Owner Payouts (With a Free Calculator)
Free co-host commission calculator with worked examples: percentage or fixed fees, channel fees, expenses, VAT in Spain and the monthly owner payout.
At the end of every month a co-host answers the same four questions for each property: what did it earn, what is my commission, what did I spend, and how much do I send the owner? The answer is one line of arithmetic — owner payout = income after channel fees − your commission − the expenses you paid — but only if you and the owner agreed the inputs first.
This guide gives you a calculator for one month, explains the common commission structures, walks through four worked examples (including a month where expenses beat income) and covers VAT on your fee if you co-host in Spain.
Co-host commission calculator
Enter one property and one month. The figures start as the first worked example below, so you can see where every number comes from.
Co-host commission and owner payout calculator
One property, one month. The figures start as the worked example below; change any of them. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
- Income after channel fees
- €2,400.00
- Your commission
- €480.00
- VAT on your commission
- €0.00
- Expenses you paid
- €400.00
- Owner payout
- €1,520.00
The result is negative: this month the owner owes you that amount. Agree whether you invoice it now or carry it to next month.
An estimate for planning, not tax advice. Your agreement with the owner decides the rules.
The formula, line by line
Owner payout = income after channel fees − your commission (plus VAT, if you charge it) − expenses you paid
- Income after channel fees is what actually arrives from Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo and direct bookings for stays in that month.
- Your commission is set by your agreement: a percentage of net or gross income, a fixed fee, or a mix of both.
- Expenses you paid are costs you covered for the property — cleaning, laundry, consumables, repairs. You get them back through the settlement. Bills the owner paid directly are shown for information but never deducted.
Step 1: Agree how your commission is calculated
Before any numbers, the agreement with the owner has to answer three questions:
- Percentage or fixed? A percentage of booking income (for example 20%) or a fixed monthly fee (for example €150).
- Percentage of what? Income after channel fees is the most common base, because it is the money that actually arrives. Some agreements use gross booking value; whichever you choose, write it down.
- Who pays which costs? Cleaning, laundry, consumables, repairs, utilities. Costs you pay are reimbursed from the income; costs the owner pays directly are not.
The four common commission structures
| Structure | How it works | Suits | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of net income | A share of what arrives after channel fees | Most full-service co-hosting | Agree whether cleaning fees paid by guests count as income |
| Percentage of gross income | A share of what guests paid, before channel fees | Co-hosts who also choose the channels and set prices | Your fee also grows with the channel fees the owner pays; say so in the contract |
| Fixed monthly fee | The same amount every month | Long-term lets, or owners who want a predictable cost | Busy and empty months pay you the same |
| Fixed fee plus a percentage | A small base plus a smaller percentage | Seasonal properties with quiet winters | Two rules to apply correctly every month |
We don't quote an "average" commission rate: published figures are rarely sourced, and the right rate depends on what you do — cleaning coordination, guest communication, pricing, maintenance — on the market and on the property. What matters is that the rule is written down and applied the same way every month.
Step 2: Collect one month of data per property
For each property you manage you need:
- the income from every booking in the month, from every channel;
- every expense in the month, with who paid it.
Step 3: Do the calculation
Example 1: 20% of income after channel fees
A two-bedroom apartment in October. Guests paid €2,750; Airbnb and Booking.com kept €350 in fees, so €2,400 arrived. Your fee is 20% of that.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Income (after channel fees) | €2,400 |
| Your commission (20%) | −€480 |
| Cleaning and laundry, paid by you | −€310 |
| Plumber call-out, paid by you | −€90 |
| Owner payout | €1,520 |
| Community fees, paid by the owner (for information only) | €65 |
Your income is the €480 commission; the €400 you spent comes back to you through the deductions. The community fees are shown so the owner sees the full picture, but they are not deducted again: that money never went through you.
Example 2: the same month, 20% of gross income
Applied to the €2,750 guests paid, 20% is €550 instead of €480. The payout drops to €2,400 − €550 − €400 = €1,450. Seventy euros a month is why the base belongs in the contract.
Example 3: a fixed fee of €150
The payout is €2,400 − €150 − €400 = €1,850. In a quiet month the fee stays the same, so a fixed fee protects your income and leaves the seasonal risk with the owner.
Example 4: when expenses are higher than income
February: €600 arrives, your 20% is €120, and you paid a €900 boiler repair. €600 − €120 − €900 = −€420: the owner owes you €420. Show it on the statement as a balance in your favour, and agree in advance whether you invoice it straight away or carry it into next month.
VAT on your commission if you co-host in Spain
If you co-host as a business — as an autónomo or through a company — your management fee is a service, and services in Spain are generally subject to VAT (IVA) at the standard 21% rate. You add it on your invoice, so the owner pays the fee plus VAT. In Example 1 that is €480 + €100.80 = €580.80, and the payout becomes €2,400 − €580.80 − €400 = €1,419.20. Enter 21 in the VAT field of the calculator to see it.
VAT on the rental itself is a separate question. From 1 December 2026, holiday stays of up to 30 nights in a home that is not the owner's habitual residence move to 10% VAT under Royal Decree-law 29/2026, provided Congress validates the decree — see our guide to taxes on rental income in Spain. The invoices you issue for your fee also fall under the new invoicing rules: see VERI*FACTU for rental owners and co-hosts. Your gestor should confirm how both apply to you.
Step 4: Present it so the owner can check it
A good statement lists the lines above for each property and ends with one number: the transfer. If the owner can recompute the payout from the page, you will get far fewer questions.
Why spreadsheets make this harder than it is
The formula is simple. What takes time is feeding it: copying payouts from each channel, matching receipts to properties, remembering which bills the owner paid, and keeping a separate copy for every owner. The risk is not the arithmetic but a missing row.
How to automate the calculation
To automate it, the software needs to know three things you set up once: which properties you manage, the fee on each, and who paid each expense. Then the monthly calculation is just reading the data.
This is exactly how Hostfinn works. For each managed property you set a percentage or a fixed monthly fee. Expenses are recorded against the property with who paid them. At month end Hostfinn applies income − your fee − expenses you paid for every property of an owner and produces a PIN-protected report the owner opens in any browser, then prints or saves as PDF. Plans and prices are on the pricing page, with a 14-day free trial. For a wider checklist, read what to look for in property management software for Airbnb hosts and co-hosts.
Frequently asked questions
Is co-host commission calculated on gross or net booking income?
Either can be agreed. Net of channel fees is more common because it matches the money received. The important part is writing the base into the agreement and applying it the same way every month.
What if a guest cancels after I paid for cleaning?
Keep the cleaning as an expense you paid; it is deducted from that month's income like any other cost you covered, unless your agreement says otherwise.
Can I charge different commissions to different owners?
Yes. Commission is set per property, so each owner — and each property — can have its own terms.
What happens when expenses are higher than income?
The payout is negative and the owner owes you the difference. Record it as a balance in your favour and settle it the way your agreement says: an invoice now, or a deduction from next month.
Do I charge VAT on my co-host commission in Spain?
If you co-host as a business — as an autónomo or through a company — generally yes: the standard 21% rate on your fee, shown on your invoice. Confirm your case with your gestor.