Finance category

Mortgage, loan, investing, tax, and money calculators.

Short-Term vs Long-Term Rent Calculator

Running a unit as an Airbnb/VRBO often doubles gross revenue against a long-term lease — but after platform fees, cleaning, utilities, supplies, and higher management cost, the net gap shrinks dramatically. This calculator puts both on the same scoreboard with occupancy, fees, and operating cost to reveal which actually wins after-tax-equivalent cash in your pocket.

Nightly rate (STR)

STR occupancy

Cleaning fee (guest pays, you reimburse cleaner)

Average stay (nights)

Utilities (STR)

Supplies + consumables

Platform fee %

STR management %

Furniture amortization /month

Long-term monthly rent

LTR vacancy

LTR management %

Higher net cash-flow strategy

Long-term rental

Monthly net difference

$285

STR monthly net

$1,791

LTR monthly net

$2,076

STR monthly gross

$3,608

STR gross ÷ LTR rent

1.5

STR turnovers per month

5.6

STR platform fee

$505

STR management fee

$722

How the math works

STR gross-revenue usually beats LTR by 1.5-2.5x, but after the STR cost stack (cleaning, utilities, supplies, 14% platform, 20% management, furniture amortization) the net gap drops to 20-60%. Add the tax prep complexity, city permit fees, and short-term rental tax (4-15% in many cities), and the gap compresses further.

Use this comparison at the market level before buying. If the STR net doesn't clear LTR net by at least 35% in your underwriting, don't count on the upside — regulation changes, market saturation, and algorithm shifts can erase the premium quickly. LTR remains the lower-effort, more predictable path in most markets.

Editorial noteMaintained by EveryCalc - Reviewed June 2026

EveryCalc calculators are designed for fast, practical estimates with transparent inputs and no required account. We use plain formulas, visible assumptions, and related tools so visitors can check the result from more than one angle.

Results are informational only. For financial, tax, legal, medical, construction, or other high-impact decisions, verify the output against primary sources or a qualified professional.

Learn more about our review process on the EveryCalc methodology page.

How this calculator works

What this page estimates

This Short-Term vs Long-Term Rent Calculator is built to give a quick, browser-based estimate for short-term vs long-term rent. Running a unit as an Airbnb/VRBO often doubles gross revenue against a long-term lease — but after platform fees, cleaning, utilities, supplies, and higher management cost, the net gap shrinks dramatically. This calculator puts both on the same scoreboard with occupancy, fees, and operating cost to reveal which actually wins after-tax-equivalent cash in your pocket. The inputs stay on the page during normal use, and the result should be treated as an estimate for planning, comparison, or education rather than professional advice.

Calculation approach

The calculator applies the standard relationship implied by the inputs, then formats the answer so it can be checked and reused. For finance tools, the most important step is using consistent units, rates, time periods, and assumptions before comparing the result with another calculator or outside quote.

Example workflow

For example, start with a realistic value you already know, change one input at a time, and watch how the answer moves. That makes it easier to tell whether the result is being driven by the main amount, the rate, the time period, or a unit conversion.

Practical checks

Use current, real-world numbers when the result affects money, health, tax, or legal decisions.
Run a low, base, and high case when the inputs are estimates.
Check the related calculators below when the next decision depends on a different assumption.

How to interpret the short-term vs long-term rent result

Best use

Use the result as a planning number for comparing payments, rates, returns, tax reserves, or cash-flow choices before you request a quote or make a commitment.

Cross-check

Compare the answer with the contract, lender estimate, tax form, brokerage statement, payroll record, or invoice that will control the real-world outcome.

Watch for

Do not rely on a single optimistic rate, return, or fee assumption. Money pages work best when you run low, base, and high cases and keep professional advice separate from the estimate.

This page belongs to the Finance calculator library, so the answer should be read in the context of the decision you are modeling rather than as a universal rule.

Before relying on this short-term vs long-term rent estimate

Most calculator mistakes come from the inputs, not the arithmetic. Use this short audit before you reuse the answer in a spreadsheet, quote, application, or important conversation.

Confirm source numbers

Match balances, rates, fees, taxes, income, and payment dates against the lender quote, payroll record, tax form, statement, invoice, or contract.

Separate cash flow from total cost

A lower monthly payment can still cost more over time if fees, interest, taxes, or a longer term are hidden in the structure.

Run conservative cases

Test at least one higher-cost or lower-return case before using the output for a purchase, refinance, investment, loan, or tax decision.

Rerun this page when the rate, price, term, fee, tax rule, income, expense, or expected holding period changes.

How to Use

Enter nightly rate and expected occupancy for the short-term side, plus cleaning fee and average stay length.
Enter the long-term rent and expected vacancy rate.
Add operating cost overlays: utilities (included in STR, tenant-paid LTR), supplies, platform fees, management %, furniture amortization.
See net monthly cash flow and annualized income under each strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does STR clearly beat LTR?

When the gross-revenue multiple > 2.0x LTR and local STR rules are friendly. High-demand tourist zones (beach, mountain, near convention cities), unique properties (cabins, pools), and no HOA/city caps. STR wins in these cases by 30-60% net even after cost overlays.

When does LTR actually win?

In suburbs with low tourist pull, HOAs banning short-term rentals, soft seasons (6 months vacant), or areas with strict STR permit caps. Also when your property management bandwidth is limited — STR management at 20-25% vs LTR at 8-10% has real labor tax.

What about the 14-day IRS rule?

Rent your personal residence fewer than 15 days/year and the income is tax-free under IRC §280A(g). This is a valid edge for occasional STR hosts in a primary residence — not a year-round strategy, but worth mentioning to your CPA.

How do I estimate STR occupancy?

AirDNA and Rabbu publish market-level occupancy and RevPAR by ZIP. Subtract 10-15% for rookie operators — the posted numbers are averages of active, well-optimized listings. A 70% posted market occupancy typically translates to 55-65% for a new listing in the first year.