About this tool
Short-Term Rental Income Estimator is a free, in-browser tool that projects the income of an Airbnb or vacation rental from your average daily rate (ADR), occupancy, platform fees and monthly fixed costs. It reports annual net income, gross revenue, monthly cash flow and, if you supply the cash invested, the cash-on-cash return. Everything is computed on your device.
Gross annual revenue is ADR × 365 × occupancy ÷ 100. Net annual income subtracts the host/platform fee and your fixed costs: gross × (1 − fee ÷ 100) − monthly fixed × 12. Monthly net is that annual figure ÷ 12. If you enter the cash you put into the property, cash-on-cash return is net annual income ÷ cash invested × 100.
Use it to pressure-test a listing before you buy or list: nudge the occupancy or nightly rate and see how thin or fat the margin gets. This is an estimate only — real occupancy, ADR and expenses swing with season, location and management — so treat the output as a planning guide, not a guarantee.
Frequently asked questions
How is gross annual revenue estimated?
It is the average daily rate multiplied by 365 nights and by your occupancy percentage: ADR × 365 × occupancy ÷ 100. At a $150 rate and 60% occupancy that is about $32,850 of booked revenue per year before fees and costs.
What goes into the monthly fixed costs field?
Add up everything you pay each month regardless of bookings — mortgage, property tax, insurance, utilities, cleaning, management and supplies — into a single figure. The tool multiplies it by 12 and subtracts it from revenue.
What does cash-on-cash return mean?
It is net annual income divided by the cash you invested (down payment, closing, furnishing) times 100 — the yearly cash yield on the money you put in. It only appears when you enter a cash-invested amount above zero.
How reliable is this projection?
It is a planning estimate, not a forecast. Actual occupancy and nightly rates vary widely with season, events, competition and reviews, and platforms change their fees. Use conservative inputs and verify with local market data. All math stays in your browser.
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