Starting October 27, 2025, Airbnb will roll out a new, simplified single service fee structure. While this change may sound technical, here’s the good news — nothing changes for guests except for a clearer, more transparent price breakdown.
Let’s take a closer look at what this means for you as a StellarStay host or owner.
💡 What Changes for Guests
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Guests will see one final price — no more separate Airbnb service fee line.
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The checkout page will now show the full amount they’ll pay, including Airbnb’s fee, cleaning, and taxes.
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This provides a simpler and clearer booking experience — with fewer surprises at checkout.
In other words, from the guest’s perspective, everything feels the same except for the cleaner layout.
🧾 What Changes for Hosts (StellarStay Accounts)
For hosts using the StellarStay management platform, Airbnb’s switch to a single service fee means that:
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You’ll now see only one service fee in your reservation details — labeled as Host Service Fee.
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The Guest Service Fee field will remain empty for Airbnb bookings, since Airbnb now deducts its platform fee directly from the total amount the guest pays.
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This is purely a structural update — it doesn’t affect how StellarStay processes your payouts, calculates performance, or syncs reservation data.
👉 VRBO reservations will continue using the two-fee model (Host + Guest), so you’ll still see both fields populated for VRBO stays.
📊 Example
|
Platform |
Fee Model |
What You See in StellarStay |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Airbnb (new) |
Single fee (15.5%) |
✅ Host Service Fee only 🚫 Guest Service Fee empty |
Simplified structure; same net payout if nightly rate adjusted accordingly |
|
VRBO |
Split fee |
✅ Host Service Fee ✅ Guest Service Fee |
No change — both fields remain populated |
🧠 What You Should Do
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No action is required — StellarStay automatically supports the new Airbnb fee model.
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If you want your earnings to stay identical, you may consider adjusting your Airbnb nightly rate slightly to reflect Airbnb’s 15.5% service fee.
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Our team will ensure that all revenue reports, owner statements, and payout summaries remain consistent and transparent.
🌟 In Summary
For guests — nothing changes except a cleaner, simpler checkout.
For hosts — one less line item to worry about, with all fees automatically accounted for inside your StellarStay dashboard.
As always, StellarStay continues to handle the technical details so you can focus on what matters most: creating exceptional stays and growing your rental success.
