07/29/2026
Direct bookings will become more important than ever if we want to keep our favorite short-term rentals around for years to come.
One thing we value is transparency. Guests deserve to clearly understand what they're paying for, and hosts deserve a pricing structure that allows them to continue providing exceptional stays.
Airbnb recently changed its fee structure. Instead of displaying a separate guest service fee in many cases, more of the platform's costs are now absorbed by hosts through the host fee structure. Those fees can also apply to items like cleaning fees and additional guest fees, increasing the total costs paid by hosts. Airbnb went as far as to include a tool for hosts to "automatically adjust" their nightly rates to absorb these costs. They did it for us!
From our perspective, this shift benefits Airbnb in several ways. Presenting fewer visible fees to guests can make pricing appear simpler while moving more of the platform costs to hosts. Over time, if host fees continue to increase, many operators will face a difficult choice: absorb the additional costs and accept lower margins, or raise prices and risk becoming less competitive.
We've seen a similar pattern before in other industries. Having operated an Amazon third-party business for the past 10 years, we've watched marketplace fees gradually increase over time. As seller costs rose, businesses were forced to choose between shrinking profits and higher prices. We believe the short-term rental industry could face similar pressures.
When you combine increasing platform fees with growing regulation from local governments, HOA restrictions, insurance costs, and rising operating expenses, many independent hosts may eventually decide the business is no longer sustainable. That could mean fewer unique, locally owned vacation rentals and more consolidation over time.
An Evergreen Dorrington blog post (https://evergreendorrington.com/airbnb-no-guest-fee-direct-booking/) explores these fee changes, and the attached graphic from their post provides a helpful visualization of what has changed at AirBnB. Like most competitive environments, other booking platforms will likely follow this change with their own version of this move. We'll wait and see what VRBO's next move is.
We believe direct bookings will become more important than ever. Booking directly with trusted hosts helps reduce dependence on third-party platforms, supports small hospitality businesses, and helps ensure unique vacation rentals remain available for years to come.
Book with us directly today: www.hollandhousenextdoor.com
