Airbnb vs Long-Term Rental Calculator
Short-stay can earn more per night and still lose on the year once the platform fee, cleaning and empty nights are counted. Put your own numbers in.
Both figures below leave out the costs you pay either way — maintenance, assessment, quit rent and insurance. Only the short-stay costs are deducted, so the comparison is like for like.
Airbnb net
RM 36,937.50
7.39%
Long-term
RM 21,600.00
4.32%
Airbnb earns RM 15,337.50 more a year
- Airbnb gross annual income
- RM 54,750.00
- Platform & management fee
- RM 8,212.50
- Running costs
- RM 9,600.00
- Long-term monthly rent
- RM 1,800.00
Need a professional property agent?
The yield above uses the rent you typed in. A licensed agent who works your area can tell you what it actually rents for, and help you find tenants.
Indicative estimates for planning, not financial or investment advice. The nightly rate, occupancy and running costs are your own assumptions, not market figures we publish. Short-stay letting in Malaysia can be restricted by management body by-laws or local authority rules — confirm your building allows it before you list.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Airbnb really earn more than long-term rent?
- Sometimes, and by less than the nightly rate suggests. On the defaults here a RM250 night at 60% occupancy nets about RM36,900 a year against RM21,600 from long-term rent — but drop occupancy to 40% and the gap closes fast, because the platform fee and running costs do not.
- What occupancy should I assume?
- Use your own data if you have it, or a conservative figure if you do not. Occupancy is the single input that changes the answer most, so it is worth being pessimistic and seeing whether the numbers still work.
- Am I allowed to run a short-stay unit in Malaysia?
- Not always. Many condominium management bodies restrict or ban short-stay letting through house rules, and some local authorities have their own requirements. Check your building's rules and your local council before you commit.
- What costs am I missing?
- The usual ones people forget are cleaning between guests, utilities you now pay instead of the tenant, furnishing that wears out faster, and the nights nobody books. Maintenance, assessment and insurance apply either way, so they are left out of both sides here.
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