Owner guide
Short-let management fees: what “after platform commission” means
A percentage is only useful when you know the amount it applies to and the responsibilities it buys. Start with a worked calculation, then check the costs and practical work that remain with you.
Use the same starting figure
Hive Stewards UK calculates its management percentage on booking income after the booking platform has deducted its commission. Inbox & pricing is 15%; Fully managed is 20%. This is a management-fee calculation, not a statement of the owner’s final profit. Agreed setup charges and property costs remain separate.
Keep gross booking income, the actual platform commission and the resulting fee base on separate lines. Platforms and booking arrangements can differ, so use the deduction shown on the relevant statement. Do not insert a supposed standard platform rate into every booking or compare two managers before checking that both percentages apply to the same figure.
Follow an illustrative booking through the calculation
Suppose a booking produces £2,000 of booking income and the platform deducts £300 commission. These are example figures, not a quoted platform tariff or a record of a client booking. The amount used for management is £1,700. At 15%, the management fee is £255, leaving £1,445 before other costs. At 20%, the fee is £340, leaving £1,360 before other costs.
The £85 difference buys a different service scope. It does not tell you which arrangement costs less overall until you account for the local work you would otherwise organise. If a booking changes or is refunded, reconcile the final statement and the management agreement rather than continuing to use the original confirmation amount.
Choose a plan around the work you can cover
The remote Inbox & pricing plan covers guest messages, booking requests, the calendar and nightly pricing. It is suited to an owner who has a workable arrangement for the property itself. Write down who handles cleaning, access problems, replacement supplies and maintenance; those responsibilities do not disappear because the inbox is managed.
Fully managed adds cleaner scheduling, restocks, maintenance callout coordination and a monthly earnings summary. Emergency support and coordination are available only within the 20% plan. Attendance depends on the arrangements agreed for the address and local availability. Repair and contractor charges remain separate; a management percentage is not an unlimited maintenance budget.
Build the rest of the cost sheet
List cleaning, laundry, utilities, internet, consumables, insurance, relevant building charges, maintenance and replacement spending. Keep one-off preparation separate from recurring costs. A sofa bought before launch should be visible, but it should not make every later month look artificially cheaper by disappearing from your overall assessment.
Count changeovers as well as booked nights. Four short bookings may require more cleaning visits than one booking covering the same total nights. Use supplier quotations and your property’s actual needs. Ask how any guest cleaning charge appears in the booking statement and written fee definition; do not assume that every amount collected is retained income.
Agree records, spending and a quieter-month test
Before instructing a manager, ask for the fee base, included tasks, separate charges, spending limit and approval process in writing. Agree what happens when urgent work exceeds the normal limit and how invoices are supplied. Your records should make it possible to connect a booking, a deduction and the resulting payout without reconstructing a series of messages.
Test a month with fewer bookings, an unexpected repair and an owner-use block. No booking income means no percentage management fee, but bills and agreed separate costs can still arise. Keep enough cash for costs falling due before the next payout. Compare the full responsibilities and cash requirement, then choose a plan you can realistically operate.
Common questions
Is the platform commission assumed to be 15%?
No. The £300 deduction above is only an illustration. Use the actual platform statement and the agreed definition of booking income.
Does 20% cover the cost of emergency repairs?
Emergency support and coordination belong to the 20% plan. Repair and contractor costs are separate, and attendance depends on agreed arrangements and availability.