Short-Term Rental Investment Calculator
Estimate potential cap rate and cash-on-cash return using industry-standard expense ratios. Illustrative only — not a prediction or guarantee of your results.
Check actual comparable listings in your specific area — don't guess. AirDNA and direct Airbnb/Vrbo searches are good starting points.
National STR occupancy averages commonly fall in the 45–60% range, but this varies enormously by market and season.
This is an illustrative estimate, not a prediction of your results. Real-world short-term rental performance depends on your specific market, seasonality, local regulation, competition, and management quality — none of which this calculator can know. Industry sources describe cash-on-cash returns above 8% as solid and above 12% as excellent in 2026, and explicitly recommend treating any projection above 20% with skepticism, since it usually means an expense assumption is missing. This tool exists to help you sanity-check assumptions, not to promise an outcome.
Expense ratio assumptions (45% self-managed, 58% professionally managed) are based on commonly cited 2026 industry benchmarks, which place typical short-term rental operating expenses between 40% and 70% of gross revenue. This is not financial or investment advice. See our full STR feasibility guide for the zoning and tax factors this calculator doesn't cover.
