In short: to estimate a property's Airbnb income, multiply an average nightly rate by a realistic number of nights booked, month by month. Then take off platform fees (15.5% on Airbnb by 13 October 2026 at the latest), any commission, running costs and tax. The simulator does the first part in a minute.
What do you need before you start?
- The town and neighbourhood.
- The type: studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, number of guests it sleeps.
- Features that affect the price: air conditioning, terrace, view, parking.
- The legal position: main residence (120 days a year in Nice) or second home (change-of-use authorisation in Nice from the very first night).
- Your annual running costs: service charges, energy, internet, insurance, property tax (taxe foncière).
Step 1: find comparable properties
Find 5 to 10 listings similar to yours: same neighbourhood, same size, same standard. Check their calendars for the coming weeks: the dates already booked tell you more than the advertised price.
Step 2: set an average nightly rate for each month
Do not use an August Saturday rate for the whole year. Note down one rate per month: high in July and August, lower in winter, and higher in event weeks.
Step 3: estimate nights booked for each month
Occupancy rate = nights booked ÷ nights available. For summer, you can work from real figures: from June to August 2026, our properties were booked on 84% of available nights on average, and 85% in Nice (see Airbnb occupancy rates on the French Riviera). By size, summer 2026 ranged from 76% for a studio for 2 to 90% for a studio with a mezzanine.
For the rest of the year, apply a ratio to your summer months:
| Period | Benchmark |
|---|---|
| May and 1 to 15 September | A day earned around 73% of a summer day (our properties, 2026) |
| October to April | No real data published yet; to stay on the safe side, our simulator assumes 40% of a summer day, as a working assumption |
Remember the nights you block for yourself, and the 120-day limit if it is your main residence.
Step 4: work out gross income
Gross income for the month = average rate for the month × nights booked that month. Add up all 12 months (or the months you let).
Example (replace these assumptions with your own): a 31-night July, with 26 nights booked at €150 = €3,900 gross income.
A free, tailored estimate in 2 minutes, with no obligation.
Step 5: from gross to net
| Item | How to calculate it |
|---|---|
| Airbnb fees | 15.5% of the booking total, cleaning included, paid by the host (by 13/10/2026 at the latest in the EEA) |
| Management commission | With us: 20% of rent collected, excl. VAT (24% incl. VAT); see our fees |
| Cleaning and linen | Add to your costs if you pay them; with us, guests pay |
| Consumables and minor repairs | Your annual estimate |
| Running costs | Service charges, energy, internet, insurance, property tax (taxe foncière) |
| Tourist tax (taxe de séjour) | Paid by the guest and collected by the platform: neither income nor a cost for you |
Example continued (assumptions): on €3,900 of rent collected, a 20% commission excl. VAT comes to €780 excl. VAT, or €936 incl. VAT. Then take off one month's share of your annual running costs.
Step 6: estimate the tax
Under the micro-BIC (flat-rate) scheme, for 2025 income onwards (impots.gouv.fr):
- unclassified furnished tourist let (meublé de tourisme): 30% allowance, up to €15,000 of income;
- classified furnished tourist let: 50% allowance, up to €77,700.
Above these thresholds, or if your costs are high, the régime réel (actual-expenses scheme) may work out better. See LMNP and holiday letting, and have an accountant check it.
What mistakes skew an estimate?
- Using the summer rate for the whole year.
- Assuming 100% occupancy.
- Forgetting platform fees, especially now Airbnb charges 15.5%.
- Forgetting blocked nights and the 120-day limit for a main residence.
- Mixing up gross and net income.
Tip: run two scenarios, one cautious and one optimistic. If the cautious one still works, the project is sound.
How useful is an online income simulator?
- Useful for a ballpark figure in a minute.
- Limited: it works by town and property type, not your exact property, and shows gross figures.
Our income simulator is based on the rates we achieve on our properties, by town and type. For results already worked out town by town, read How much a holiday let earns on the French Riviera, and for Nice see our Airbnb management in Nice page.
Sources
- impots.gouv.fr: the new tax rules for furnished tourist lets (updated 06/07/2026)
- Meilleurtaux: Airbnb, single fee from 13 October 2026
- Internal report "Saison 2026 Azur", Lodgify data, June to August 2026
Find out more about our actual income on the French Riviera and how to hand over your property as a holiday let.
