Lodging & short-term rentals
Books and taxes for Airbnb and Vrbo hosts.
An Airbnb payout that never matches what the guest paid, a cleaning fee that may or may not cover the actual cleaner, a few weeks you blocked off for yourself, and a cabinet full of receipts. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
July came in at $3,900 across both listings. The cabin's cleaning fee finally covers what you actually pay your cleaner, so I flagged that it might be worth raising on the condo too.
- Airbnb payout, cabinBooking revenue
- Vrbo payout, condoBooking revenue
- Cleaner, VenmoCleaning cost
- PriceLabs subscriptionSoftware
- Ace Hardware, condo repairRepairs
Why your books are different
Airbnb and Vrbo books go wrong in the same few places.
You are running a small hospitality business through a phone app, and the payout that lands never quite matches what the guest actually paid. A generalist sees a deposit. Your business needs the booking site's math undone, or you cannot tell what a listing really earns.
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1
The payout is never the full booking amount
Airbnb and Vrbo take a commission, and depending on your city, may also hold back occupancy tax before the deposit lands. Booked as one number, you cannot see what the guest actually paid or what the site kept.
What we doSplits each payout into the full booking amount, the site's fee, and any tax already collected, so your real revenue is never understated. -
2
The cleaning fee rarely matches the cleaning cost
You set a cleaning fee once and forget about it while your cleaner's rate goes up. Netted together, you cannot tell if the fee still covers the cost or if you are quietly eating the difference on every stay.
What we doBooks the cleaning fee collected and the cleaning cost paid on separate lines so you can see the real margin on every turnover. -
3
Weeks you block off yourself are not rental income
A week you or family use the cabin is not a booking, and the expenses during that time are not fully a business cost. Treating every day the property exists as rental use overstates the write-offs.
What we doTracks blocked owner-use nights against booked nights so the accountant can split expenses correctly at tax time. -
4
Occupancy tax collected is not always your job
Some cities have Airbnb or Vrbo collect and remit lodging tax automatically. Others leave it entirely to you. Assuming the booking site handled it can leave real tax owed and unpaid.
What we doFlags whether your listing's jurisdiction has the site remitting tax or leaves it to you, so nothing slips through.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for Airbnb and Vrbo hosting.
Set up once for how you get paid and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Booking revenueAirbnb and Vrbo payouts, split by listing.
- Cleaning fees collectedThe fee guests pay, tracked apart from what the cleaner costs.
- Direct bookingsAny stays booked outside a booking site, paid by card or transfer.
- Damage claims keptThe part of a security deposit kept for real damage, once it is actually kept.
Money out
- Cleaning costWhat your cleaner or cleaning service actually charges per turnover.
- Supplies and toiletriesCoffee, soap, paper products, and welcome basket items.
- Software subscriptionsPriceLabs, a smart lock system, or a booking calendar tool.
- Utilities and internetElectric, water, and WiFi at the property.
- Repairs and upkeepMaintenance calls and general property repairs.
- Booking site commissionsWhat Airbnb or Vrbo keep before you get paid.
- Mortgage or HOA costsThe property's carrying costs, when relevant to the rental.
What we watch for you
- Occupancy rate
Booked nights against nights available, the clearest read on how a listing is doing.
- Cleaning margin
The cleaning fee collected against the cleaning cost paid, so a quiet loss does not hide in a fee that looks like a wash.
- Revenue per listing
What each property brings in after booking site fees, useful once you have more than one.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things Airbnb and Vrbo hosts ask Gus.
Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.
Airbnb's commission comes out before the payout lands, and in some places they hold back occupancy tax too. I book the full guest amount as revenue and their cut as a fee, so your numbers stay honest.
No, it is not a booking, so it does not show as revenue. I keep track of blocked owner-use time so the accountant can split expenses the right way at tax time.
That depends on your city, and it is above my pay grade to say for certain. I flag whether the booking site is collecting it for your listing or whether it looks like it falls to you, and the accountant can confirm.
The tax side
The tax side of Airbnb and Vrbo hosting.
Most of what goes wrong here is the booking site's math and your own use of the property. Both get cleaner once payouts are split apart and owner-use nights are tracked all year.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Personal use limits deductionsWhen you also stay in the property, block it for family, or use it yourself part of the year, those nights usually limit how much of the property's expenses can be deducted against rental income. Gus tracks the nights so the accountant can apply the split correctly.
- Bonus depreciation on furniture and appliancesFurniture, mattresses, and appliances bought for the rental can often be written off in full in the year placed in service, with bonus depreciation at 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- 1099-K from Airbnb and VrboBoth report payouts on a 1099-K once you cross $20,000 and 200 transactions in a year. Every dollar of booking revenue is taxable whether or not a 1099-K arrives.
- The pass-through deductionMost profitable hosts can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income, with limits above $201,750 taxable income single or $403,500 joint. Whether hosting qualifies depends on how it is run, which the accountant reviews each year.
Deductions short-term rental hosts miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Cleaning supplies and services
- Linen and towel replacement
- Welcome basket items
- Smart lock hardware
- Pricing and calendar software
- Furniture and mattress replacement
- Short-term rental insurance
- Photography for listings
- Mileage for property visits
- Guest WiFi and streaming service
- Occupancy tax software
- Repairs and handyman calls
General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.
All year, not just April
A hosting year, kept every month.
Peak season depends entirely on where your listing sits. Your taxes come on a schedule. Your team keeps you ahead of both. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Plan the year
Last year's return gets started, contractor 1099s are ready if you paid a cleaner enough, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether peak season bookings are running ahead of last year.
- October
Before the year closes
A look at furniture or equipment purchases worth making before December, and where the year will land.
What you get
What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.
Book a call- Monthly bookkeeping
Every transaction sorted into categories set up for short-term rental hosts. You never categorize a thing.
- An accountant checks every transaction
Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.
- Your business tax return, filed
Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.
- The monthly number
What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.
- Your own bookkeeper
A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.
- On your books all year
Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.
- Cancel any time
No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.
Straight answers
Questions Airbnb and Vrbo hosts ask first.
I host on both Airbnb and Vrbo. Can Gus track them separately?
Yes. He splits revenue by listing and by which site it came through, so you can see which one actually performs better after fees.
Does the deposit I collect for damage count as income?
No, not while it is just held. It only becomes income if you keep part of it for actual damage. Gus keeps deposits out of revenue until that happens.
I only started hosting a few months ago. Is it too late to get organized?
No. Send the statements and booking records you have from the start. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks it, and you will know where you stand inside a week.
I use one property for my own vacations too. How does that affect taxes?
Personal use nights usually limit how much of the property's expenses can be deducted against rental income. Gus tracks those nights so the accountant can apply the split correctly.
Do I need to change how I use Airbnb's app?
No. Keep hosting the way you do. Gus works from your bank statements and payout reports, and when something is unclear he asks you once and remembers the answer.
Is a real accountant checking my books?
Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.
What does it cost, and can I cancel?
It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.
More in lodging & short-term rentals
We keep books for the business next door too.
- Bed & breakfasts
- Country inns & lodges
- Event venues with on-site lodging
- Farm stays
- Hostels
- Independent motels
- Mid-term rental operators (travel nurses)
- Wellness & retreat centers
- Airbnb co-hosting businesses
- Boutique hotels
- Extended stay & corporate housing
- Luxury villa rentals
- Short-term rental property managers
- Vacation rental management (beach / mountain)
What makes a bookkeeper worth paying for Every business we keep books for
Book a call
Pick a time. That's the whole signup.
Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.
- $197 a month to start
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever