Short-Term Rental Analytics: Essential Metrics Every Host Should Track
Track the right KPIs to maximize revenue, optimize operations, and scale your Airbnb or vacation rental business. Data-driven hosts earn 20-40% more than those flying blind.
Learn which STR metrics matter most—from occupancy rate and RevPAR to guest acquisition cost and net operating income. Discover how to calculate each metric, what benchmarks to target, and which tools automate the tracking.
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Why STR Analytics Matter
Most short-term rental hosts track revenue, but they miss the critical operational metrics that separate profitable properties from struggling ones. The difference between earning $50,000 and $80,000 annually from the same property often comes down to data-driven decision making.
Data-driven hosts earn 20-40% more than those flying blind. They know exactly which levers to pull to increase revenue: when to adjust pricing, how to reduce turnover costs, which platforms deliver the best ROI, and where operational inefficiencies are eating profit.
You can't optimize what you don't measure. This guide covers the 10 essential metrics every STR host should track, complete with formulas, industry benchmarks, and tools that automate the tracking.
Quick Start Tip
Don't try to track all 10 metrics at once. Start with the "Big 3": Occupancy Rate, ADR, and RevPAR. Once you have those dialed in, add operational metrics like cleaning costs and guest acquisition cost. Most property management systems track these automatically.
10 Essential STR Metrics to Track
Master these metrics to maximize revenue, optimize operations, and scale your short-term rental business profitably.
Occupancy Rate
Performance
The percentage of available nights that are booked
(Booked nights ÷ Available nights) × 100Shows how well you're filling your calendar. Low occupancy means pricing issues, poor listing optimization, or seasonality challenges.
Average Daily Rate (ADR)
Revenue
Your average nightly rate across all bookings
Total revenue ÷ Number of booked nightsMeasures your pricing power. Compare to competitors to see if you're leaving money on the table or pricing yourself out of the market.
Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR)
Revenue
The ultimate profitability metric combining occupancy and pricing
Total revenue ÷ Total available nights (or ADR × Occupancy Rate)Shows your true earning potential. You can have high occupancy with low rates, or high rates with low occupancy. RevPAR reveals which strategy wins.
Booking Lead Time
Booking Behavior
Average number of days between booking and check-in
Sum of (Check-in date - Booking date) ÷ Number of bookingsLonger lead times mean you can charge premium rates. Short lead times indicate last-minute bookings where you need dynamic pricing.
Average Length of Stay (LOS)
Booking Behavior
Average number of nights per booking
Total booked nights ÷ Number of bookingsLonger stays reduce turnover costs (cleaning, laundry) and increase profitability. Each turnover costs $75-150 in cleaning plus wear and tear.
Cleaning Cost Per Stay
Operations
Your average cleaning expense per booking
Total cleaning costs ÷ Number of bookingsOften overlooked profit killer. If cleaning costs exceed 15% of booking revenue, you're losing money to operational inefficiency.
Guest Acquisition Cost (GAC)
Marketing
Total cost to acquire each booking
(Platform fees + Marketing spend) ÷ Number of bookingsShows profitability by channel. OTA fees are 15-20% vs 0-3% for direct bookings. Reducing GAC by 10% can double your profit margin.
Review Score
Guest Experience
Your average rating across all platforms
Average of all guest ratingsDirectly impacts search ranking and conversion. Properties with 4.8+ stars earn 20-30% more than 4.5-star properties. Below 4.5 is a crisis.
Response Rate & Time
Guest Experience
How quickly and consistently you respond to inquiries
Messages responded to ÷ Total messages received (within 1 hour)Critical ranking factor for Airbnb. Hosts with 95%+ response rate within 1 hour get priority placement. Slow responses = fewer bookings.
Net Operating Income (NOI)
Profitability
Your true profit after all operating expenses
Total revenue - (Cleaning + Supplies + Utilities + Fees + Maintenance + Software)Revenue is vanity, profit is sanity. Many hosts celebrate high revenue while losing money. NOI reveals true business health.
Advanced Metrics for Scaling Hosts
Once you've mastered the core 10 metrics, these advanced KPIs help you optimize at a deeper level and scale beyond 5 properties.
Market Penetration Rate
Your occupancy vs market average
Your occupancy rate ÷ Market average occupancy rateSeasonality Index
How much your revenue fluctuates by season
Month's revenue ÷ Average monthly revenueChannel Performance Comparison
Revenue and costs by booking platform
Compare ADR, occupancy, and fees across Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, DirectGuest Lifetime Value (LTV)
Total revenue from repeat guests
Average booking value × Number of repeat staysTurn Data Into Action
Analytics are useless without action. Here's how to diagnose common problems and fix them using your metrics.
Problem: Low Occupancy Rate (<50%)
Your calendar has too many open nights, losing potential revenue.
ADR vs competitors. Are you priced too high?
Lower prices or improve listing (photos, description, amenities). Use dynamic pricing software to automatically adjust rates based on demand.
Problem: High Occupancy (85%+) But Low Revenue
Your calendar is full, but you're not earning enough.
ADR. You're definitely priced too low.
Raise prices by 10-20% and implement dynamic pricing. High demand means you have pricing power. You'll earn more with 70% occupancy at higher rates than 90% occupancy at low rates.
Problem: Declining Review Scores
Recent ratings are dropping below 4.7, hurting your ranking.
Review comments for patterns. Is it cleanliness? Communication? Accuracy?
Address root cause immediately. For cleanliness, use cleaning management tools with photo verification. For communication, set up automated messaging.
Problem: High Guest Acquisition Cost (>$75/booking)
Platform fees are eating 20%+ of your revenue.
Channel performance. Which platforms are most profitable?
Build a direct booking website to reduce OTA dependency. Even 20% direct bookings can increase profit margin by 10-15%.
Start Tracking Today: Your 30-Day Plan
Week 1: Set Up Basic Tracking
Start tracking the Big 3: Occupancy Rate, ADR, and RevPAR. These are your North Star metrics.
- Create a simple spreadsheet or use your PMS dashboard
- Record these metrics weekly
- Note any major events (holidays, local festivals)
Week 2: Implement Analytics Tools
Let software do the heavy lifting. Most tools automate metric tracking.
- Set up PMS with built-in analytics
- Connect dynamic pricing tool for revenue data
- Enable email reports (weekly summaries)
Week 3: Add Operational Metrics
Track costs to understand true profitability.
- Calculate cleaning cost per stay
- Measure response rate and time
- Track review scores and guest feedback
Week 4: Analyze & Adjust
Review your first month of data and make strategic changes.
- Compare your metrics to benchmarks
- Identify your biggest opportunity (pricing, occupancy, costs)
- Make ONE change and measure impact over 30 days
- Consider consulting with experts for personalized guidance
5 Analytics Mistakes Hosts Make
Tracking Revenue, Ignoring Expenses
Revenue is a vanity metric. Focus on Net Operating Income (NOI). Many hosts celebrate $100k in revenue while netting only $20k after expenses.
Not Comparing to Comp Set
Your metrics mean nothing without context. 60% occupancy might be terrible in summer, but great in winter. Always compare to market averages and competitors.
Reacting to Short-Term Fluctuations
One bad week doesn't mean disaster. Look at monthly and quarterly trends. STRs are seasonal businesses—compare year-over-year, not week-over-week.
Ignoring Seasonal Patterns
Every market has high and low seasons. Track your Seasonality Index to predict cash flow needs and adjust pricing strategy accordingly.
Analysis Paralysis
Don't track 50 metrics. Start with 5-7 key indicators. More data doesn't mean better decisions—focus on metrics you can actually act on.
Frequently Asked Questions
What analytics should I track for my Airbnb?
Track these 10 essential metrics: Occupancy Rate, Average Daily Rate (ADR), Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR), Booking Lead Time, Length of Stay, Cleaning Cost Per Stay, Guest Acquisition Cost, Review Score, Response Rate & Time, and Net Operating Income (NOI). These metrics cover performance, revenue, operations, and profitability.
How do I calculate occupancy rate for short-term rentals?
Occupancy Rate = (Booked nights ÷ Available nights) × 100. For example, if you had 20 booked nights out of 30 available nights in a month, your occupancy rate is (20÷30)×100 = 66.7%. A good occupancy rate is 70-85% for most markets.
What is RevPAR in short-term rentals?
RevPAR (Revenue Per Available Room) is the ultimate profitability metric. Calculate it as: Total revenue ÷ Total available nights, or ADR × Occupancy Rate. RevPAR shows your true earning potential by combining both pricing and occupancy into one number.
What is a good RevPAR for vacation rentals?
RevPAR varies significantly by market, but $75-150+ is typical for most vacation rentals. Focus on month-over-month growth rather than absolute numbers. Compare your RevPAR to local competitors to gauge performance. The key is tracking trends: is your RevPAR improving over time?
Best analytics tools for Airbnb hosts?
Top analytics tools include: PriceLabs and Wheelhouse for revenue metrics, Hospitable and Hostaway for operational analytics, Beyond Pricing for Health Score tracking, and Breezeway for cleaning cost analysis. Most property management systems include built-in analytics dashboards.
How often should I review my STR metrics?
Review key metrics (occupancy, RevPAR, reviews) weekly. Conduct deeper analysis monthly to identify trends. Quarterly reviews should include year-over-year comparisons and competitive analysis. Annual reviews inform strategic planning and goal setting. Most importantly: track consistently and act on insights.
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