BNB Pilot
Pricing strategy

Short-term rental pricing strategy: build a profitable seasonal plan

Learn how to analyse your market, build a dynamic pricing grid and track margins to run your independent hosting business like a pro.

⏱️ Reading time: 10 minutes Updated: March 2024

1. Analyse demand and competitors

Before tweaking prices, understand seasonality, events and direct competition.

Tip: export BNB Pilot occupancy data and cross-check with local events to see if price increases were absorbed.

2. Build a seasonal pricing grid

Define clear tiers to keep your adjustments consistent.

  1. Low season: target 40–50% occupancy with attractive rates and long-stay promos.
  2. Shoulder season: adapt pricing based on lead time (bookings at 30, 60 days, etc.).
  3. High season: apply your ceiling price when demand peaks.

For each tier, specify:

3. Adjust your rates in real time

Your grid is a starting point. Fine-tune to capture last-minute demand or improve margins.

Key indicators

  • Occupancy by segment (weekend vs weekday).
  • Lead time (days between booking and arrival).
  • Revenue per available night (RevPAN).
  • Promo performance (codes, discounts).

Actions

  • Increase rates on peak dates (events, holidays).
  • Open single-night stays to fill small gaps.
  • Offer add-ons (breakfast, parking) to boost revenue per stay.
  • Promote offers to your direct booking audience.

4. Align pricing with financial goals

Your rates must cover costs, deliver profit and remain competitive.

Calculate your break-even point:

(Fixed costs + Variable costs) / Nights available = Minimum profitable rate

Add your target margin and benchmark against competitors. If the gap is too large, improve perceived value (services, professional cleaning, fast replies).

5. Track & automate inside BNB Pilot

Data is the best ally for confident pricing decisions.

  1. Use BNB Pilot dashboards to monitor occupancy, RevPAN and channel mix.
  2. Filter by property to spot underperformers quickly.
  3. Schedule automatic exports to your analysis tool or spreadsheets.
  4. Link cleaning checklists to your stays so service level matches premium rates.

Need consistent calendar sync before raising prices? See our iCal synchronisation guide.