The HostMetrio guide · 2026 edition
One rental, followed through every number that decides what it earns.
Know What Your Rental Really Earns is a 61-page PDF for US hosts with one to five listings. It takes one example rental from the price a guest sees to the cash that stays in your account, then through a full year, the software, the gear, the guests, the insurance and the tax folder. Every fact is dated and sourced.
- 16 chapters
- 10 worksheets
- 5 templates
- 61 pages
One-time payment of $9. The download opens right after checkout.
Secure checkout by Stripe; we never see your card number. No affiliate links inside the guide.
By the last page, you’ll know
- Your break-even occupancy and the nightly rate you should never go below Chapter 3
- Whether your cleaning fee quietly loses money on every stay Chapter 4
- How much to set aside in summer so January doesn’t hurt Chapter 6
- The weekly discount that pays for itself, and the one that doesn’t Chapter 7
- Which software is worth paying for at one, three or five listings Chapter 8
- What to do in the 14 days after a guest breaks something Chapter 14
A look inside
Real pages from the guide. The worked example uses made-up round figures so you can follow the method, then the worksheets let you run it on your own place.
What’s in the 16 chapters
The money
- Your payout isn’t your profitOne month, seven lines: how a $3,844 deposit becomes $916.
- Fees, platform by platformAirbnb’s two fee structures, Vrbo’s 12%, your Booking.com agreement, and what a direct booking really saves.
- Price from the floor upThe rate below which a month loses money, and when a pricing tool pays for itself.
- The cleaning fee, honestlyWhy a $95 fee on a $110 clean costs you about $208 a month.
- Occupancy is not the goalFour prices for the same month, and why the fullest calendar isn’t always the best one.
- A year, not a monthWhy no price can fix January, a stress test for your plan, and how big your reserve should be.
- Stay length and the discount mathThe break-even weekly discount, and which one-night gaps are worth selling.
Running the place
- When software earns its placeA one-week test before any subscription, and a starting stack by size with real prices.
- Getting guests in without youFive smart locks and four lockboxes side by side, and the code rules that prevent lockouts.
- Quiet nights and the device rulesWhat Airbnb allows inside and outside, and three ways to catch a party early.
- The starter kit and the restock budgetWhat to buy before the first guest, and what every stay costs to restock.
- Twelve messages that do the workFrom the first question to the damage request, ready to copy and make your own.
Protecting it
- Insurance: what AirCover leaves to youWhat the $3 million covers, what it doesn’t, and six questions for your insurer.
- When something gets brokenThe 14-day clock, the photo habit, and how to ask a guest to pay without a fight.
- Books and taxes, the basicsOne account per property, the IRS day rules and two questions to take to your preparer.
- Your first 90 daysEverything above, in the order we’d do it.
Also inside: 10 worksheets to run your own numbers with a pencil, and 5 templates: a house manual, house rules, a cleaner’s scope of work, a damage report and a year-end tax packet.
Is it for you?
Written for you if
- You host one to five places in the US, or you’re about to.
- You know your nightly rate but not your break-even.
- You’d like one plan instead of forty browser tabs.
Probably not if
- You manage dozens of listings with a team and a revenue manager.
- You want tax or legal advice for your situation. The guide explains the rules; a professional applies them.
- You’re looking for income forecasts. There are none; the examples show the method.
How it was written
The same way as every page on this site. Fees, prices and rules come from each platform’s, maker’s or agency’s own public page, and every source is listed at the back with the date we checked it (November 4 and 5, 2026). Products are compared from published specs and integration lists; we haven’t installed or tested them and never say we have. The guide contains no affiliate links, even where the website has some.
Questions before you buy
What exactly do I get?
A 61-page PDF in a 6 × 9 inch book format: 16 chapters, 10 worksheets you can print and fill in with a pencil, and 5 templates (house manual, house rules, cleaner’s scope of work, damage report and year-end tax packet). It reads well on a phone, a tablet or paper.
How do I get the file?
Right after payment, Stripe takes you to your download page. Your invoice carries the same download link, so you can come back to it later.
Is this the same as the free guides on the site?
No. The site answers one question per page. The guide follows one rental through a whole month and a whole year, adds the seasonal plan, the discount math, twelve guest messages, the damage process and the templates, and puts everything in the order you’d actually do it.
Does it contain affiliate links?
No. Some links on hostmetrio.com earn us a commission, and the site says so. The PDF has none: every link in it goes to the source we checked.
Is it tax or legal advice?
No. It summarizes public IRS, platform and maker pages, each dated, and its examples use made-up figures. For decisions about your own taxes, insurance or local rules, talk to a professional.
Can I get a refund?
Because the PDF is available to download as soon as you pay, the sale is final once the download is available, as the checkout page explains. If the file doesn’t open or something is missing, contact us and we’ll fix it.
Know what your rental really earns.
61 pages, $9, yours to keep and print. Read the first chapter tonight and you’ll know your break-even by tomorrow.
Get the guide for $9By paying, you ask for immediate access to the PDF. See the terms of sale.