STR vs LTR Calculator — Short-Term vs Long-Term Rental Comparison

“The question is not which rental strategy sounds better. This STR vs LTR calculator shows which one actually pays more for your specific property.”

Use this free STR vs LTR calculator to compare short-term rental income through Airbnb or VRBO against long-term rental income for the same property — side by side after all costs — so you can make the decision based on real numbers not assumptions.

What This STR vs LTR Calculator Shows You

• Monthly net profit for STR versus LTR side by side
• Annual income difference between both strategies
• Break-even point where STR stops being worth the extra effort
• Which strategy makes more financial sense for your specific property
• How changing one variable shifts the comparison

STR vs LTR — The Honest Comparison

Short-term rentals through Airbnb or VRBO can generate 2-3x the gross revenue of a long-term lease. But they also come with significantly higher operating costs — cleaning fees, higher vacancy risk, platform fees, furnishing costs, and much more active management time.

Long-term rentals are lower revenue but also lower cost and dramatically lower effort. This STR vs LTR calculator runs both scenarios side by side with your actual numbers so you can make the decision based on real data rather than which strategy sounds more appealing.

How to Use This STR vs LTR Calculator

For the STR side — enter your average nightly rate, expected monthly occupancy, Airbnb or VRBO platform fee, monthly cleaning costs, monthly maintenance, and monthly mortgage and fixed costs.

For the LTR side — enter your monthly rent, vacancy rate, monthly maintenance, property management fee if applicable, and the same monthly mortgage and fixed costs.

The STR vs LTR calculator shows monthly net profit for both strategies simultaneously and the annual dollar difference between them.

When STR Wins — Markets Where Short-Term Beats Long-Term

This STR vs LTR calculator typically shows short-term rentals outperforming long-term in these scenarios:

Strong tourism or business travel demand — markets with consistent year-round visitor demand maintain high occupancy rates that justify the higher operating costs of STR.

Properties near attractions or city centers — location is the primary driver of STR premium. Properties within walking distance of major attractions, convention centers, or airports command nightly rates 2-3x comparable long-term rent.

Self-managing owners — cleaning costs are the largest STR operating expense after mortgage. Owners who self-manage or have low-cost cleaning arrangements dramatically improve their STR margin in this calculator.

Furnished properties in high-demand locations — furnishing costs amortized over 3-5 years are manageable when nightly rates are strong. The STR premium easily covers the additional furnishing investment.

When LTR Wins — Markets Where Long-Term Makes More Sense

This STR vs LTR calculator frequently shows long-term rentals outperforming in these scenarios:

Residential suburban markets — low tourist demand means lower occupancy and nightly rates that cannot justify higher STR operating costs.

Cities with strict STR regulations — many US cities have implemented permit requirements, night caps, or outright bans on short-term rentals. Regulatory risk is a real cost that this calculator helps you factor in.

Owners who do not want active management — STR requires responding to guests, coordinating cleaners, managing reviews, and handling issues 7 days a week. If you value your time and peace of mind the LTR premium needs to be substantial to justify the difference.

Markets with low STR premium — if Airbnb rates in your market are less than 40% above equivalent monthly rent the STR operating costs typically eliminate the gross revenue advantage entirely.

What the STR vs LTR Decision Actually Looks Like in 2026

Here is what this STR vs LTR calculator shows for a typical 2-bedroom property in a moderate tourism market:

                        STR             LTR
Gross monthly revenue:  $3,200          $1,800
Platform fee (3%):        -$96               0
Cleaning (12 turns):    -$1,200              0
Maintenance:              -$300           -$150
Management:                  0            -$144
Mortgage and fixed:     -$2,200         -$2,200
Monthly net profit:       -$596           -$694

Annual difference: STR earns $1,176 more per year

In this scenario STR wins — but by only $98/month. The question this STR vs LTR calculator forces you to ask is whether $98/month extra is worth the significantly greater time, effort, and management complexity of running a short-term rental versus signing a 12-month lease.

The Break-Even Analysis — Is the STR Premium Worth the Effort?

The most valuable output of this STR vs LTR calculator is not which strategy earns more — it is whether the additional STR income justifies the additional STR effort.

Most property owners who run this analysis discover one of three outcomes:

STR wins significantly (more than $500/month more) — the premium clearly justifies the additional effort and the decision is straightforward.

STR wins marginally (less than $200/month more) — the premium does not justify the effort for most owners. LTR is the better practical choice.

LTR wins — STR operating costs eliminate the gross revenue advantage entirely. This is more common than most STR advocates acknowledge.

Compare Both Strategies Against Other Investment Options

Side Hustle Profit Pro lets you compare STR and LTR income alongside house flipping ROI, rental yield, and 100+ other income models — all in one place with ROI ratings and effort scores.

Try Side Hustle Profit Pro Free →

Frequently Asked Questions