This guide explains how we protect your property from being underpriced, even on last-minute bookings.
No pricing expertise needed. We'll walk you through what a minimum rate is, why it matters, and how to calculate the right number for your property.
The Basics
What is a minimum nightly rate?
Before we get into numbers, let's make sure the concept is crystal clear.
Your minimum nightly rate is the lowest price your property will ever be booked for — no matter what. Think of it as your safety net. We never go below it, ever.
A real example — 3-bedroom villa
🧹 Cleaning cost per stay
€80
☕ Welcome kit & consumables
€20
🔧 Maintenance buffer (per night)
€8
💳 Platform fee (Airbnb / Booking — 15%)
~€24
💰 Your minimum earnings per night
€50
= Your minimum nightly rate
€170 / night
Fees are calculated on the accommodation portion only — cleaning and consumables are passed through directly with no fees applied. The exact maths is in the calculator below.
🛡️
Protection
We never sell your property for less than what it costs you to host a guest. The minimum covers your real costs first.
📈
Smart Discounting
When we offer last-minute deals to fill empty nights, we only discount down to this floor — and never a euro below it.
😴
Peace of Mind
You can trust our pricing system completely because it has a hard floor we never cross. No surprises.
How Pricing Works
How does last-minute pricing work?
We adjust prices based on how far away the booking date is. Here's what that looks like in practice — and where the floor sits.
Price journey for a sample night — 3BR villa, base price €250
90 days before
€250 / night
30 days before
€230 / night
7 days before
€200 / night
2 days before
€165 / night
🚧 Your floor
€150 / night — we NEVER go below this
What happens if the minimum is set too low — or too high?
Drag the slider to explore different minimum rate scenarios for a 3-bedroom villa.
€150
Your Numbers
Calculate your minimum rate
Results update live as you type.
Enter your own numbers below. If you're not sure about a figure, hover the ? buttons for guidance.
Pre-fill & send to your client
Fill in the numbers below, then click Generate. Send the link to your client — all fields will be pre-filled when they open it.
1
Costs per stay
€
€
€
€
+
Monthly fixed costs optional
💡 These bills come every month whether guests are there or not — electricity, mortgage, internet, insurance, pool service. Add the full monthly amount and we'll calculate how much to charge per night so you always break even on fixed costs.
We divide each monthly cost by this number to get the per-night amount
nights/month
= 67% occupancy
2
Fees
%FIXED
Standard platform rate — always 15%
%
Your agreed management rate
3
Your minimum earnings per night
BetterBnb Recommendation
Think of this as your "lemonade stand" number. If it costs €1 to make a cup, you can't sell for 50 cents. This is the minimum that lands in your pocket — even on the cheapest night we ever accept. Below this, we say no.
€50 / night
€0€250€500
4
Average length of stay
Your cleaner charges once per stay, not per night. If your cleaning costs €80 and a guest stays 4 nights, that's only €20/night — not €80. Longer stays = lower cost per night.
💡
Setting this minimum = you will get booked at this price
When demand is low or dates are last-minute, our pricing tool drops to this floor. This isn't your normal price — your normal price will be higher. But knowing your minimum means every booking, even the cheapest one, puts real money in your pocket. And an empty night? That always earns €0.
Your recommended minimum nightly rate
€0
Rs 0
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = RsMUR
Costs + feesYour earnings
Fill in your details above to see your minimum instantly.
Why This Matters
Your minimum rate is your safety net — not a ceiling
Most property owners think setting a minimum rate means always charging that price. It doesn't. Here's what it actually means — and why it's one of the most important decisions you'll make.
🛡️
You're always protected
We will never accept a booking below your minimum — no matter what. Even during promotions, last-minute discounts, or low-season deals, this floor holds. You will never lose money on a booking we take.
📅
An empty night earns €0
A discounted last-minute booking at your minimum still puts money in your pocket. An empty night earns nothing — and your fixed costs (insurance, mortgage, maintenance) still run. A booking at the floor is always better than no booking at all.
⭐
Lower rates build reviews faster
New listings need bookings to get reviews. Reviews unlock better search rankings, more visibility, and higher rates later. A slightly lower minimum early on — still profitable for you — accelerates this cycle dramatically. Think of it as an investment.
📈
Prices rise above the minimum automatically
PriceLabs (our pricing tool) pushes prices well above your minimum during peak dates, high-demand weekends, and public holidays. The minimum only kicks in for last-minute gaps and low-demand periods. Most nights you earn significantly more.
🔒
We only close unavailable dates
Your minimum rate tells our system when to block a date entirely — if no price above your minimum is possible. We never simply leave your calendar open at any price. Every booking we take covers your costs, period.
💬
Your guests feel it too
Guests who book at a lower last-minute rate often become your most enthusiastic reviewers — they feel they got a deal. That 5-star review helps your next guest feel confident booking at full price.
💡
The bottom line
Your minimum rate is calculated from your real costs — so you're never out of pocket. Above it, everything you earn is genuine profit. Below it, we simply don't take the booking. It's that simple.
Real Scenarios
What happens if the minimum is too low or too high?
Here's what each situation looks like in the real world, using a 3-bedroom villa as an example.
❌
Too low — €100 / night (1-night stay)
Cleaning−€80
Platform fee (15%)−€15
Consumables−€20
You earn−€15 per night
Barely covers a cup of coffee — in fact, you're losing money. We would never recommend a minimum this low.
✅
Just right — €175 / night
Cleaning (spread over 3 nights)−€27
Platform fee (15%)−€26
Management fee (20%)−€24
Consumables + maintenance−€27
You earn€71 per night
Even your worst-case night — a last-minute discount booking — is comfortably profitable. This is the sweet spot.
⚠️
Too high — €270 minimum in low season
Your minimum€270
Competitor listings€150–180
Nights booked0 (calendar empty)
You earn€0 per night
An empty calendar earns nothing. In low season, a profitable discount booking at €175 beats a €0 empty night every single time.
Your Questions Answered
Frequently asked questions
These are the questions we hear most from property owners — answered plainly.
Yes, absolutely. Your minimum rate isn't set in stone — it's something we review together. If your costs change (new cleaning company, higher linen prices, added services), just message your BetterBnb account manager and we'll update it. We typically review minimums at the start of each season.
No. BetterBnb's management fee is taken from what remains after the platform has taken its 15% — not from the full booking amount. The minimum rate exists to protect your earnings. If a booking comes in at your minimum, you've still covered all your costs and earned a profit. We earn our fee on top of that, not instead of your earnings.
Great idea — and we recommend it. In peak season (Christmas, Easter, Mauritian school holidays), demand is high and we can afford a higher minimum because guests are willing to pay more. In low season, a slightly lower minimum keeps your calendar active. We can set seasonal minimums and adjust them automatically. Just discuss this with your account manager.
No. Guests only ever see the price they're offered — they have no visibility into how your pricing is structured. The minimum rate is entirely internal to BetterBnb's pricing system. It's the floor we work with, not something that's displayed anywhere on Airbnb or Booking.com.
Think of it this way: your base price is what we charge on a normal, average night — the standard going rate for your property. Your minimum rate is the absolute floor we never go below. Typically, your base price sits 20–50% above your minimum. The gap between them is the "room to discount" we have when filling your calendar with last-minute bookings or off-peak deals.