What an Airbnb management company charges in Cuenca (and what each plan includes)
If you are considering handing over the management of your property, the first question is what it costs. And the answer almost every company in Cuenca gives is the same: "request a quote".
This article answers the question properly: how this sector charges, what is normal in Ecuador, what should be included, and what to ask before signing with anyone, ourselves included.
The three charging models in this sector
Commission on revenue
The dominant model. The manager charges a percentage of what each booking actually collects. Its great virtue is that it aligns interests: if your property does not earn, the manager does not get paid.
Fixed monthly fee
A fixed amount per month regardless of occupancy. It is uncommon in short-term rental and usually a bad deal for the owner: you pay the same in the best month and the worst, and the manager has no incentive to push occupancy.
Hybrid model
A reduced base fee plus a lower percentage. It appears mainly in high-end properties with high operating costs. If you are offered it for a standard apartment, ask exactly what the base fee covers.
What is normal in Ecuador
The market reference in Ecuador puts management commissions between 15% and 30% of revenue, depending on the scope of the service. The lower end tends to be partial services, with listing and pricing handled by the manager and day-to-day operations left to the owner. The upper end covers full-service management including cleaning, guest support and maintenance.
As a useful rule of thumb: below 15%, check very carefully what is left out. Above 25%, check very carefully what justifies the difference.
What should be included and what is usually billed separately
This is where the surprises hide. What should reasonably be covered by the commission:
- Creating and optimising the listing on the platforms.
- Setting and adjusting rates by season and demand.
- Calendar synchronisation across platforms.
- Guest communication before, during and after the stay.
- Coordinating check-in and check-out.
- Guest registration as required by regulation.
- Monthly report on occupancy and income.
And what is usually billed separately, entirely reasonably, but worth having in writing:
- Cleaning between stays, which is passed on to the guest or the owner depending on the model.
- Replacing amenities and bed linen.
- Major corrective maintenance and furniture purchases.
- Professional photography, if it is not included in the plan.
The five questions to ask before signing
- Is the commission calculated on gross revenue or on net revenue after platform fees? It is the difference that causes the most arguments and is almost never asked about.
- What exactly happens if I want to leave? Ask for the minimum term, the notice period and the penalty, in writing and before signing.
- Whose platform account is it, and whose are the reviews? If the account belongs to the manager, the day you leave you start from zero. It is the point that causes the most disputes in this sector.
- Who decides the minimum rate? The owner should. If the manager decides it with no floor, your property can end up filling at any price.
- What report do I receive, and how often? A monthly report with occupancy, income, commission and itemised expenses is the reasonable minimum.
If a company gets uncomfortable with any of the five, that is already an answer.
What we charge
We publish our commissions on the website, with no need to request a quote. As an opening offer, the first five properties join at 15% on either of the two plans. After that, the regular rate is 18% on the Essential plan and 20% on the Integral plan, always calculated on what each collected booking generates, with no fixed fees and no set-up costs.
The Essential plan covers multi-platform listing, dynamic pricing, guest communication and the registration of every stay, with cleaning coordinated by the owner. Integral adds professional photography, cleaning coordination and a monthly report with photos. While the opening offer lasts both cost the same, so the question stops being price and becomes how much you want to run yourself.
The contract is available to download before any conversation, and the minimum price, the availability and the house rules are still decided by the owner.
If you want to put numbers on your own case before talking to anyone, what an Airbnb really earns in Cuenca has the average rates by neighbourhood from our sampling, and Airbnb or a traditional rental has the net-against-net comparison with monthly renting.
What could your property in Cuenca earn?
We will tell you, free and with no obligation, what rate and what occupancy your apartment could reach and what would need adjusting in the listing to get there. If it is not worth putting it on short-stay rental, we will tell you that too.
We reply within 24 hours · We work in Spanish and English
