A compiled reference of 22 verified statistics on what it costs to maintain a short-term rental: the annual per-square-foot spend, the budgeting rules operators lean on, line-item repair prices, and the turnover-driven costs that make an STR pricier to run than a long-term rental. Every figure is drawn from a named public source (Belong's 15,000-work-order dataset, Forbes, Mynd, HomeAdvisor, Awning, and Truvi) and independently checked before publishing.
Key statistics
12 highlights from this report
Key statistics
Key takeaways
Real work-order data puts rental maintenance at a median $0.90 per square foot per year, but the headline hides the real story: about a third of repair spend is emergency, and turnover-driven costs push a short-term rental well above a long-term lease.
Rental maintenance runs a median $0.90 per square foot per year (Belong, 15,000+ work orders).
The typical range is $0.90 to $1.30 per square foot per year.
32% of repair costs are tied to emergency, not planned, maintenance.
Annual repairs typically run 5% to 8% of gross rent (Forbes).
The 1% rule budgets about 1% of property value per year for maintenance.
The average HVAC repair is $350, ranging $100 to $3,000 (HomeAdvisor).
Major appliance replacement runs $500 to $2,000 per item (Mynd).
An emergency HVAC failure can cost $500 to $3,000; a plumbing leak $250 to $1,000.
Cleaning runs $50 to $350 or more per turnover (Awning).
15 turnovers a month at $125 each is $1,875 in monthly cleaning alone.
Furnishing a standard Airbnb costs about $15,000 to $25,000 (Truvi).
Operating costs can eat up to 50% of short-term rental revenue.
How we built this report
Every figure in this report was compiled in July 2026 from named, public sources and verified against the original before publishing.
- Compiled from primary sources
Figures come from a real work-order dataset (Belong), a named-author expert column (Forbes), property-management benchmarks (Mynd), a home-services cost index (HomeAdvisor), and short-term rental cost guides (Awning, Truvi).
- Only explicitly stated figures
We include only numbers a named source states directly, and attribute each one inline at the point it appears.
- Rules labeled as rules
The 1%, 50%, and per-square-foot heuristics were built for long-term rentals; we present them as budgeting rules of thumb, not measured STR data, and note that short-term rentals run higher.
- Independent review
Written by Sam Parks and reviewed by co-founder Rohan Nagabhirava before publishing.
Note: Belong's per-square-foot figures come from its own work-order dataset; the budgeting rules and line-item ranges are guide-level and vary by property age, market, and condition. Individual quotes should be confirmed for your specific property.
What maintenance costs, by the numbers
All 22 figures in this report, grouped by theme, each drawn from a named public source and independently verified before publishing.
What STR maintenance costs per year
There is no single maintenance number, but the most grounded figure comes from real work orders. According to Belong, which analyzed more than 15,000 maintenance work orders from 2024 to 2025, rental maintenance runs a median of $0.90 per square foot per year, within a typical range of $0.90 to $1.30. The familiar budgeting heuristics bracket that: Forbes contributor Jesse Sasomsup puts annual repairs at 5% to 8% of gross rent, about 1% of property value, or roughly $1 per square foot. Belong also found 32% of repair costs were tied to emergency rather than planned maintenance, and that material costs rose 11% year over year.
Statistic 1
Rental maintenance runs a median of $0.90 per square foot per year, across 15,000+ work orders.
Belong (2025)
Statistic 2
The typical range is $0.90 to $1.30 per square foot per year (quartiles $0.62 to $1.27).
Belong (2025)
Statistic 3
32% of repair costs were tied to emergency, rather than planned, maintenance.
Belong (2025)
Statistic 4
Rental repair material costs rose 11% year over year nationally.
Belong (2025)
Statistic 5
The 1% rule: budget about 1% of the property's value per year for maintenance.
Forbes, Jesse Sasomsup (2024)
Statistic 6
Annual repairs typically cost about 5% to 8% of total gross rent.
Forbes, Jesse Sasomsup (2024)
Statistic 7
The per-square-foot rule: set aside about $1 per square foot per year for maintenance.
Forbes, Jesse Sasomsup (2024)
Statistic 8
The 50% rule: budget roughly half of rental income for all operating expenses, including maintenance.
Forbes, Jesse Sasomsup (2024)
What this means: the budgeting rules were built for long-term rentals; short-term rentals run higher because turnover accelerates wear. Belong's per-square-foot figure is the most defensible starting point, and the one-third emergency share is the number worth cutting: reactive repairs are where a maintenance budget actually breaks.
Line-item repair and replacement costs
When something breaks, the cost is surprisingly consistent across sources. According to HomeAdvisor, the average HVAC repair runs $350, ranging from $100 to $3,000. Mynd's benchmarks fill in the rest: HVAC servicing at $150 to $200, major appliance replacement at $500 to $2,000 per item, interior painting at $1 to $3 per square foot, and carpet at $2 to $5. The emergencies are the expensive tail, an HVAC failure at $500 to $3,000 and a plumbing leak at $250 to $1,000, which is why Mynd advises keeping at least $500 a year in reserve.
Statistic 9
The average HVAC repair costs $350 nationally, ranging from $100 to $3,000.
HomeAdvisor (2026)
Statistic 10
Routine HVAC servicing usually costs $150 to $200.
Mynd (2025)
Statistic 11
Major appliance replacement typically costs $500 to $2,000 per item.
Mynd (2025)
Statistic 12
Interior painting runs $1 to $3 per square foot; carpet replacement $2 to $5 per square foot.
Mynd (2025)
Statistic 13
An emergency HVAC failure can cost $500 to $3,000.
Mynd (2025)
Statistic 14
A plumbing leak repair runs $250 to $1,000.
Mynd (2025)
Statistic 15
Owners should keep at least $500 a year in reserve for emergency repairs.
Mynd (2025)
What this means: these are the individual line items behind the annual figure, and the emergency versions are far steeper than routine service: a $175 HVAC tune-up versus a $500-plus failure. Catching a problem while it is still routine, rather than after it becomes an emergency, is exactly how the one-third emergency share from the first section gets reduced.
Turnover-driven costs unique to short-term rentals
A short-term rental is not a long-term rental with more guests; the turnover itself drives a category of cost that does not exist on an annual lease. According to Awning, cleaning runs $50 to $350 or more per turnover, and a property doing 15 turns a month at $125 each spends $1,875 on cleaning alone. Pools, hot tubs, and landscaping add $25 to $185 per service per month. Truvi puts quarterly deep cleaning at $100 to $400 by size and the initial furnishing of a standard Airbnb at $15,000 to $25,000, a depreciating base that turnover wear steadily erodes, while operating costs overall can reach up to 50% of revenue.
Statistic 16
Cleaning runs $50 to $350 or more per turnover; the average 2-bedroom costs $100 to $150 per clean.
Awning (2026)
Statistic 17
A property doing 15 turnovers a month at $125 each spends $1,875 on cleaning alone.
Awning (2026)
Statistic 18
Pool maintenance runs $85 to $185 a month, hot tub servicing $50 to $100, and lawn care $25 to $75.
Awning (2026)
Statistic 19
Quarterly deep cleaning costs $100 to $200 for a 1-bedroom, up to $200 to $400 for a 3-bedroom.
Truvi (2026)
Statistic 20
Furnishing a standard Airbnb property costs around $15,000 to $25,000.
Truvi (2026)
Statistic 21
Operating costs can consume up to 50% of short-term rental revenue.
Truvi, citing Lofty (2026)
Statistic 22
A short-term rental costs meaningfully more to maintain than the same home on an annual lease, driven by per-turnover wear.
Awning, Truvi (2026)
What this means: this is the section that separates STR maintenance from ordinary upkeep. Frequent turnover means more cleaning, faster furniture and linen wear, and a standing furnishing investment that depreciates with every stay. It is also the clearest case for documenting condition at each turnover: the cost of catching wear early is a fraction of the cost of an early replacement.
Cite this study
Academic or press use: copy a ready-made reference. RapidEye is the publisher.
Quick FAQ
How much does short-term rental maintenance cost per year?
According to Belong, which analyzed more than 15,000 rental maintenance work orders from 2024 to 2025, maintenance runs a median of $0.90 per square foot per year, with a typical range of $0.90 to $1.30. The familiar 1% rule (about 1% of property value per year) lands in the same neighborhood for a mid-size home. Short-term rentals generally run toward the higher end because turnover accelerates wear.
What percentage of revenue should I budget for vacation rental maintenance?
Forbes contributor Jesse Sasomsup puts annual repairs at about 5% to 8% of gross rent. Maintenance is only one line, though: Truvi, citing Lofty, notes that operating costs overall can consume up to 50% of short-term rental revenue once cleaning, management, and other costs are included.
Why do vacation rentals cost more to maintain than long-term rentals?
Turnover drives it. Frequent guest stays mean more cleaning ($50 to $350 or more per turnover, per Awning), faster wear on furniture and linens, and a standing furnishing investment of roughly $15,000 to $25,000 that depreciates with use. A long-term lease has none of this per-stay churn, so the same home costs meaningfully more to run as a short-term rental.
How much does a common repair cost in a rental?
According to HomeAdvisor, the average HVAC repair is $350, ranging from $100 to $3,000. Mynd's benchmarks put major appliance replacement at $500 to $2,000 per item, interior painting at $1 to $3 per square foot, and carpet at $2 to $5 per square foot. Emergencies are the expensive tail: an HVAC failure runs $500 to $3,000 and a plumbing leak $250 to $1,000.
What is the difference between the 1% rule, the 50% rule, and the per-square-foot rule?
They are three budgeting heuristics. Per Forbes: the 1% rule sets aside about 1% of the property's value per year for maintenance; the per-square-foot rule sets aside about $1 per square foot per year; and the 50% rule budgets roughly half of rental income for all operating expenses (taxes, insurance, and maintenance), not maintenance alone.
Data sources
Every figure in this report traces to one of these named public sources, each checked against the original before publishing. We name each source and show its domain as plain text rather than linking out, so this page stays the citable reference.
BelongRental Property Maintenance Costs in 2025belonghome.com
ForbesDetermining Maintenance Costs For Rental Properties (Jesse Sasomsup)forbes.com
Mynd Management15 Common and Unexpected Rental Property Maintenance Costsmynd.co
HomeAdvisorWhat Does HVAC Repair Cost? [2026 Data]homeadvisor.com
AwningAirbnb Management Fees: Complete Cost Breakdown (2026)awning.com
Truvi10 Key Short-Term Rental Expenses and How to Reduce Themtruvi.com