Last checked: 1 October 2026. Fees, payouts, and availability can change. Check the terms for your account and booking.
Should you add RentShortlet as a booking site?
Consider RentShortlet if you host a shortlet in Nigeria and want to manage a listing, dates, reservations, and payouts through a locally focused booking service. Start with one property. Check its host fee, payout steps, calendar behaviour, and the work your team will need to do.
Airbnb may continue to suit you if its wider travel marketplace, existing guests, or your listing history works well for your property. You do not need to close a useful booking site just to try another one.
Compare what you keep from a completed stay, how easy the booking is to manage, and whether its dates stay up to date across booking sites. A lower advertised fee does not by itself promise more bookings or higher income.
Start with the property and your current booking site
You are deciding where to list a property and how to manage bookings. Before opening another booking site, write down your usual stay length, cleaning and utility costs, arrival routine, and who replies to guests.
For example, if you manage a two-bedroom Lagos apartment yourself, how many nights can you keep available? Who checks new requests while you are busy? Can you update a blocked date on every site you use?
For a guest comparing where to stay, read the separate guest guide. Your host fee affects how much you keep from a booking. Guests see the price and charges shown for the listing, so compare their total separately from your payout.
What to compare before adding a booking site
| Your question | RentShortlet | Airbnb |
|---|---|---|
| Who might find the property? | Nigeria-focused shortlet search | Wider international accommodation marketplace |
| What might you pay? | Confirm the fee agreed for your account | Different host-fee arrangements apply |
| When is the payout sent? | Funds move through a booking hold and release process | Timing varies by booking, payment method, location, and review |
| Can I reuse my listing? | Prepare its details and photos for a new listing | Keep your existing listing and history there |
| How can I coordinate booked dates? | A calendar link can copy blocked dates into RentShortlet | Calendar import and export are available |
| What should I not assume? | A fixed commission or exact bank-arrival time | Every host uses the same fee or payout schedule |
Check the current terms for your RentShortlet host account and Airbnb’s service fees, payout timing, and calendar sync before you change your setup.
Work out what you keep after each booking
First check how each platform calculates its fee. Apply it to the same booking amount and confirm whether cleaning, discounts, taxes, or other charges are included in that amount.
Airbnb’s current guidance describes a move from split host and guest fees to a single host-paid fee for many hosts. Most hosts on that single-fee structure pay 15.5%, but the rate can vary. Check the fee on your own listing.
RentShortlet’s host fee depends on your account agreement. Ask for the percentage and calculation before you set a nightly price. Do not estimate from a rate someone else told you or a general platform page.
| Example booking amount | Hypothetical 10% fee | Airbnb 15.5% example |
|---|---|---|
| Booking amount | ₦200,000 | ₦200,000 |
| Fee in this example | ₦20,000 | ₦31,000 |
| Remaining before other costs | ₦180,000 | ₦169,000 |
The 10% figure is only an example; it is not RentShortlet’s advertised rate. Airbnb’s fee may also differ for your booking. Compare your real agreement and fee breakdown before you decide.
Look at earnings and the work that goes with them
A booking site that takes a smaller fee may still bring more work or a different mix of stays. Include cleaning, power, repairs, staff, messages, and the time spent managing bookings in your own budget.
If you add RentShortlet, record completed stays, income after fees, nights booked, cancellations, and the hours spent on guest service. Compare those results with the same property on Airbnb. One or two stays can help you judge the workload; they do not guarantee what will happen throughout the year.
RentShortlet is worth keeping when the guests, booking steps, and fees work for your property. Use the numbers from your own account before relying on a platform-wide recommendation.
Know when a booking becomes money in your bank
A booking showing a future payout is not the same as money available to spend. On RentShortlet, a payout can be held until the stay is marked complete. Account checks, an open guest claim, or a failed bank transfer may delay the release.
Set up and verify the bank account in Hosting > Payouts. Check the payout status and any action you need to take. The current process uses Paystack to check the bank details and set up the transfer recipient; confirm the result shown for your account.
Airbnb also says payout timing depends on the booking, payment method, location, and account review. For either booking site, budget for cleaning and running costs before the payout arrives. Do not plan around a universal “paid within 24 hours” promise.
Build the listing around the actual property
RentShortlet's listing form asks for property details, amenities, photos, location, description, prices, safety information, and available dates. Use the listing guide as a checklist. If you copy details from Airbnb, check each field before publishing; some information may not carry over.
Use photographs and descriptions that accurately represent the guest's space. State which facilities are private or shared. Describe power, internet, parking, access, and housekeeping arrangements clearly enough that guests can make an informed decision.
If you already host on Airbnb, reuse only photos and text you own or have permission to use. Your Airbnb reviews, ranking, and account history do not automatically move with the listing. Ask what information you can copy and enter it into the new listing yourself if needed.
RentShortlet gives Nigerian property owners another place to list a home and explain practical details such as arrival and access. Write an accurate description and check whether your account needs any identity or property information before listing.
Check what calendar sharing actually changes
Calendar links can help block dates you have already booked, but they do not move a guest’s name, payment, messages, or reviews from one platform to another.
RentShortlet can import an iCal calendar link, a basic feed of dates marked as unavailable. Airbnb can import or export a calendar too. The two calendars may show different dates for a while, so check both before confirming a stay until you know how quickly they update.
Connect one property and check a future date you blocked. See when it appears on the other calendar and how a cancelled booking changes availability. Until you understand the update delay, check each booking manually and have a plan for correcting overlapping dates.
Reservations and messages need clear ownership
Decide who responds to booking requests and how quickly your team can prepare the property. If a request is still waiting for approval, the stay is not confirmed. Do not count it as a completed booking or money you have earned.
Keep guest messages with the reservation. Arrival instructions, questions about house rules, and reports of a problem are easier to follow when they stay with the booking. Give a co-host or property manager a clear responsibility instead of expecting everyone to check every booking site.
RentShortlet brings your listing, available dates, reservations, and payout information together for a Nigerian host. Before you add a property, check where to ask for booking help and what response time to expect. Keep the reservation reference handy if you need someone to look into a guest question or payment.
If Airbnb is already working well, keep using it while you try the new booking site. Before publishing another listing, decide who will answer its messages and update dates on both sites. Adding a listing does not guarantee more bookings.
Cancellation, claims, and property costs
Choose a cancellation rule you can afford to honour and explain it clearly before a guest books. Leave enough time to clean and prepare the apartment before the next arrival.
An open guest claim can delay a RentShortlet payout. Keep the reservation messages, payment details, and any relevant photos. Follow the claim instructions and check what information you need to provide.
If damage protection or deposits matter to your business, read the terms for your account and property. A deposit is money held under the booking rules; an insurance policy covers only the claims described in its policy. Check what you need to do and by when if damage occurs.
Include cleaning, electricity, water, repairs, staff, and nights the apartment is empty when you work out what you actually earn. A booking site fee is only one of your costs, whichever site brings the booking.
Why try RentShortlet?
RentShortlet gives Nigerian property owners another place to list shortlets and handle reservations, dates, and payout steps. That can be useful if you want a locally focused booking site alongside a service you already use.
Start with one property, confirm your fee and bank details, and make sure everyone who answers guests can find the reservation. Review completed stays before deciding whether to list more properties. This lets you see how the process fits your business before changing the way you depend on it.
What Airbnb may do better for your property
Airbnb has a wider international marketplace and may already bring you guests. Its listing history and tools can also be useful when you have been hosting there for some time.
Keep a booking site that is bringing suitable bookings and works for your team. Adding RentShortlet gives you another option to assess; it does not transfer your Airbnb reviews or require that you close your Airbnb listing.
Add the new booking site one property at a time
Choose one property and prepare accurate photos, amenities, arrival information, nightly prices, and house rules. Complete the RentShortlet onboarding and confirm your commission and bank account before opening dates.
List the stays you have already accepted on Airbnb. Set up calendar sharing, check which dates have imported, and block conflicts yourself until you know how quickly updates appear. An existing Airbnb booking stays under its original confirmation and rules.
Choose who answers a new request, messages guests, arranges access, and checks payout status. After the first completed stays, compare what the property earned and the time it took to host. Expand only if those bookings fit your operation.
Keep a simple record of each booking
For each completed stay, record what the guest paid, the booking site fee, cleaning and supply costs, the payout date, and the time you spent hosting. Note cancellations and dates you blocked for repairs.
Use the same list for RentShortlet and Airbnb. After several similar stays, you can see what each booking site contributes instead of guessing from its advertised fee. Include the stay length and season; a weekday work visit and a holiday weekend may not be comparable.
Keep the booking reference with any payout or guest question. This makes it easier to find the right reservation later.
Questions hosts ask
How much does RentShortlet charge hosts?
Confirm the fee for your own account and booking. The rate can vary; ask for the amount and how it is calculated before setting prices.
Is Airbnb's host fee still 3%?
Airbnb’s checked guide describes a move to a single fee for many hosts. Most hosts on that model pay 15.5%, though the rate can vary. Check your own account.
When will I receive a RentShortlet payout?
A payout can be held until the stay is complete and required checks have cleared. Look at the status in Hosting > Payouts and check that your bank details are verified.
Does calendar sharing move my Airbnb booking into RentShortlet?
No. Calendar sharing helps block dates. It does not transfer the booking, guest messages, payment, or reviews.
Should I remove my Airbnb listing?
Keep existing confirmed stays and review your results first. Try another booking site with one property, then decide which booking sites make sense for your business.
Try one property first
Start hosting on RentShortlet, check the listing and fee for your account, and verify your bank details. Read the payout guide before counting future booking income as cash you have received.
Compare RentShortlet and Booking.com for hosts if you are considering another booking site.
