How much does a Batumi apartment really earn after expenses?
Rental bookings can look impressive while the owner keeps only a small part of the revenue. Here is a clear, year-long example that includes platform fees, management, cleaning, utilities and an illustrative tax.
How much does a Batumi apartment really earn after expenses?
Rental bookings can look impressive while the owner keeps only a small part of the revenue. Here is a clear, year-long example that includes platform fees, management, cleaning, utilities and an illustrative tax.
A property brochure may promise an annual return of 8–12%. That figure is rarely the same as the money the owner receives. Guests pay for nights, booking platforms take a fee, operators charge for management and every departure requires cleaning. Meanwhile, empty winter weeks bring no bookings at all.
The useful question is not what a studio can earn during a good August. It is how much remains after twelve months. We take one clearly defined example, deduct the costs line by line and then test how the result changes when occupancy rises or falls.
How much can a Batumi studio collect in a year?
Imagine a furnished studio of around 40 m². The complete acquisition and setup budget is $85,000. At an average realised nightly rate of $43 and 54% occupancy, it is booked for about 197 nights, producing approximately $8,475 in annual bookings.
This is an illustrative relatively well-booked apartment, not an average for every home in Batumi. AirROI market observations in 2026 placed occupancy for the broader listing market near one-third of available nights. An individual apartment can perform better, but a buyer should not mistake a strong scenario for the default.
What comes out of the rental income?
Booking websites keep a share of each reservation. We use an illustrative Airbnb host fee of 15.5%, although actual fee structures vary. Our example operator then takes 20% of the payout remaining after the platform fee. The order matters: management is not charged twice on the same gross booking.
Assume an average stay of four nights and a $25 cleaning-and-linen bill per departure. Utilities, internet and building charges total $100 a month, while a further $400 a year is set aside for minor repairs and replacements. These are planning assumptions, not published standard prices for all Batumi buildings. A management contract may include some of them and bill others separately.
Annual bookings and expenses: worked example
| Purchase and fully fitted setup | $85,000 |
|---|---|
Average paid nightly rate | $43 |
Occupancy / booked nights | 54% / ≈197 |
Bookings in one year | $8,475 |
Airbnb service fee: 15.5% | −$1,314 |
Operator: 20% of platform payout | −$1,432 |
Cleaning and linen: ≈49 turns × $25 | −$1,232 |
Utilities, internet, building charges | −$1,200 |
Minor repair and replacement reserve | −$400 |
Conditional tax allowance: 5% of bookings | −$424 |
Owner take-home, per year | $2,474 |
Average paid nightly rate
- $85,000
$43
Occupancy / booked nights
- $85,000
54% / ≈197
Bookings in one year
- $85,000
$8,475
Airbnb service fee: 15.5%
- $85,000
−$1,314
Operator: 20% of platform payout
- $85,000
−$1,432
Cleaning and linen: ≈49 turns × $25
- $85,000
−$1,232
Utilities, internet, building charges
- $85,000
−$1,200
Minor repair and replacement reserve
- $85,000
−$400
Conditional tax allowance: 5% of bookings
- $85,000
−$424
Owner take-home, per year
- $85,000
$2,474
What does the owner actually keep?
With these assumptions, the owner keeps around $2,474 for the year, averaging $206 a month, or roughly 2.9% of the $85,000 invested. Actual cash flow is seasonal: summer payments may be strong and winter payments weak.
The example includes a conditional 5% income-tax allowance on gross bookings. Georgian law provides a 5% treatment for certain residential letting income without deductions, but tourist short-stay accommodation must not automatically be treated as an ordinary residential lease. The applicable tax regime and any personal property-tax liability should be verified individually. A different treatment will change the result.
How occupancy changes the answer
At the same nightly rate, 35% occupancy produces about $5,493 in bookings and an illustrative $1,040 after the listed costs. At 65% occupancy, net income rises to roughly $3,303. The comparison keeps the same fee rules, with cleaning costs rising as bookings rise.
Ask any prospective operator for a full twelve-month record of occupied nights, owner payouts and expense deductions for comparable units. A record-breaking August is not an annual business plan.
Three occupancy scenarios
| Case | Occupancy | Bookings | Take-home | Net yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cautious | 35% | $5,493 | $1,040 | 1.2% |
Base | 54% | $8,475 | $2,474 | 2.9% |
Strong | 65% | $10,202 | $3,303 | 3.9% |
Cautious
- Occupancy
35%
- Bookings
$5,493
- Take-home
$1,040
- Net yield
1.2%
Base
- Occupancy
54%
- Bookings
$8,475
- Take-home
$2,474
- Net yield
2.9%
Strong
- Occupancy
65%
- Bookings
$10,202
- Take-home
$3,303
- Net yield
3.9%
Short-term guests or a long-term tenant?
A year-long tenant is less work. There are fewer turnovers and the occupier often pays their own utilities. The rent may be lower, however. At $400 a month with one month vacant, annual rent totals $4,400. Subtracting an assumed $400 letting fee, $600 building charges, $350 upkeep and an illustrative $220 tax leaves $2,830, about 3.3% of the $85,000 budget.
In this example a long let beats the managed short-stay scenario. Another apartment may do the opposite. Location, building rules, unit quality and operating arrangements decide the outcome.
What to check before buying for rental income
Ask for actual owner payout reports for comparable apartments, rather than only an advertised annual return. Check what the booking platform and operator charge, who pays cleaning bills, how much the building costs to maintain, whether short lets are permitted and when the apartment will be ready for guests.
Our Batumi district comparison can help put purchase budgets into context. Even an empty apartment has expenses, explained in the guide to vacant-unit costs. Two properties bought for the same price can produce very different take-home income.
Frequently asked questions
What is net rental yield?
Annual owner income after costs divided by the full acquisition and rental-setup budget. Gross bookings are not net income.
How many nights can a Batumi apartment be rented?
It varies by season, location and management. At 54% occupancy the example produces about 197 booked nights; market-wide observations can be much lower.
Do I pay both Airbnb and management fees?
Often yes. The platform deducts its service fee while the operator may charge separately. Read the management contract and payout statement.
Can a completed apartment earn sooner than one under construction?
Usually. No rent is collected before handover, furnishing and the start of operations. Count the waiting period when comparing purchases.
Is nightly or monthly letting better?
Nightly letting can gross more but usually costs more to operate. A long let can leave a similar or higher net amount with less daily work.
Which expenses are easy to overlook?
Furniture and linen replacement, damp-related repairs, vacancy, qualifying property taxes, payment charges and loan interest.
Sources and further reading
AirROI — Batumi short-term rental market data
Airbnb — host service-fee explanation
HomeRadar — cost of an empty Batumi apartment
HomeRadar — Batumi district comparison
All values are rounded. This hypothetical example is not a prediction for any particular unit. Loan payments and owner-specific property tax are excluded and require separate calculation.