When we started thinking about temporarily renting out our house during our world trip, we hesitated again: should we go for a classic, permanent rental? Or are we getting back into the Airbnb story?
We deliberately say “again”, because:
👉 We have years of experience as Airbnb hosts.
In Curaçao we used to rent out an apartment and rooms in our house, and for over a year now we have also been renting out a guest room in Belgium that we don’t use ourselves.
Still, the step to rent out our entire house through Airbnb was exciting. Crazy, isn’t it? Despite all the positive experiences, that little voice always tickles: “What if…”
We dived into it, compared the costs and fairly?
💡 They are almost the same.
With fixed rental, you have to deal with the classic costs: your mortgage of course, but also a real estate agent (often one month’s rent as a fee) and a steward who asks for an average of 10% of your monthly rent to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
With Airbnb rentals, you pay for the running costs such as water, gas, electricity and internet yourself. But those costs only run when you actually have guests. As a result, both options are surprisingly close to each other in terms of costs.
The big difference?
👉 The income at Airbnb can be much higher.
Airbnb vs fixed rental: our comparison
| Fixed rental | Airbnb rentals | |
|---|---|---|
| Income | Fixed monthly fee | Variable, but often (much) higher per month |
| Costs | Mortgage, broker (1 month’s rent), steward (10%) | Mortgage, internet, water, gas, electricity, (when renting) |
| Payment security | Not always guaranteed (we have experience 😅) | Airbnb pays automatically after check-in |
| Time investment | Minimal (with steward) | More follow-up: messages, cleaning, etc. |
| Control & flexibility | Less: long-term contracts (min. 1 year) | You choose when to rent & to whom |
| Arrange | Steward, but we pay for it of course | You take care of broken things 😉 |
What won us over
Although Airbnb requires a bit more “arranging” — think of responding to bookings, coordinating cleaning and small maintenance matters — we like that flexibility and the contact with our guests.
During the Easter holidays, we already did a first trial run while we were in Spain ourselves. And guess what?
👉 We received three bookings, provided our first guests with a pleasant experience and
💬 immediately received our first 5-star review .
💰 Good for about €1,200 income — in a short period of time (only 2 weeks) in which the house would otherwise have been empty.
That immediately confirmed to us: the demand is there, and this really works.
In addition:
✅ If something breaks during Airbnb rentals, there is compensation through their program.
✅ You don’t have to worry about whether the rent will be paid — Airbnb pays out automatically after check-in.
And honestly? We have not always had the best experiences with regular tenants in the past in terms of payments… So we wanted to avoid that risk.
However you become an Airbnb host (it’s easier than you think!)
Our personal tips for successful rentals
And what about the regulations in Belgium?
Important to know: in Belgium, different rules apply to tourist rentals, depending on where your home is located (Flanders, Brussels or Wallonia). Think of fire safety, registration obligation and reports to your municipality.
📌 We wrote a separate blog about this in which we explain everything step by step.
👉 Click here to read it (coming online soon!)
For us, the choice was ultimately logical:
Airbnb gives us freedom, flexibility, and the potential to get more out of our homes financially, without being locked into long leases or defaults.
Wondering if it is something for you?
hereAnd who knows, you might soon receive your first guests!
Love,
Joke & co
