How to Increase Airbnb Revenue in Medellin
A calendar with no empty nights looks reassuring. Whether it’s earning enough is another question. For owners looking at how to increase Airbnb revenue in Medellin, it helps to start with what those bookings actually leave after expenses.
We asked property manager MedellinBnB how they approach pricing. Their advice: consider nightly rates and occupancy together. An Airbnb pricing strategy in Medellin should account for the cost of hosting each reservation, including the work involved between guests. A busy month can be a good month, but the booking total alone won’t tell you.
A Full Calendar Can Hide an Underpriced Property
If your apartment keeps filling at the same low rate, it’s worth checking whether the price still makes sense. You may be accepting bookings for less than guests would otherwise pay.
There’s also a cost to keeping the apartment occupied. Air conditioning runs, towels and sheets go through the wash, and furniture gets used. Short stays add another layer: more arrivals, more restocking, and more cleaning to arrange.
Before lowering a rate to fill an empty date, consider what that booking would contribute after its costs. The same question applies when the calendar is full. Could you earn a similar amount at a higher rate with a few nights left open?
Why Fewer Booked Nights Can Produce More Profit
Take the following hypothetical month. The figures are in Colombian pesos and assume the same operating cost for every occupied night.
| Monthly result | Lower-price approach | Higher-price approach |
| Booked nights | 30 | 23 |
| Average nightly rate | COP 316,235 | COP 395,293.75 |
| Accommodation revenue | COP 9,487,050 | COP 9,091,756.25 |
| Assumed operating cost per occupied night | COP 63,247 | COP 63,247 |
| Contribution before fixed costs and other expenses | COP 7,589,640 | COP 7,637,067.25 |
The higher-price approach brings in roughly COP 395,294 less in revenue. But you make COP 47,427 more, with 7 fewer nights occupancy – so you have less wear and tear and expense.
Your own numbers may vary. Cleaning costs often depend on the number of reservations, while management fees may depend on revenue. Repairs vary, and fixed expenses continue whether anyone is staying or not. You would need to include those costs before comparing actual profit.
Price the Apartment Against Its Real Competition
When checking competing listings, put yourself in the guest’s position. Which apartments would make their shortlist alongside yours?
The closest match won’t always be the apartment next door with the same number of bedrooms. A quieter location, reliable air conditioning, a comfortable workspace, or easier building access may matter more to a particular guest. Condition, photos, and reviews affect that choice too.
Use those differences when deciding where your rate belongs. Then watch how your own dates book. Dates that fill well in advance may justify a higher price next time. Dates that sit empty deserve a closer look: the rate could be too high, but an awkward minimum stay or unclear listing could also be getting in the way.
Attract Guests Who Fit the Property
A higher nightly rate doesn’t tell you whether a guest will look after the apartment. Careful guests book at different budgets.
What you can do is give people enough information to make a suitable booking. Explain the space honestly, answer questions before arrival, and make the house rules clear before someone commits.
If you advertise the apartment for remote work, describe the internet connection and the actual workspace. If it’s in a residential building, explain visitor restrictions, quiet hours, and occupancy limits. A guest shouldn’t discover a rule on arrival that would have changed their decision to book.
These conversations take time, but they can save trouble during the stay. Clear expectations help reduce misunderstandings, extra cleaning, and avoidable damage.
Manage Booking Length Alongside Nightly Rate
Twenty booked nights might mean two reservations. They might also mean ten. For whoever manages the apartment, those are very different months.
Each changeover needs to be scheduled and checked. There’s laundry to handle, supplies to replace, and an apartment to prepare before the next guest arrives. A cleaning fee may cover some of that expense, but the coordination still has to happen.
This is where minimum stays and longer-stay discounts deserve attention. A lower nightly rate can make sense for a longer reservation if it saves several turnovers or fills a stretch that would otherwise be difficult to book.
Check the dates before offering that discount. A long stay still brings utility costs and wear, and it may cover nights you could have sold at a higher rate. The useful comparison is what you expect to keep from each option.
Protect the Property to Protect Future Income
It’s harder to support your asking price when the apartment starts to look tired. Worn bedding, loose fittings, and appliances that only work some of the time become part of the guest’s experience.
Make room for inspections and small repairs between stays. A cleaner may spot a leak or a damaged chair, but someone needs to follow up and get it fixed. Otherwise, the same problem can carry over from one reservation to the next.
Maintenance belongs in the income calculation too. Keeping the apartment in good order helps you deliver what the listing promises and reduces the chance of a repair disrupting a booking.
Measure the Income You Keep
Understanding how to increase Airbnb revenue in Medellin means tracking more than gross bookings. Review nightly rates, occupancy, booking length, operating expenses, maintenance, and net owner income together. Hosts should connect those numbers to practical management decisions.
