The honest answer to "how much can I make" is that it depends on the suburb, the property, the season and who runs it. But you can get a useful range, and this guide gives you the inputs to build one for your own property.
Every figure below is indicative. Market data providers estimate revenue from listing calendars and pricing, not from owners' bank statements, and their samples differ. Use the numbers to sanity-check a manager's projection, not as a promise.
Region-wide benchmarks
Two data sources published in 2026 give a rough baseline for the Sunshine Coast.
| Metric | AirROI (Aug 2025 to Jul 2026) | AirDNA (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Average daily rate | $304 | $276 |
| Occupancy | 43.2% | 57% |
| Indicative annual revenue, average listing | $22,495 | Not stated |
Sources: AirROI, Sunshine Coast market data; AirDNA, Sunshine Coast overview, summarised at BNB Management Sunshine Coast.
Why do the sources disagree? Sample definitions. AirROI's headline set for "Sunshine Coast" is small, while AirDNA's 9,000-plus listing set includes a lot of part-time and blocked calendars. The takeaway is that a full-time, well-priced listing on the coast should expect to sit in the range of roughly $250 to $350 a night averaged across the year, with occupancy somewhere in the 40s to 60s depending on quality and management.
Indicative rates and occupancy by area
The table below combines published market data with the general pattern local managers describe. Treat it as a starting range, not a forecast.
| Area | Indicative average nightly rate | Indicative occupancy | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noosa Heads, Sunshine Beach | $285 average across Noosa Shire; premium houses far higher | About 38% shire-wide | Highest rates on the coast. Strict local law and planning rules limit new supply, which supports pricing (AirROI, Noosa Shire) |
| Mooloolaba, Alexandra Headland | Broadly in line with regional average | Broadly in line with regional average, reliable year-round | Strong for apartments and smaller homes; walkable beach and esplanade |
| Caloundra | Around $307 average daily rate reported; units often $180 to $250 | Family market, holiday-period driven | Around 866 active listings reported (AirROI) |
| Maroochydore, Buddina | Slightly below beachside premiums | Steadier weekday demand from business and hospital traffic | Airport proximity helps shoulder seasons |
| Coolum Beach, Peregian | Mid to upper range | Holiday-period driven | Quieter than Noosa, popular with families |
| Hinterland (Maleny, Montville, Mapleton) | Highly variable; couples' retreats can command premium rates | Weekend-heavy, lower midweek | Two-night weekend stays dominate; wedding and event demand |
A few observations behind the numbers:
- Noosa's occupancy looks low because many Noosa listings are high-value holiday homes owners use themselves and let only in peak periods. A full-time Noosa listing run by a professional manager typically performs well above the shire average.
- Noosa supply is shrinking. AirROI notes the Noosa market trimmed around 15 per cent of its supply in the year to July 2026 while rates rose (AirROI, Noosa Shire). That is consistent with the September 2025 planning changes, covered in our Noosa rules guide.
- Three-bedroom properties are the sweet spot. Roughly 30 per cent of Sunshine Coast listings are three bedrooms and over half offer three or more, reflecting the family and group market (AirROI, Sunshine Coast).
Seasonality: when the money is made
The Sunshine Coast is a school-holiday and event market. Indicatively, January is the strongest month region-wide (AirROI reports about $5,400 average monthly revenue, 55 per cent occupancy and a $329 average rate), and June is the weakest (AirROI, Sunshine Coast). In Noosa, December, January and April are the peak months at around $304 a night and 45 per cent occupancy, against February, May and July at roughly 32 per cent (AirROI, Noosa Shire).
Key dates to have in your pricing calendar:
| Period | 2026-27 dates | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Summer school holidays | 12 December 2026 to 26 January 2027 | Peak. Minimum stays and top rates, especially Christmas to mid-January |
| Autumn / Easter holidays | 3 to 19 April 2027 | Second peak |
| Winter holidays | 26 June to 11 July 2027 | Solid, southern-state families escaping the cold |
| Spring holidays | 18 September to 4 October 2027 | Strong, good weather |
| Noosa Triathlon | 28 October to 1 November 2026 | Noosa and surrounds book out; multi-night minimums common |
| Sunshine Coast Marathon | Early August (2 August 2026) | Lifts Alexandra Headland, Mooloolaba, Maroochydore |
Sources: Education Queensland, term dates; AusTriathlon, 2026 Garmin Noosa Triathlon; Sunshine Coast Marathon.
Add the Victorian and New South Wales school holiday dates too, since they do not align exactly with Queensland's and southern families are a large share of coast visitors.
The practical point: a property that is blocked for owner use over Christmas and Easter gives up a disproportionate share of the year's income. If you want the best return, the trade-off is using it in May.
Costs: what comes out before you see anything
Platform fees
Airbnb's standard host-only fee is around 3 per cent of the booking subtotal, or roughly 15 per cent if the host-only fee model is used (common for managers with software connections). Booking.com and Stayz charge their own commissions, generally higher. Check the current figures on each platform.
Management fee
Sunshine Coast managers typically charge in the range of 15 to 25 per cent of booking revenue, plus GST, with full-service packages often starting around 20 per cent (Lane Property, Sunshine Coast management guide; Grow Host, commission structures). What the percentage is charged on matters as much as the number. See our guide on what to check in a management agreement.
Cleaning and linen
Indicatively $80 to $150 per turnover for smaller properties, more for large houses, plus linen hire or laundering (Lane Property). Usually passed to the guest as a cleaning fee, but not always in full, and short stays mean more cleans per dollar earned.
Council rates and approvals
- On the Sunshine Coast, a non-domiciled property used for short-term letting is placed in a transitory accommodation rate category charged at a higher rate than standard residential (Sunshine Coast Council, rates information).
- In Noosa, add the local law renewal: $800 a year for a standard house or $300 for a unit from 1 July 2026, plus a one-off application of $1,748 or $455 (Noosa Shire Council, Short Stay Letting).
Running costs
Electricity (guests run air conditioning hard), water, internet, streaming, consumables, garden and pool maintenance, pest control, smoke alarm servicing, and specialist short-stay insurance. Furnishing and wear and tear are real: expect to replace mattresses, linen and small appliances more often than in a long-term rental.
Tax
Income is assessable, deductions are apportioned by time and floor area where there is private use, and the ATO receives your payout data from platforms under the Sharing Economy Reporting Regime. In 2026 the ATO finalised a ruling and two practical compliance guidelines on holiday home deductions, so keep good records of owner use (Bentleys, Airbnb tax guide 2026). Residential accommodation is input-taxed, so GST is not normally charged on the nightly rate.
Worked example: net after management fee
An illustrative three-bedroom house near the beach in the Mooloolaba or Coolum area, professionally managed, full-time listing. All numbers are indicative and rounded.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Average nightly rate (blended across seasons) | $350 |
| Occupancy | 55% (about 200 nights) |
| Gross accommodation revenue | $70,000 |
| Less platform fees (about 3%) | -$2,100 |
| Less management fee (20% + GST on the fee) | -$15,400 |
| Less cleaning shortfall, linen, consumables not recovered from guests | -$3,000 |
| Less utilities, internet, garden, pool, maintenance | -$9,000 |
| Less short-stay insurance | -$2,000 |
| Less rates premium over residential (transitory accommodation category) | -$2,000 |
| Indicative net before mortgage and tax | about $36,500 |
Roughly, half of gross reaches you before finance costs and tax. That ratio is typical of a full-service arrangement. Self-managing removes the management fee but adds your time and, in Noosa, a compliance burden that is hard to carry from a distance.
Run the same table at 40 per cent occupancy and a $300 rate (gross about $44,000) and the net drops to something nearer $17,000, because most costs do not fall with revenue. That sensitivity is the point: occupancy and rate together decide whether short-term letting beats a long-term tenancy.
How to estimate for your own property
- Find comparables. Search Airbnb and Stayz for your suburb with your bedroom count. Pick five to ten listings that look like yours in quality and position.
- Sample their rates across the year. Note a midweek night in May, a weekend in August, a week in January and Easter. Average them, weighted towards the quieter periods, since more of the year is quiet than busy.
- Estimate occupancy. Look at how many nights are booked in their calendars for the next 60 days. Use the region-wide averages above as a reality check, then adjust down for a new listing without reviews (the first three to six months are usually slower).
- Subtract your own use. Every peak-week owner stay costs more than a shoulder-season one.
- Build the cost stack from the sections above, using your actual rates notice, insurance quote and a manager's written fee schedule.
- Compare with long-term rent. Get a rental appraisal. If the short-stay net is not comfortably ahead after allowing for the extra work and volatility, the long-term option may be the better decision.
- Ask two or three managers for a projection and compare it to your own. A projection that is far above your comparables, or that quotes occupancy without stating the assumed nightly rate, deserves questions.
What actually moves the number
Location and bedrooms set the ceiling. Within that, the biggest controllable drivers are:
- Pricing discipline. Dynamic pricing that lifts rates for holidays and events and drops them for gaps is worth more than any single amenity.
- Reviews and response. Rankings reward consistency. This is where a good manager earns the fee.
- Minimum stays. Too long and you lose midweek fills; too short and cleaning eats the margin.
- Photos and presentation. Underinvested listings in premium suburbs consistently underperform.
- Compliance. In Noosa, an approval that is cancelled ends the income entirely. See the Noosa rules guide and the broader Sunshine Coast rules guide.
Compare managers on the Sunshine Coast
StayManaged lists Sunshine Coast and Noosa managers with their fees, services and the suburbs they specialise in, so you can compare projections and pick the one whose numbers stand up.