Airbnb management in Zurich: who offers what, and how to recognise a good manager

Who is on the Zurich market

The Zurich market for short-term letting management is manageable in size and tightly bunched on price. We have collected the publicly available information from eight providers — as at 30 July 2026, all sources at the end of this article.

A word on fairness first: this overview does not rate providers. We state what appears on their websites, and where nothing appears, we say so. A price says nothing about the quality of the work — for that we would have had to speak to their clients, and we have not.

• GuestReady: from 21 per cent on the Zurich page, globally «from 15 per cent», plus a one-off onboarding fee deducted from the first month’s income. Maintenance is charged separately.
• UpperKey: 20 per cent under a «shared revenue» model, the owner keeps 80 per cent. The provider sometimes acts as the tenant.
• AlpineKeys: 20 per cent, described as all-inclusive and, by their own account, negotiable. Cleaning, guest communication and check-in included.
• Airhosted.ch: terms not published, focused on second-home owners. Advertises expressly that there is no minimum contract term.
• Swiss Stay: terms not published, «shared revenue» model.
• HITrental, Blueground, Delta Estates: rental-guarantee models, terms not published. Blueground takes stays of 30 days and over only.
• alphakey: 18 and 25 per cent depending on the package, on accommodation revenue after the platform fee. Initial equipping and furnishing by time and materials, not as a percentage.

What stands out in the comparison

Three observations that matter more for the decision than the percentage itself.

First: the price anchor sits at 20 per cent. Anyone significantly below that either has less in the package or charges extras separately — both are legitimate, but they have to be compared.

Second: four of the eight providers work with a rental guarantee. That sounds safe, and from one point of view it is: you receive the same amount every month. The price of it is that the operator keeps the entire difference between the guaranteed rent and the actual income. In strong months — in Zurich, July and the autumn with the trade fairs — you share in none of the upside. Anyone who wants a guarantee should know that and choose it, not stumble into it.

Third, and this is the real finding: not one of the eight providers publishes what its percentage is based on. And that is the question which decides the franc amount.

The question nobody answers

Between «20 per cent» and «20 per cent» there can be a cost difference of more than 40 per cent. It hangs on what the calculation is made from.

One booking: three nights at CHF 300, that is CHF 900 in lodging, plus a CHF 180 cleaning fee. The guest pays CHF 1080. Airbnb retains 15.5 per cent, that is CHF 167.40 — CHF 912.60 is paid out. The cleaning service costs CHF 150.

Now the same 20 per cent produces three different amounts:

• On the gross amount, that is what the guest pays (widespread in the USA): 20 per cent of CHF 1080 is CHF 216. That corresponds to 23.7 per cent of your payout.
• On the payout after the platform fee, including the cleaning element (customary in the United Kingdom): 20 per cent of CHF 912.60 is CHF 182.52 — exactly 20 per cent.
• On accommodation revenue after the platform fee, excluding cleaning: 20 per cent of CHF 760.50 is CHF 152.10, that is 16.7 per cent of your payout.

Eight questions for every provider

Put these questions to everyone you speak to — including us. Anyone who evades them has a reason.

• What exactly is the percentage based on? On the amount the guest pays, on the payout, or on accommodation revenue excluding cleaning? Ask for a worked example using a concrete booking.
• Do you make money on the cleaning? Meaning: what does the guest pay, and what does the cleaner receive? The difference should be zero and provable with receipts.
• What about laundry, consumables and tradesmen? Same point, different line item. A mark-up of 30 to 50 per cent on the purchase price is documented in the industry.
• How long am I tied in, and what is the notice period? A manager doing good work does not need a commitment lasting years.
• In whose name does the platform account run? The review history hangs on it — the most valuable intangible asset a let property has. On a change of provider you would otherwise start at zero.
• What is expressly not part of the offer? Anyone unable to answer that has not defined the scope of services. Then everything is open in a dispute.
• What happens after a poor review? Some providers waive the commission for the booking concerned. That is a quality signal which costs nothing if the work is sound.
• Do I get a statement in which every booking, every clean and every platform fee is itemised? A monthly total without a breakdown cannot be checked.

And what does not belong in any offer

One point that often runs the other way: some providers present permit checks, zoning clarifications or the accounting of levies as a service. We expressly do not.

These questions rest with the owner, and for a substantive reason: incorrect information about the zoning code can lead to a prohibition of use. Liability falls on whoever gives that information — or on the person who relied on it. Only what the municipality itself says is binding.

We provide operational letting services: listing, pricing, guest care, cleaning, handover, accounting. If a provider promises you more, ask who answers for it when something goes wrong.