Owner guide
Airbnb management fees in Malaysia: understand the split before you sign
Understand what is deducted, how an individual 70/30 arrangement works and why each rental pool can have different rules.
Published by Neststay
Short answer
Under Neststay's individual 7/3 arrangement, agreed operating expenses come off first. The remaining amount is split 70% to the owner and 30% to Neststay. If a rental pool is involved, there is another step: dividing the owners' portion among participating units. That calculation depends on the project, so the two splits need separate explanations.
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Discuss my unit or portfolioIndividual 7/3: your unit is counted on its own
You hear 7/3 and think, so I get 70% of every booking? There is a step before that. Under Neststay's individual arrangement, the agreed operating expenses are deducted from your unit's rental income first. The remaining amount is split 70% to you and 30% to Neststay.
Your unit is counted on its own. The amount moves with its results, so it is not a fixed monthly return. The written proposal explains the agreed expenses and any costs charged separately.
What does OPEX mean?
OPEX is simply the running cost of the rental. A guest leaves, the bedding needs washing, and the electricity bill still arrives. Those are the kinds of day-to-day expenses being discussed.
The applicable list may include platform fees, utilities, cleaning, laundry, supplies or maintenance. The unit and agreement decide which ones count; every item does not appear every month.
Pool sharing: ask two simple questions
Now suppose the programme puts participating units into a rental pool. There are two steps to follow. First, how is the income split between the operator and owners? Then, how is the owners' portion divided among their units?
Those are different questions. Knowing the owner/operator percentage does not yet tell you how much one owner receives from the pool.
There is no one pool formula for every project
One programme might group units by layout. Another might weight each unit by its net purchase price. Some use a combination or another agreed method.
Ask to see how your unit would be counted, which other units participate and what happens on owner-use or unavailable days. The project's written rules decide this, not a formula borrowed from a different building.
Managing several units does not automatically mean pool sharing
You can appoint one team for several units and still keep each unit's income and costs separate. Having one contact does not itself combine the rental money.
If you are considering a pool as well, ask whether that programme is available and how you would review each unit's allocation. Coordinating a portfolio and pooling income are separate arrangements.
Read the statement down to the amount paid
A percentage tells you only part of the story. Ask how these four amounts will appear in your own monthly statement.
- Rental revenue
- Which bookings or rental period does it cover? Check how cancellations, refunds and adjustments are shown so you know which income the calculation starts from.
- Operating costs
- See the agreed OPEX, meaning operating expenses, item by item. Check whether platform fees were already deducted before receipt so they are not counted twice. Not every cost applies every month.
- Your allocation
- For an individual unit, check the agreed owner/operator split after costs. For a pool, also check which units participate and how the owners’ portion is allocated. Those are separate steps; the project’s rules decide the calculation.
- Amount payable
- Ask whether any agreed reserve, previous balance or authorised deduction changes the amount paid, and when payment is due. Money paid to you is not automatically your final profit after your own property bills.
This is a reading checklist, not a real owner’s report or an income forecast. For several units, ask whether each unit’s figures can be checked separately. Managing them together does not automatically put their income into one pool.
Check the reporting and repair questions before appointing a managerWhose arrangement is this?
The 70/30 explanation is Neststay’s individual arrangement.
- Not a market-wide rate
- It explains the individual arrangement discussed on this website, after agreed operating expenses. It is not a claim that every operator or project charges the same.
- A pool needs its own explanation
- The owner/operator split and the allocation between participating units are separate steps. The available programme and written proposal decide the method.
- Before you agree
- Check the proposal for your unit: applicable expenses, any separate charges, approvals and payment timing. This guide does not replace those terms.
Explanation reviewed:
Questions owners often ask
Does Neststay’s individual 7/3 mean I receive 70% of gross bookings?+
No. The agreed operating expenses are deducted first. The remaining amount is split 70% to the owner and 30% to Neststay. Check the proposal for the agreed expenses.
Does every owner in a pool get the same amount?+
Not necessarily. Each project sets its own rules. The share may depend on the unit group and the agreed weighting method.
Is there one standard formula for pool sharing?+
No. Pool terms differ by project. Ask to see how the pool is formed, how the owner share is calculated and how owner use or unavailable days are treated.
If one team manages all my units, must their income be pooled?+
No. A team can manage multiple units while tracking each unit separately. Pooling income is a separate choice and depends on the available programme.
What to send a property manager
For an initial assessment, prepare the building name, location, built-up size, bedroom and bathroom count, furnishing status, current rental arrangement and your preferred outcome.
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