Airbnb Revenue Estimator, Morocco

Why estimate Airbnb revenue before buying

The profitability of a short-term rental depends heavily on the nightly rate and the real occupancy rate. Before investing in an Airbnb strategy in Morocco, you need a realistic revenue scenario rather than the best rates you happen to see once in a while.

This estimator gives you a quick calculation base: rate × occupancy × 30 days. You can then compare this gross figure with the monthly rent of a long-term lease and decide which strategy offers the best return-to-effort ratio for your investor profile.

Airbnb markets in Morocco: city by city

Marrakech concentrates the strongest tourist and seasonal demand. Rates there are the highest, but seasonality is marked (spring and autumn peaks). Agadir has beach demand that is smoother across the year. Casablanca mainly attracts business travellers, with steadier occupancy but more moderate nightly rates.

Rabat offers a stable institutional and diplomatic clientele. Tangier and Essaouira are more seasonal, with strong potential in high season. Fez captures cultural and heritage tourism, with decent occupancy during festival periods. Each city has its own risk and revenue profile, which your financing plan needs to anticipate.

How to read the occupancy rate

A 65% occupancy rate means your property is booked roughly 19 to 20 nights a month. That is a realistic level for a well-positioned property in a Moroccan tourist city. Market comparisons (AirDNA, local studies) point to median rates between 55% and 75% depending on city and season.

Avoid using 85–90% in your projections: those figures belong to the best properties in high season. Use a conservative assumption (55–65%) for your base case and an optimistic one (72–78%) as a ceiling. The difference can represent 20 to 30% of annual revenue.

Worked example: a one-bedroom apartment in Gueliz, Marrakech

Take a furnished one-bedroom apartment in Gueliz let at 550 MAD per night. At 60% occupancy, the estimator gives 9,900 MAD per month (550 × 0.60 × 30), or 118,800 MAD of annual turnover. At 70%, gross revenue rises to 11,550 MAD per month, or 138,600 MAD per year.

Deduct variable costs, around 22.5% of turnover (concierge, cleaning, platform commissions, laundry): 26,730 MAD at 60% occupancy. Then deduct the fixed costs a host pays instead of a tenant: 4,800 MAD of syndic fees, 1,800 MAD of local taxes, 1,800 MAD of insurance, 9,600 MAD of water, electricity and internet, and 6,000 MAD of furniture upkeep, or 24,000 MAD a year. Net income before tax falls to 68,070 MAD at 60% occupancy and about 83,400 MAD at 70%.

Ten points of occupancy are worth close to 15,000 MAD of income a year. Add the initial furnishing, about 80,000 MAD, which weighs 16,000 MAD a year if depreciated over five years. Then compare this net figure with the rent a standard lease would bring for the same property: that comparison, not the gross figure shown here, should settle the decision.

Legal and tax framework for short-term rentals in Morocco

For tax purposes, a furnished tourist rental is not treated as property income: neither the 40% flat allowance nor the exemption below 30,000 MAD applies. Below 500,000 MAD of turnover, you can opt for the single professional contribution (CPU): tax is 10% of a base equal to turnover multiplied by the margin coefficient set by the General Tax Code (CGI). With a 20% coefficient, 118,800 MAD of turnover gives a base of 23,760 MAD and about 2,376 MAD of income tax, plus the complementary duties.

The tourist tax (taxe de séjour) is collected from guests, usually between 10 and 30 MAD per person per night depending on the municipality and the classification. Over 216 nights for two guests at 10 MAD, that is 4,320 MAD a year: if it is not built into your rate, it comes straight out of your margin. You also need a trade register entry and a tax identification number.

The activity falls under Law 80-14 on tourist establishments and other forms of tourist accommodation. Before buying, check the formalities with the regional tourism delegation, the obligation to register your guests with the authorities, and the building's co-ownership rules, which can restrict or ban short-term letting.

What this estimator does not show

This calculator gives gross revenue before any deduction. In reality you need to subtract the platform commission (3% for Airbnb hosts, more on other platforms), energy and cleaning costs, property management if you outsource it (10–20% of revenue), the local tourist tax, and forced vacancy periods (maintenance, letting bans).

Once all these deductions are included, real net revenue is often 25 to 40% lower than the gross revenue calculated here. That is why this estimate must be completed with a full ROI simulation that includes these variables.

Airbnb vs long-term rental: which strategy?

Short-term rental generally brings higher gross revenue, but it needs more management (cleaning, check-ins, maintenance), exposes you to strong seasonality and carries higher operating costs. Long-term rental brings more predictability, less management effort and steadier cash flow.

The right choice depends on your profile. If you manage the property yourself and the city has strong tourist potential, Airbnb can be more profitable. If not, a long-term lease with well-structured financing can deliver a better risk-adjusted net yield. Use our full ROI calculator to simulate both scenarios side by side.