Airbnb has transformed how people travel — and how some homeowners earn extra income. But if you’re hoping to use that income to refinance your mortgage, you’ll need to navigate a unique set of rules.
Lenders have traditionally been cautious about short-term rental income because of its volatility. However, guidelines have evolved in recent years, and it’s now possible to use Airbnb income to qualify for a refinance — especially if you can prove it’s consistent and likely to continue.
Whether you’re renting out a spare room in your primary home or managing a full-time Airbnb property, understanding how this income fits into mortgage refinancing can help you make smarter financial decisions.
This guide covers how lenders evaluate Airbnb income, which types of loans are more flexible, and what documentation you’ll need to move forward.
Using a Proof of Income Form for Mortgage Refinancing
Fannie Mae allows short-term rental income to be used for refinancing a primary residence if it’s documented on tax returns, typically with at least one year of history. Different rules apply for investment properties, which may require additional documentation such as a lease agreement or Schedule E income.
Even with two years of Airbnb income, lenders typically apply a vacancy adjustment — usually allowing only 75% of rental income to count toward qualifying income — to account for seasonal or occupancy variability.
A key to the rule change is the verification Airbnb provides to Fannie Mae instead of relying on Airbnb hosts to submit proof on their own. Airbnb now provides lenders with a “proof of income statement.”
Airbnb income may help a borrower qualify more easily for a refinance by improving their debt-to-income ratio. However, it does not directly lower the interest rate, which is primarily influenced by credit score, loan type, and loan-to-value ratio.
Fine Print of the Airbnb Proof of Income Form
Only hosts with the U.S. as their primary country of residence who have one or more active Airbnb listings are eligible to access the Airbnb Proof of Income form. Co-hosts, experience hosts, and hosts whose country of residence is outside the U.S. can’t access the form.
After you submit a request, Airbnb will email you in about five days or so to let you know your Proof of Income is ready to be downloaded.
The Proof of Income form includes your monthly gross earnings and total amount paid for the current year and the previous two calendar years (if applicable). The current year form includes income up to the previous completed calendar month.
If you uploaded taxpayer information to your Airbnb account, you will get a Proof of Income form for each unique taxpayer ID associated with your account. If you haven’t uploaded taxpayer information to your Airbnb account, your Proof of Income will summarize all earnings for your host account.
The Proof of Income reflects income for each unique taxpayer ID registered to a host account. In contrast, the Earnings Summary and Transaction History reflect the total earnings associated with a host account.
If no taxpayer ID is registered to the host account, then the Proof of Income will reflect the total earnings associated with the host account.
Airbnb Income and Conventional Loans
You may be able to use short-term and long-term rental income to qualify for a conventional mortgage refinance. Conventional loans may allow you to count past rental income — documented on tax returns — or projected rental income for investment properties, supported by an appraisal and rental market analysis. Projected income is typically only allowed when refinancing or purchasing an investment property — not a primary residence — and must be supported by a rental market analysis.
“Lenders typically count 75% of verified rental income as qualifying income, applying a vacancy factor to account for potential gaps in occupancy.
Most of the time, this means income from long-term rental tenants. You’ll need to supply
documentation of qualified rental income that often relies on leases or the monthly rental market rent. But if you already have a history as an Airbnb host, you can qualify for a loan if you have documentation of past rental income and show it is likely to continue.
What About FHA and VA Loans?
When calculating qualifying income, FHA and VA loans count 75% of your projected future rental income. Rental income is estimated through your rental history or an appraisal, whichever is lower.
You likely won’t be able to use projected Airbnb income to qualify for a refinance unless you have a documented history of managing short-term rentals.
Check out our guides to FHA loan refinances and VA loan refinances to learn more.
The Bottom Line
Using Airbnb income to refinance your mortgage is possible — but it takes the right documentation and a clear track record of earnings. Whether you’re renting out a spare room or managing a dedicated rental property, understanding how lenders evaluate short-term rental income can help you unlock better loan terms and make the most of your investment.
As always, talk to a lender early to find out how your unique situation fits into current guidelines.
Ready to move forward? Start your refinance application with Refi.com today.
