Short-term rental properties can bring in some serious cash, but they’re a hands-on (side or full-time) hustle with a lot of moving parts when it comes to finances. Having the right banking platform for your Airbnb business can make all the difference.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the features you need from your business checking and savings accounts, and compare some of the best banks for Airbnb and short-term rental owners.
Key takeaways
- A separate checking account for your Airbnb business makes tracking rental income and expenses easier.
- The best banks for Airbnb hosts let you open multiple accounts so you can organize funds for each property/unit, easily connect to short-term rental platforms, and have built-in financial reports to manage and track your cash flow.
- Baselane is an all-in-one banking and finance platform for short and long-term real estate investors with fully integrated and automated accounting, tax reporting, and rent collection.
What to look for in Airbnb banking
While traditional banks are starting to catch up, online banking platforms are offering innovative features for Airbnb hosts, like multiple accounts per property, virtual debit cards, and bookkeeping software integrations.
For this article, we’ve chosen to take a closer look at these features to help you choose the best bank for short-term rental properties:
- Monthly account fees: Choose an STR bank with low or no account fees.
- Multiple accounts: This feature makes it easy to organize your finances by property.
- Built-in expense management: The best banks for Airbnb hosts have built-in bookkeeping tools and integrations with the best accounting software for rental properties.
- Virtual debit cards: Many real estate investors prefer having a virtual card for each property to manage expenses.
- Tax reporting features: The best Airbnb banks offer quick and easy options for generating Schedule E reports and tax packages.
- Connects to vacation rental platforms: Check for connections to Airbnb and other vacation rental platforms so all your cash flow is in one place.
- Banking rewards: Look for an Airbnb bank account that earns interest and cash back to make your money work for you.
10 Best banks for Airbnb business
1. Baselane
Best for: All-in-one Airbnb banking, accounting, tax reporting, rent collection, real estate financing, and landlord insurance.
Baselane is the best short-term rental banking platform for Airbnb hosts. You can open unlimited accounts per property for multiple entities under one login to organize your income and expenses, savings, security deposits, reserves, and more. Plus, you can pay bills and use physical and virtual debit cards with auto-tag rules to automatically categorize expenses.
What makes Baselane shine is its built-in automated bookkeeping that has real-time cash flow analytics and tax reporting. This means you can monitor and manage your Airbnb finances without paying for expensive software. But you can easily connect QuickBooks and other accounting tools if that’s what you like using.
Baselane also connects with multiple short-term rental platforms, including Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com. Simply select Baselane for your payouts right in the Airbnb app or other vaction rental site.
If you need online rent collection for any long-term rentals, Baselane has that too. On top of all that, you can apply for rental financing and short-term rental insurance right on the platform.
| Account Fees | $0/month |
| Interest rates | Up to 3.35% APY2 |
| Cash back | Unlimited 1% cash back3 |
| Multiple accounts |  Unlimited
|
| Virtual debit cards | |
| Built-in bookkeeping | Advanced |
| Accounting integration | |
| Tax reporting features | Advanced |
| Connects to vacation rental platforms |
|
| Physical branches |  |
| FDIC Insurance | Up to $3M1 on funds deposited via Thread Bank; Member FDIC. |
2. Novo
Best for: New Airbnb hosts or those managing a few properties.
Novo offers free online banking that integrates with apps like Stripe and QuickBooks Online. You can open multiple accounts, but each one requires a unique EIN (employer identification number). This means if you have multiple short-term rental properties under a single EIN, you can only open one Novo account. If you have separate EINs, you’ll need a separate login for each business.
| Account Fees | $0/month |
| Interest rates |
|
| Cash back | |
| Multiple accounts | 1 per EIN |
| Virtual debit cards | (2 per account)
|
| Built-in bookkeeping | Basic |
| Accounting integration | |
| Tax reporting features | Basic |
| Connects to vacation rental platforms |
|
| Physical branches | |
| FDIC Insurance | Up to $250,000 |
3. Relay
Best for: Property owners requiring team expense management.
Relay is a banking platform for small businesses that supports up to 20 individual checking accounts, 2 savings accounts, and 50 virtual or physical debit cards for each account. The platform has some basic bookkeeping features, but you’ll have to use accounting integrations to reconcile transactions and prepare tax reports.
If you have more than a few Airbnb properties or a mix of short-term and long-term rentals, you may need more than 20 checking accounts to keep all of your cash flow straight.
| Account Fees | $0 to $30/month |
| Interest rates | Up to 3.76% APY |
| Cash back | 1.5% on credit card purchases |
| Multiple accounts | (20 checking, 2 savings)
|
| Virtual debit cards | (up to 50)
|
| Built-in bookkeeping | Basic |
| Accounting integration | |
| Tax reporting features | |
| Connects to vacation rental platforms |
|
| Physical branches | |
| FDIC Insurance | Up to $3M |
4. Bluevine
Best for: Airbnb internet banking with interest-earning checking accounts.
Bluevine is an online banking platform that operates like a typical business checking account. You can apply online using a unique EIN and open up to 20 sub-accounts. Accounts on the Standard plan earn 1.5% APY, while higher-tier plans offer up to 3.7% APY—but you’ll need to pay $95/month for the top-tier rate.
Debit cards earn up to 4% cash back on certain purchases, like gas and hotels, and up to 20% on select business services, including AT&T and Budget car rentals. You’ll have to sync transactions with QuickBooks or another accounting integration if you want to regularly reconcile your accounts.
| Account Fees | $0 to $95/month |
| Interest rates | 1.5% APY (up to 3.7% on paid plans) |
| Cash back | Up to 4% on select purchases, 20% on business services |
| Multiple accounts | (up to 20)
|
| Virtual debit cards | (up to 9)
|
| Built-in bookkeeping | |
| Accounting integration | |
| Tax reporting features | |
| Connects to vacation rental platforms |
|
| Physical branches | |
| FDIC Insurance | Up to $3M |
5. Chase Business Complete Banking
Best for: Airbnb hosts who prefer traditional banking with branch access.
The Chase Business Complete Banking is the standard business checking account that won’t cost you anything if you meet the $2,0000 minimum daily balance requirement. Otherwise, you’ll pay $15 per month or $35 to $95 for a higher-tier account to waive transaction fees for payments. You can get associate debit cards by request. These cards don’t earn cash back; you’ll need a business credit card for that.
Although Chase caters to business banking, there’s no built-in landlord accounting for expense tracking or tax reporting. Your options are manually reconciling accounts online with Chase, an accounting integration, or good old-fashioned spreadsheets.
| Account Fees | $15 |
| Interest rates |
|
| Cash back | |
| Multiple accounts |
|
| Virtual debit cards |
|
| Built-in bookkeeping | |
| Accounting integration | |
| Tax reporting features | |
| Connects to vacation rental platforms |
|
| Physical branches | |
| FDIC Insurance | Up to $250,000 |
6. American Express Business Checking
Best for: Airbnb hosts who travel frequently for property management.
American Express Business Checking is a solid choice for Airbnb property owners who can maximize the value of travel rewards. The account has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements and provides interest (currently 1.30% APY) on balances up to $500,000. You’ll also earn 1 point for every $2 spent on eligible debit card purchases. These points can be converted into cash deposits or transferred to a travel partner at a 1:1 ratio (usually a better deal).
This account doesn’t offer virtual debit cards or sub-accounts, which can make it challenging to track income and expenses for multiple properties. You can integrate with popular accounting software like QuickBooks, but this requires a complex manual setup and additional fees for third-party software.
| Account Fees | $0/month |
| Interest rates | 1.30% APY (up to $500,000) |
| Cash back | Membership Rewards Points (1,000 = $10) |
| Multiple accounts |
|
| Virtual debit cards |
|
| Built-in bookkeeping | |
| Accounting integration | |
| Tax reporting features | |
| Connects to vacation rental platforms |
|
| Physical branches | |
| FDIC Insurance | Up to $250,000 |
7. Revolut Business Account
Best for: Airbnb hosts managing international transactions and guests.
Revolut is ideal for Airbnb hosts who frequently deal with multiple currencies. It offers multi-currency business accounts with decent exchange rates and virtual debit cards for managing expenses. You’ll need a paid account to access spend controls, bulk payments, and other basic banking features. Currency exchanges are capped at $1,000 per month on the free plan, $10,000 on the Grow plan ($30/month), and $50,000 on the Scale plan ($119/month).
You can open multiple accounts using the same phone number and email address. However, each account requires a unique business registration number. This may be challenging for investors who have multiple properties under the same business entity.
| Account Fees | $0 to $119/month (custom pricing for Enterprise) |
| Interest rates |
|
| Cash back | |
| Multiple accounts | |
| Virtual debit cards | (up to 20)
|
| Built-in bookkeeping | Basic |
| Accounting integration | |
| Tax reporting features | |
| Connects to vacation rental platforms |
|
| Physical branches | |
| FDIC Insurance | Up to $250,000 |
8. Huntington Business Checking 100
Best for: Airbnb hosts in Huntington’s regional areas.
The Huntington Business Checking 100 is the best bank account for Airbnb hosts who own one or two properties near a physical Huntington branch. It’s great for basic banking services with no monthly maintenance fees and free ATM withdrawals, transfers, and balance inquiries.
This account offers up to 100 transactions per month, including checks paid, incoming ACH debits and credits, and debit card purchases at no cost ($0.50 per transaction over 100). Vacation rental property owners who make over 100 transactions per month may want to consider another Airbnb bank account type with more or unlimited monthly transactions.
| Account Fees | $0/month |
| Interest rates |
|
| Cash back | |
| Multiple accounts |
|
| Virtual debit cards |
|
| Built-in bookkeeping | |
| Accounting integration | |
| Tax reporting features | |
| Connects to vacation rental platforms |
|
| Physical branches | |
| FDIC Insurance | Up to $250,000 |
9. Wise Business
Best for: Airbnb hosts handling international payments.
Wise Business is another great Airbnb banking option for international hosts who manage and convert money across multiple currencies. Wise offers multi-currency accounts with an option to opt in to earn interest on USD, GBP, and EUR balances. You can only have one account per business or entity.
You can create up to 3 virtual debit cards per account that support online or in-store purchases using the local currency, saving you on conversion fees. Additional fees apply for deposits and payments. Hosts managing cross-border transactions should assess whether the conversion rates justify the banking fees.
| Account Fees | $0/month |
| Interest rates | Up to 3.92% APY |
| Cash back | |
| Multiple accounts | |
| Virtual debit cards | (up to 3)
|
| Built-in bookkeeping | Basic |
| Accounting integration | |
| Tax reporting features | |
| Connects to vacation rental platforms |
|
| Physical branches | |
| FDIC Insurance | Up to $250,000 |
10. Mercury
Best for: Large-scale Airbnb business banking.
Mercury is a digital-first business banking platform designed for startups and entrepreneurs, offering up to 15 accounts (per EIN) with no monthly fees and competitive interest rates. Account balances must be over $500,000 to start earning interest, which may not be feasible for Airbnb hosts with just a few properties.
Hosts can access useful tools like multi-user access with permission controls and virtual debit cards for managing and reimbursing expenses. You’ll need separate accounting software for categorizing expenses and tax reporting.
| Account Fees | $0 to $350/month |
| Interest rates | Up to 4.47% yield (requires $500K+ balance) |
| Cash back | 1.5% on corporate credit card (requires $25K balance) |
| Multiple accounts | (up to 15)
|
| Virtual debit cards | |
| Built-in bookkeeping | Basic |
| Accounting integration | |
| Tax reporting features | |
| Connects to vacation rental platforms |
|
| Physical branches | |
| FDIC Insurance | Up to $250,000 |
Do you need a separate bank account for Airbnb rentals?
When renting an Airbnb, multiple bank accounts or a separate bank account for rental property funds is considered best practice. Here’s how it helps:
- Expense categorization: Separate accounts for each property or expense type make it easier to track and categorize costs (e.g., maintenance, utilities, taxes).
- Accurate income tracking: Dedicated accounts allow you to monitor rental income and distinguish it from other personal or business finances.
- Streamlined tax reporting: With separate accounts, you can quickly identify landlord tax deductions to generate accurate financial reports for tax filing.
- Audit readiness: Clear financial records reduce the risk of errors and simplify audits if required.
- Budgeting for each property: Assigning specific funds to each property ensures you have enough for maintenance, upgrades, or unforeseen Airbnb expenses.
- Avoiding overspending: Separate accounts provide a clearer picture of financial health, preventing accidental overspending.
- LLC or business entity separation: Maintaining separate accounts for properties owned under an LLC helps demonstrate that the entity is distinct, offering liability protection.
- Transparency in financial records: Proper segregation of funds helps in any legal disputes or inquiries.
- Credibility: Separate accounts signal professionalism to stakeholders, including lenders, investors, and service providers.
- Easier collaboration: Joint ventures or partnerships benefit from clear financial records tied to specific properties.
- Property-level performance: Multiple accounts help analyze the profitability of individual properties, enabling data-driven decisions for expansion or adjustments.
- Revenue diversification: Track performance across different platforms (e.g., Airbnb, Vrbo) by separating income streams.
Who provides multiple free bank accounts for real estate investors?
Here are the best banks for real estate investors from our list that offer multiple free accounts:
- Baselane: Unlimited free Airbnb checking accounts and high-interest savings accounts, integrated accounting for rental properties, and on-demand tax reports.
- Bluevine: Business checking with up to 20 sub-accounts, no fees, and competitive interest rates.
- Wise: Free multi-currency accounts, international virtual cards, and conversions for 40+ currencies.
- Relay: Up to 20 virtual checking accounts for Airbnb, two bank accounts for savings, and no minimum balance requirement.
- Novo: Free online banking, two virtual cards per account, and basic bookkeeping.
- Mercury: Supports up to 15 accounts, virtual debit cards, and interest on balances over $500,000.
- Revolute: Multi-currency accounts, competitive exchange rates, and accounting integrations.
Should Airbnb hosts use traditional banks or digital banks?
Choosing between traditional and digital banks depends on your specific needs and preferences.
Traditional banks have extensive branch networks and in-person services, but they often have higher fees, lower interest rates, limited cash-back rewards, and fewer specialized features for Airbnb hosts. Digital banks operate entirely online, usually offering higher APYs, fewer fees, and modern tools like sub-accounts and virtual cards.
For real estate investors, digital banks can streamline finances and improve cash flow with features built for managing vacation rental properties, like Baselane’s automated bookkeeping, tax reporting, and cash flow insights.
Here’s a closer look at how Baselane banking stacks up to traditional banks:
Bottom line
When you’re weighing the pros and cons of the best banks for Airbnb businesses, look for platforms that reduce the number of tools and logins you need. Ideally, you can organize your money, manage and categorize expenses, monitor cash flow, and generate tax reports all in the same place. You can do all of this (and more) with Baselane’s all-in-one banking and finance platform built for real estate investors.
Want to see how Baselane can help you save time and maximize returns on short-term rentals? Get started for free today.
FAQs
While you're not legally required to have a separate business bank account for Airbnb, it's highly recommended for clarity and ease of financial management. Using a dedicated bank account for rental property simplifies tracking rental income, organizing expenses, and accurately managing taxes.
Yes, Airbnb does accept debit cards, along with major credit cards like Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and payment methods such as PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.
You must set up your banking information before accepting payments from guests. Connect a bank or use Baselane’s virtual accounts as the Airbnb payout method to auto-tag rental income by property and sync transactions from all your external bank accounts and cards in one place.
The best Airbnb debit card depends on your hosting and spending needs. Ideally, the debit card offers ATM deposits and withdrawals, plus cash back on everyday purchases, like cleaning supplies, kitchen basics, and toiletries.
The best business bank account for Airbnb hosts will offer virtual Airbnb cards to share with your property manager, co-host, cleaning crew, and other team members. Make sure you can set spending limits to help stay within budget, like Baselane’s virtual cards. Easily set weekly or monthly limits, lock cards, and auto-tag transactions to a specific property or unit and expense category.
When choosing a card to use for Airbnb, consider one that offers cash back, virtual cards with spend controls, and expense tracking. Virtual debit cards are ideal for tracking and managing team expenses.
Credit cards are useful for larger business expenses and booking travel or accommodations. The best Airbnb credit card will offset costs by earning cash back or rewarding your purchases with travel points or other perks.
Several banks on the list offer debit card benefits with Airbnb purchases. Novo and Baselane debit cards earn cash back. American Express offers Membership Rewards points on debit card purchases. Mercury and Relay both have cashback credit cards.
The best card for Airbnb benefits on purchases will depend on your spending habits and needs. Choose a card that offers rewards and built-in expense management features like spend controls, virtual cards, and automated transaction tagging.
