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It’s hard to know when exactly to book accommodations for a trip. If it’s too early, prices might not have had a chance to come down, but if it’s too late and there’s scarce availability, prices might skyrocket.
NerdWallet looked at real-world Airbnb booking data provided by AirDNA, a short-term rental analytics firm, for “entire-place” listings in cities across the U.S. The data looked at pricing for millions of nights between March 2025 and February 2026. We compared the cost of booking an Airbnb in advance versus short term to find out what booking strategy gives you the best deal.
Here’s what the data showed.
The best time to book an Airbnb
We looked at Airbnb rentals across the United States, comparing prices across three booking time frames:
- Three days in advance.
- Four weeks in advance.
- Forty-seven weeks in advance (almost one year).
We found that booking three days in advance yielded the lowest median price. Booking too far in advance — almost one year one — means you are likely paying the most for your Airbnb of the three time frames we looked at.
For a one-bedroom unit, the median nightly rate was $130 when booked three days prior to the stay. That was $19 cheaper than booking a month earlier. Meanwhile, booking nearly a year out was $51 more than booking three days out.
As you look at larger units with more bedrooms, the savings increase significantly when booking close-in. For example, the median nightly rate for a five-bedroom Airbnb was $354 when booked three days in advance, compared to $663 when booked 47 weeks prior to the stay — 87% higher.
Should I always book last-minute Airbnbs?
According to the data, booking at the last minute can often get you the best deal. However, it’s important to remember that this data looks at median nightly rates, and individual properties will vary on how they do pricing.
Here’s one solid takeaway: If you’re chasing the best deals, you’re probably better off booking Airbnbs with flexible cancellation policies.
Airbnb offers several cancellation policies. Here’s each one and how much time you have to cancel to get a full refund:
- Flexible: Cancel at least 24 hours before check-in.
- Moderate: Cancel at least five days before check-in.
- Limited: Cancel at least 14 days before check-in.
- Firm: Cancel at least 30 days before check-in.
Make sure to book a listing that has a price you’re willing to pay, and then keep monitoring other listings to see if there are cheaper options. If you book something with a limited or firm cancellation policy, you’re locking yourself into that price without the option to change as your travel dates get closer.
Of course, this doesn’t work if you have your heart set on a specific Airbnb. Once you book an Airbnb, it’s no longer available for the dates you reserved.
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How to avoid overpaying
If you’re looking for the best deal on Airbnbs, here are some things you can do:
Book a backup in advance, just in case. Many Airbnb listings offer a flexible cancellation policy, meaning you can cancel for a full refund up until 24 hours before your reservation starts. If you find a listing with flexible cancellation and a reasonable price, book it. Then, continue to monitor Airbnb in case even better deals pop up.
Don’t wait for long-term stays. Digital nomads or others looking for longer-term stays shouldn’t count on finding months’ worth of availability at the last minute or even within the last few weeks.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2026:
- Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
- Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Luxury perks: American Express Platinum Card®
- Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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