What does an Airbnb flat in Batumi earn?
It depends heavily on whose numbers you trust and how well the flat is run. The tracker Airbtics, counting active Airbnb listings from September 2025 to August 2026, puts average occupancy at 54%, the average nightly rate at USD 46 and median revenue at about USD 9,000 a year. For the wider market Galt & Taggart reports a lower picture: an average daily rate of USD 34.6 between April and June 2026, down 4.2% on the same months of 2025, and a gross rental yield for the city of 7.1%. After a platform fee, management, tax and running costs, a typical studio keeps somewhere between about 2% and 7% of its price a year.
No licence or registration is needed to let a flat by the night in Batumi, but tax registration is, and the city's seasonality and new supply decide most of the result. This page covers the rules, the season, the competition and a worked budget. How short stays compare with a long let across Georgia is in our guide to long-term or short-term rental.
Why the numbers disagree
| Source | What it counts | Occupancy | Nightly rate | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbtics | Active Airbnb listings | 54% | USD 46 | 3,647 |
| AirDNA | Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com | 55% | USD 46 | 9,791 |
| BnbCalc | Airbnb and Vrbo | 22% to 37% | GEL 156 to 167 | 5,320 |
| Galt & Taggart | The wider apartment market | - | USD 34.6 (2Q26) | - |
Trackers that count only active, well-reviewed listings report higher occupancy than those that include every flat offered, and their annual revenue figures differ by more than two times. Use the lower figures to decide whether to buy and the higher ones as a target for a well-run flat in a good location.
A season of four months
Batumi is a summer city. Arrivals at Batumi airport in 2025 show the curve: about 40,000 in February against 213,000 in August, five times as many, with July to September carrying 44% of the year. The tourist season opened on 21 June 2026, and the Black Sea Jazz Festival filled the city on 10-12 July.
| Months | Arrivals |
|---|---|
| January to March | 57, 40, 58 |
| April to June | 78, 95, 121 |
| July to September | 176, 213, 154 |
| October to December | 101, 69, 64 |
Trackers agree that August is the best month and November and February the weakest. Rates follow the same curve: Galt & Taggart recorded the daily rate falling 7.3% in the first quarter of 2026 compared with a year earlier. Many owners switch to monthly lets from November to April, which BnbCalc's long average stays of 12 to 15 nights also suggest.
Who books
Airbtics reports that 93.8% of Batumi Airbnb guests come from abroad, with Russia the largest origin. The airport's own breakdown for 2025 shows Israel with 36% of passengers, Russia 26% after an 85% rise, Turkey 17% and the CIS 9%. Israelis mostly stay in hotels, about 90% of them in 2024, so apartments depend more on Russian, Turkish, Central Asian and regional visitors. New routes from Astana and Cairo began in summer 2026, while Iranian airlines were suspended from September 2026. Average stays for foreign visitors to Georgia were 5.48 nights in the second quarter of 2026.
The rules for daily letting
- No accommodation licence. The Law on Tourism, as amended on 28 May 2026, registers guides, tour operators and travel agencies, not flats, and we found no permit in Batumi or Adjara. Fewer than 1% of Batumi listings show a licence number.
- Tax registration is needed. An owner can choose a fixed tax of GEL 10 per m² of the let space a month until 1 January 2028, for some months or the whole year, if turnover stays within GEL 100,000; otherwise the income is declared under the general rules. Our page on small business status and rent explains why the 1% rate does not apply.
- Neighbours cannot simply ban it. Under the Law on Homeowners' Associations an owner uses the flat without other members' consent, and a restriction binds only through a written agreement registered in the Public Registry, so check the extract and the building's management contract before buying.
- Noise. Night hours run from 23:00 to 08:00; a repeat offence within a year costs GEL 150 for an individual, then GEL 300. Batumi's Municipal Inspectorate received 94 noise complaints in 2026 by July and fined 24 operators.
- Guests. We found no duty for a host to register foreign guests with the police.
- Safety. No rule specific to daily lets exists, but a smoke detector, a carbon monoxide alarm where there is a gas boiler and an extinguisher are basic care.
Competition: more flats every year
Batumi's housing stock grew from 86,000 units in 2020 to 119,000 in 2024, and Galt & Taggart counts about 58,000 more due from 2025 to 2029, of which 46,300 are designed for short stays. In new projects on the New Boulevard and Heroes' Alley, 93% to 96% of units are planned for short-term letting. Nearly 13,000 completed or planned units were still unsold in mid-2026, and the firm warns that net yields, typically 3% to 4%, could fall to 1.5% to 2% if the short-stay stock doubles. Every new tower opens a few hundred competitors on the same street.
What earns more in a crowded market
- Size. Studios show the highest occupancy, 56% on Airbtics; larger flats earn more per booking but fill less often, with BnbCalc showing about GEL 11,000 a year for one bedroom and GEL 22,000 for three.
- Location. Airbtics reports a premium of about 40% for listings near the Botanical Garden; walking distance to the beach matters more than the tower's name.
- Equipment. Air conditioning is in 98% of listings and a kitchen in 99%, so they are the minimum, not an advantage.
- Management. BnbCalc counts 63% of listings as professionally managed; quick replies, dynamic prices and spotless cleaning are what lift a flat above the average.
- Off-season plan. A monthly rate for winter tenants keeps the flat earning when nightly demand collapses.
The costs of letting by the night
| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Airbnb host fee | About 15.5% of the booking |
| Management | 20% all-inclusive (Wehost), 20% plus about GEL 50 a check-in (Gruziaexpert), 30% for daily lets (Batumi Apartment Management) |
| Cleaning charged to guests | About GEL 18 for a studio to GEL 31 for three bedrooms |
| Fixed tax option | GEL 10 per m² a month, for the months you choose |
| Electricity in Adjara | About 19.7 to 28.2 tetri per kWh, rising with use |
| Building fee | Often USD 0.5 to 0.7 per m² a month in new complexes |
A studio budget, two ways
| Item, USD | Tracker average: USD 46, 54% | Market average: USD 34.6, 40% |
|---|---|---|
| Nights sold | 197 | 146 |
| Gross revenue | 9,067 | 5,052 |
| Platform fee | -1,405 | -783 |
| Management | -1,813 | -1,010 |
| Fixed tax, GEL 3,600 | -1,386 | -1,386 |
| Building fee and utilities | -696 | -696 |
| Net income | 3,766 | 1,177 |
| Net yield on the price | 7.0% | 2.2% |
The gap is the whole story of Batumi short stays: the same flat can earn a good return or barely more than a bank deposit, depending on occupancy and rate. The fixed tax weighs heavily in a weak year; choosing it only for the summer months, GEL 1,200 for 4 months on this studio, reduces it. Run your own figures in the short-stay income calculator.
Winter: from nightly to monthly
From November to April the nightly market thins out, and many Batumi owners switch to monthly tenants, such as students and remote workers who stay for the season; winter temperatures rarely fall below 7 to 10 °C. Galt & Taggart put the average long-term rent around the New Boulevard at USD 12.3 per m² a month in the second quarter of 2026. For the 30 m² studio in the example above, that is about USD 369 a month, or about USD 2,200 over six winter months, with the tenant usually paying utilities and no cleaning between guests. It is less per night than a summer booking but steadier than waiting for winter guests, and it keeps the flat aired, heated and checked. If you plan to switch, write the contract for a fixed term ending before the season, so the flat is free again for June.
Starting daily lets in Batumi, step by step
Check the building
The registry extract for restrictions and the complex's house rules.
Register for tax
Choose the fixed tax months or the general rules.
Equip the flat
Air conditioning, kitchen, fast internet, safety devices.
Decide who runs it
Yourself, a friend or a manager at 20% to 30%.
Plan the winter
A monthly rate from November to April.
Risks and exceptions
- Oversupply. 46,300 short-stay units are planned for 2025-2029.
- Falling rates. The daily rate fell in early and mid 2026.
- A short season. Most income arrives in 3 months.
- Tax end date. The fixed tax runs only until 1 January 2028.
- Travel shocks. Route suspensions and regional events move demand quickly.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an Airbnb in Batumi earn?
About USD 9,000 a year for an active listing on Airbtics; market averages imply much less.
What is the occupancy rate in Batumi?
About 54% for active Airbnb listings; lower across all flats.
Do I need a licence for daily rent in Batumi?
No accommodation licence; you do need to register for tax.
Which months are best?
July to September, with August the peak.
Can my building ban short-term rentals?
Only through a written agreement registered in the Public Registry.
How much does management cost?
About 20% to 30% of income, sometimes plus cleaning per check-in.
Is a studio or a larger flat better?
Studios fill most often; larger flats earn more per booking.
Is Batumi oversupplied?
New supply is large and the daily rate fell in 2026.
Sources
- Airbnb revenue in Batumi, Airbtics, 16 October 2026 (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Batumi short-term rental data, AirDNA, June 2026 (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Batumi market, BnbCalc, October 2026 (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Batumi apartments dearer, daily rates down 7.3%, GBC citing Galt & Taggart, 2026 (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Batumi housing market: sales growth and oversupply risks, International Investment citing Galt & Taggart, 1 June 2026 (accessed 20 October 2026)
- How investment in Batumi is changing, International Investment citing Galt & Taggart, 3 November 2025 (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Batumi International Airport brochure, TAV Airports, 2026 (accessed 20 October 2026)
- New routes to Batumi, Georgia Today, 4 May 2026 (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Law of Georgia on Tourism, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Law of Georgia on Homeowners' Associations, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Rules on acoustic noise, Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Noise complaints in Batumi, Georgia Today, 23 July 2026 (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Tax Code of Georgia, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Property management, Wehost (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Rental management, Gruziaexpert (accessed 20 October 2026)
- New electricity tariffs, First Channel citing GNERC, 30 March 2026 (accessed 20 October 2026)
Change log
- - Guide published from Airbtics, AirDNA, BnbCalc, Galt & Taggart, TAV Airports, the Law on Tourism, the Law on Homeowners' Associations and published management price lists.