How Much Passive Income is Enough to Retire With?

BiggerPockets Blog
Published: December 8, 2025
Pricing & Profitability

Summary

This article discusses the importance of accurately calculating retirement income needs, which can be applied to financial planning for STR hosts. Hosts should understand their current expenses and how inflation impacts future needs to plan effectively. Furthermore, the article suggests how hosts can leverage their passive income, like rental income, to ensure a comfortable financial future.

Key Insights

  • Inflation can significantly impact retirement needs; for instance, $10K/month now equals $15.9K/month in 20 years, necessitating a larger portfolio to maintain the same lifestyle.
  • The article emphasizes the importance of a 'cash flow gap' analysis, the difference between your lifestyle needs and predictable income. Ignoring this can lead to an $80,000+ income shortfall.

Action Items

  • Identify income offsets such as rental income, Social Security, and pensions, to estimate the gap your investment needs to cover, and determine the necessary ADR of your STR portfolio to reach your desired retirement income.
    Effort: medium
    Impact: high
  • Calculate your monthly expenses, categorize them as fixed or variable, and then project those costs forward, accounting for 3-4% inflation.
    Effort: low
    Impact: medium

Common Mistakes

  • Relying on ballpark guesses or not accounting for inflation or guaranteed income sources will lead to an inaccurate assessment of retirement needs.

Related Videos

More from Pricing & Profitability

KC has ‘highest occupancy’ of World Cup cities. Is effort to add rentals working? - Kansas City Star

This article discusses Kansas City's high occupancy rates compared to other World Cup host cities, raising questions about the effectiveness of efforts to increase short-term rental availability. It implicitly touches on market trends and the impact of major events on the STR market. The article likely explores whether increased rental supply can meet demand while analyzing the city's approach to STRs.

about 19 hours agoKansas City, MO75
Best Mountain Towns Where Homes Deliver the Strongest Airbnb Returns - Realtor.com

Realtor.com's report on best mountain towns for Airbnb returns reveals key locations for STR investment. The analysis likely includes data on occupancy rates, ADR, and RevPAR to identify profitable markets. Understanding these trends helps hosts optimize pricing strategies and choose lucrative destinations.

about 20 hours ago85
Airbnb offers $750 incentive for some Ga. hosts during FIFA World Cup - WRDW

Airbnb is offering a $750 incentive for some hosts in Georgia during the FIFA World Cup, potentially boosting occupancy and profitability. This program seeks to capitalize on increased demand from the international event, offering financial benefits to participating hosts. Learn how to qualify and leverage this incentive for your STR.

2 days agoGeorgia85

Curated by Learn STR by GoStudioM