What it means
Build a calendar of available apartment-nights, then count how many were sold. Divide the sold count by the available count and multiply by 100 to get occupancy. Decide how closures, owner use and complimentary stays are treated before comparing periods, and show those rules with the result.
Why it matters
The same percentage can hide very different workloads. A few long stays and many short stays can occupy the same number of nights but require different amounts of cleaning and arrival coordination. Keep occupancy next to arrivals, departures and guest counts when planning the week.
An example in practice
Eight apartments remain available throughout a 28-night February: 8 times 28 gives 224 available apartment-nights. Guests buy 168, so occupancy is 75%. The remaining 56 are empty. This illustration includes no maintenance closures, owner stays or complimentary nights.
168 ÷ 224 × 100 = 75 %
The same period and physical capacity. This example has no blocks or complimentary nights.
A mistake to avoid
An apartment offered on three booking sites still contributes one unit of capacity each night. A listing that combines two apartments does not create a third apartment. Count the underlying spaces once, or both your availability and occupancy report will become misleading.
Put it into practice
- Choose physical apartments, rooms or beds and keep that unit consistent.
- Record why nights are blocked and disclose any denominator adjustments.
- Compare sold and available counts, not just the percentage on its own.
A common question
Does a same-day departure and arrival count twice?
No. A guest leaving on Friday used Thursday night; the guest arriving on Friday uses Friday night. They create two separate tasks for the team that day, but they do not create two sold Friday nights for the same apartment.