Free salon tools

Booth Rent vs Commission Calculator

Letting stylists rent a chair, or paying them on commission? Whether you want booth rental salon software or just the numbers, enter one stylist's expected monthly revenue, your commission rate and the rent you would charge, and see which model earns you more, and the revenue where the answer flips.

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"Your share" is the percentage of the stylist's service revenue that the salon keeps under commission (for example 40 means the stylist keeps 60). If rent covers products or other costs, treat those as separate and compare like with like.

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Booth rental vs commission, in plain words

With commission, the stylist works under your brand and bookings, and you keep an agreed share of what each service earns. With booth (chair) rental, the stylist pays you a fixed amount for the chair and keeps what they earn. Rent is predictable. Commission grows with the stylist. Many salons mix both: staff on commission at the front, a few experienced renters at the back.

How to choose a rent amount

  1. Work out what the chair earns you on commission when it is reasonably busy. That is the calculator's "your share" figure.
  2. Price rent a little below that, so a busy renter feels they are keeping more, while you still cover the chair's share of rent, bills and equipment.
  3. Check the break-even revenue. If a stylist will probably earn less than that, rent earns you more than commission. If they will earn more, you give up money by renting.
  4. Decide what rent includes: water, electricity, towels, shared products, Wi-Fi, reception and the booking link. Write it down.
  5. Look at the local rules. Tax and employment rules for renters differ between countries. Ask a local accountant before you sign agreements.

What booth rental software should track

  • Who rents which chair, the amount and the due date, and whether it is paid.
  • Late payments and any deposit or notice period.
  • Each renter's own appointments and clients, kept separate.
  • Products or services the renter buys from the salon.
  • A clear record of what each person earned, for tax and for disputes.

Salon software for booth renters: where Salonipy fits, and where it does not

We would rather you know before you start a trial:

  • What it does well for a mixed salon: a calendar per stylist, every bill tied to the stylist who did the work, a commission rate per stylist or per service, a payout sheet with advances and deductions, and a My Earnings view so each stylist can see their own numbers. See staff commission and billing.
  • What it does not do today: it has no dedicated chair-rent module. It does not issue rent invoices, send rent reminders or track which renter has paid. Keep rent in your usual way, such as bank transfer records or a simple sheet.

If rent tracking would make Salonipy right for you, tell us. It helps us decide what to build next. If you only collect rent and nothing else, a spreadsheet may be enough; the app earns its place when stylists share your front desk, booking and billing.

Common booth rental mistakes

  • Setting rent too high for a new stylist who has not built a client base yet. Consider a lower first month or a rent plus small commission mix.
  • No written agreement about what rent covers, notice period and client ownership.
  • Mixing renters' money with the salon's till, which makes both sets of books unreadable.
  • Never revisiting the rent when a renter grows much busier than when you set it.

Frequently asked questions

What is booth rental in a salon?

In booth or chair rental, a stylist pays the salon a fixed amount (usually weekly or monthly) for a chair or station and keeps the money they earn from their own clients, instead of working for a salary or commission.

How much should I charge for booth rent?

Start from what the same chair would earn you under commission at a realistic busy level, then price rent a little below that so renters see a benefit while you still cover rent, bills and your overheads. The calculator on this page shows the break-even point.

Is booth rent or commission better for the salon owner?

Rent gives a predictable income whether the stylist is busy or not, but the owner gives up the upside when the stylist grows. Commission shares the upside but needs accurate bills and payouts. The better one depends on how busy the stylist is, shown by the break-even revenue.

Does Salonipy collect booth rent from stylists?

Not as a dedicated feature today. Salonipy handles appointments, billing, commission and payout for each stylist, and stylists can see their own earnings, but it does not issue rent invoices or chase rent payments. Track the rent itself the way you do now.

More free salon tools

💵 Staff Commission CalculatorSalary, attendance, commission, tips and advances in one payout. 📊 Service Profit CalculatorSee what a service really earns after product, commission and rent. 🪑 Revenue per ChairWork out chair utilisation and revenue per chair-hour. 🧮 Software Cost CalculatorCompare what per-staff software pricing costs your team each year.
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