Airbnb charges a commission to use their service; is there a way to recoup that cost?

Yes, BrightSide makes it easy to create a markup fee that is hidden in the rent on Airbnb. You can choose to make it a percentage of rent or a flat fee. Airbnb bundles it in the rent, not as a separate fee. However, BrightSide treats it as a separate fee for the property manager to keep. This markup fee offsets the expense of paying Airbnb commissions.