How to Become a Superhost on Airbnb

What is an Airbnb Superhost

An Airbnb Superhost is an Airbnb host whom Airbnb have deemed worthy of their highly regarded Superhost status. It is a mark of excellence that will set you apart as the host who consistently goes above and beyond in all areas of customer service, and a shiny badge will be displayed on all your Airbnb listings. 

We're here to help you discover how to become a Superhost on Airbnb.

Understanding Airbnb Superhost requirements 

In order to qualify as an Airbnb superhost you will need to excel in four key areas. Airbnb evaluates these criteria in a quarterly assessment and all four criteria must be met in order for hosts to be awarded superhost status.

Here’s the Airbnb Superhost criteria:
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• 4.8+ overall rating - Superhosts must achieve an overall rating of 4.8 or higher from their customer reviews from the previous 12 months. Satisfied guests are considered essential in the Airbnb superhost program.
• <1% cancellation rate - except in the instance of extenuating circumstances Superhosts are expected to cancel customer bookings very rarely, maintaining a low cancellation rate.
• 10+ stays - Superhosts must have completed at least 10 stays or 100 nights over at least 3 stays in the last year. Superhosts are expected to be experienced hosts.
• 90% response rate - punctual responses are important to customers and superhosts must respond to 90% of their messages within 24 hours.

The Airbnb bots will assess your performance and if you ace all of the above requirements then the Superhost badge will be awarded automatically. The criteria will be assessed quarterly taking into account your last 12 month assessment period. 

Why Become an Airbnb Superhost

Once you have achieved the coveted status of Superhost on Airbnb what exclusive rewards and Superhost benefits can you expect? Let's find out. 
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It’s tough to meet the stringent AirBnB superhost criteria and that little badge differentiates between those who are serious about the vacation rental game and those who are, well… less so. Superhosts make up less than 20% of Airbnb hosts, so becoming part of the superhost program will give you a whole new layer of credibility with all your potential guests - making your listing stand out from the crowd and attract more guests. Those enjoying superhost status can expect a serious upsurge in enquiries, translating into increased bookings.
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As an Airbnb superhost you are likely to receive preferential positioning on search pages, giving your superhost properties more visibility - you may also be featured in promotional guest emails. On top of this, Airbnb users will often check for listings using the superhost search filter. What’s the end result for Airbnb superhosts? More reservation requests, more bookings and more money in your superhost pocket. 
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On top of this Airbnb offer their superhosts an extra 20% for any new host referrals they make and for every year they can maintain the superhost requirements they are gifted a $100 travel coupon. All in all it’s a pretty sweet deal, and all the hard work undertaken to achieve superhost status should pay itself back in no time.

Tips for becoming an Airbnb Superhost Quickly

1.  Prioritize Guest Communication

Good communication is the cornerstone of great customer service. Airbnnb guests often have questions and don’t like to be left hanging, and in order to become an Airbnb superhost you are expected to respond to over 90% of enquiries within 24 hours. We recommend you aim for a very fast response rate by regularly checking your phone at, say 1 hour intervals, then taking time to converse with the guests - answering any and all questions they may have regarding your property listing.

2. Maintain Impeccable Cleanliness

Nobody wants to stay in a dirty room, apartment or house, especially when they’re paying for the privilege. Make sure your property is thoroughly cleaned by a professional cleaner in between bookings in order to keep your review score high. It’s worth checking up on the work of your cleaning service regularly to ensure that the high standards you and your guests expect are being adhered to and there are no nasty surprises lurking under a pillow, clogging up the shower or stinking out the fridge.

3. Offer Personalized Touches

Everybody likes to feel special. Welcoming guests with a personalized note is a simple and engaging gesture that will start your guests journey off in good standing. If you discover your guest has specific needs then go out of your way to ensure these are met, and always check back in with the guest during their stay to make sure that everything is satisfactory.

4. Be Transparent in Listings

Guests deserve the truth about where they are staying and they prefer to know it before it's too late. If the property is a 26 square meter condo barely able to accommodate a bit of cat-swinging then be honest about it and price your listing appropriately. That's all some people need. Guests will not be happy if what's been advertised doesn’t match the reality and complaints of this nature are a surefire way to bring you below that 4.8 review score required to show guest satisfaction.

5. Foster flexibility

Superhosts are known for going the extra mile with their guests. If it’s possible to let the guest check-in early and check-out late without it affecting your other bookings then why not let them. If they want to fit three people in a double bed for one night, maybe accommodating them will get you a great review, and another step towards reaching superhost status yourself. If you can take the time to make your guests feel special by accommodating their needs your chances of receiving great reviews will be maximized.

6. Invest in Quality Amenities

Isn’t it great when someone has thought about everything you might need? Be that superhost. It’s a kick in the teeth when you arrive at a perfect apartment after a long stopover flight, set yourself up on a comfy sofa and switch on the telly only to find the WiFi isn’t working or there’s no Netflix available.

Guests don’t want to trek to the local store, buy a few beers and walk home to discover there’s no bottle opener in the house. Be thorough, and think of everything your guests might want to avoid negative reviews and reach superhost status.

Studies show that the top sought-after amenities for Airbnb guests include good Wifi, smart locks for easy check-in, a fully equipped kitchen and a washing machine/dryer. A hot tub wouldn’t go amiss either.

7. Actively Seek Feedback

As an Airbnb superhost you will be expected to prioritize guest relations. Not everyone will write a review or report back on what they thought was missing from your kitchen. We suggest you engage as much as possible with all guests, encouraging them to write reviews after they check out. Feedback is a valuable way to find out what else you could be doing that future guests might love.  

8. Master the Art of Pricing

AirBnB has always sought to provide value for money, and guests will rate your listing more highly if they feel they have got an outstanding deal. Do your homework, check the market in your area and don’t overprice yourself. Guests can rate your listing on value as well so be sure to check your scores and react appropriately, it’ll reap dividends in the long run. Engaging with and understanding your guests better is a fantastic way to be a better host and hopefully become a superhost.

9. Stay updated on Airbnb policies

Keeping abreast of any changes within Airbnb  policies can avoid confusion and possibly confrontation with your guests. Make sure you are up-to-date with new policies to ensure smooth running and avoid unnecessary complaints.

10. Join Airbnb Community

Why not share your guest experiences and learn from other hosts. Airbnb Community is a great way for hosts to compare everything they have discovered along their journey and profit from each other's knowledge. You’re not alone and being able to communicate directly with other Airbnb hosts about how they deal with tricky situations, or simply offer great customer service, makes Airbnb Community a valuable resource.

11. Use a Professional Property Manager

Becoming an Airbnb superhost can pay great dividends but the extra work may be extremely time-consuming, especially if you’re already in full-time employment. It could pay off to hire a property manager such as HostGenius to manage your listings for you. HostGenius has a huge host of resources dedicated to maximizing the potential of your properties and with a dedicated management team at your disposal 24/7 you will quickly be in pole position to achieve the coveted superhost status.

‍Maintaining Airbnb Superhost Status

In order to keep the superhost badge after achieving superhost status, you will have to continue to record excellent stats within Airbnbs algorithm parameters. Airbnb conducts their performance assessment surveys quarterly, with an assessment date on the first of the month in January, April, July and October. The algorithm looks at the past year of your hosting performance - across all listings. In order to maintain the high levels of service expected from outstanding hosts you will need to stay on top of your game, all of the time. 

Our Ultimate Airbnb Superhost Checklist

Here’s a few key points to remember to adhere to on your quest to becoming an Airbnb superhost:
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• Communicate,communicate, communicate. Reply to messages promptly and actively engage withyour guests from before they check-in until after they check-out of their vacation rental.
• Amenitize. Make sure your listing provides the guest with all the quality amenities they could want… and more.
• Be honest. Price your listing realistically and don’t offer misleading information or photos.
• Focus customerservice. Go out of your way to accommodate guests' needs in order to encourage great reviews.
• Stay up to date. Keep your finger on the pulse when it comes to Airbnb guest policies to keep your service levels inline with those of Airbnb.

 FAQs 

• How much does a superhost make on Airbnb? It’s impossible to pin down a specific financial amount that superhosts make due to variance in size and pricing of properties but studies suggest that superhosts can expect an increase in occupancy of between 20% and 80% along with significant increases in daily income and listing traffic.
• How many reviews do you need to become a superhost on Airbnb? There is no set amount of reviews required by Airbnb, but must have completed either 10 stays or 3 stays with a combined total of over 100 days with an average score of 4.8 or higher for the past 12 months.
• Is Superhost status worth it? It’s hard work to meet the Airbnb superhost requirements but the financial returns should more than compensate for the extra time put in.
• What benefits do Airbnb Superhosts get? Airbnb Superhosts should expect to see an increase in several key performance areas for their listings. They also benefit from some exclusive rewards. Superhosts display the Airbnb superhost badge - the benefits include extra credibility with guests, preferential positioning in search results, featuring in Airbnb promotional material, increase in listing traffic, enquiries and occupancy, 20% extra on new host referrals, $100 Airbnb travel coupon for every year as a Superhost

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