A guide to becoming an Airbnb Superhost

I’m sure you’ve heard this word used a lot in the Airbnb circles, so now’s the time to go over what it means if you don’t know. This week we’ll go over what a Superhost is and how you can get to be one of the few members of this very exclusive club.

What is an Airbnb Superhost?

Airbnb Superhost status is only reserved for those hosts who go above and beyond guest expectations. These hosts are usually more experienced, and top-rated so think of them as Airbnb role models. Once you become an Airbnb Superhost, a badge will appear next to your listing, and this helps guests identify your Superhost status and book your place. As well as increased bookings, you’ll also be more visible on the platform, be able to earn more and other exclusive benefits. 

Airbnb also checks these profiles 4 times a year to make sure they are all up to the Superhost standard.

So what boxes do you need to tick to become a Superhost?

Maintaining a 4.8+ overall rating

Superhosts need to be able to keep a 4.8+ star rating, which means maintaining a 5-star rating 80% of the time. This is a high bar to reach, we know!

There are many ways you can get to this position, but some of the things you should ask yourself are:

-Am I using all the characters on my listing title (and am I using them effectively?)

-Is my listing accurate and well-worded?

-Are my photos good quality and an accurate representation of my property?

-Am I communicating clearly with my guests?

-Have I provided everything they need (and more.) For an example on how to provide top-notch amenities, check this article.

-Am I available to be contacted?

-Have I provided a house manual for guests to use?

-Is my property tidy and safe for guests?

Complete 10+ stays over a year (or 100 nights over 3 stays)

Difficult? We don’t think so. All of the tips above will also be useful for getting people to book in the first place. But if you aren’t getting bookings be sure to check out this previous article.

Cancellations must only make up 1% of bookings 

Airbnb is also extremely strict on cancellations, and won’t allow for a host to have Superhost status unless they have under 1% of cancellations. This pretty much means you aren’t allowed to cancel unless under extenuating circumstances. If your cancellation was under extenuating circumstances such as serious illness or a death in the family, then make sure to email Airbnb as they may be able to get this wiped from the record. 

Regardless of Superhost status, cancelling a booking is never a good idea anyway as it drops you down the totem pole of search rankings, so it decreases your chances of getting future bookings. 

Have a 90% response rate

Airbnb Superhosts are expected to respond to all questions and queries within 24hrs. Tips to create this crystal-clear communication would be to reply as soon as you see any new messages. This ensures that you won’t forget about them later! If you don’t know the answer to a certain query, make sure you tell your guests that you will find out. You can then get back to them with the right answer within 24hrs, and in this time they know they are taken care of, and Airbnb will also be happy that you are communicating well.

Because Airbnb tracks response rates and uses these to determine your search ranking, you must reply quickly, regardless of whether you want to reach Superhost status or not.

To save yourself some precious time, Airbnb has also recently added a system where you can save responses. This means you can use previous messages (which you have so eloquently worded) and respond to different guests with the same message.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Airbnb hosts should always be trying to be the best hosts that can be, so adhering to all these requirements could mean that you can become a shining example within the Airbnb community. Once this happens, you will also have access to many benefits that regular Airbnb hosts don’t have. So there are all the reasons in the world to become an Airbnb Superhost!

Written by Lauren Middleton