When it comes to Airbnb hosts you have ones who don’t put in a lot of effort, others who wish they could do more and Superhosts. The third category is what many aspire to, but it requires experience and devotion to making guests happy and earning more money. Mashvisor describes them as a “cut above the rest,” and for their efforts these cream-of-the-crop hosts receive badges that are displayed on their listings. Of course, Airbnb uses the Superhost program for marketing purposes, but hosts can benefit from using it as well.
What Benefits Can I Get From Being a Superhost?
Airbnb Superhosts generally get more bookings, because potential guests see the badges and trust that they are indications of trustworthiness, safety, great customer service and much better-than-average amenities. More bookings lead to more income earned, so that is the second perk; many Superhosts do so well that they are able to increase their nightly and weekly rates.
Superhosts also get priority treatment from Airbnb when contacting them on the phone or through Twitter, and better customer support can filter down to your guests. And speaking of filters, potential customers who are searching on Airbnb can use the Superhost filter to weed the other properties out. Superhosts also get an additional 20% bonus referral for any new users, a bonus $100 travel voucher once a year, invitations to Airbnb company events, potential feature stories in the newsletter and access to some new product releases.
Becoming an Airbnb Superhost
Airbnb’s Help Center explains how to become a Superhost and the process is open to all primary owners in good standing, but not all will qualify. So if you are subletting a rental or don’t meet their other requirements, you won’t be able to become one. And unless you plan to upgrade your amenities, trying to obtain this status shouldn’t cost you anything. Superhosts must book and complete a minimum of 10 trips or three reservations that equal a minimum 100 nights within a three-month period. They also must have a response rate of at least 90% and a cancellation rate of only 1%, unless there are extenuating circumstances. And besides that, the overall rating for the past 365 days must stay at 4.8 stars.
Airbnb evaluates host performances four times a year. Each of their quarterly assessments lasts for five days, with start dates of January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1. If you weren’t a host for a whole year, you can still qualify to become a Superhost. Should you meet their requirements, you will automatically become a Superhost and the badge will appear on your listing within a week or so; if you don’t qualify at the next assessment it will be removed.
Maintaining Superhost Status
Qualifying as a Superhost one time is hard enough, but maintaining the status is the best way to have long-term success with Airbnb. If you got a badge (congrats!), keep doing what you’re doing in terms of amenities and customer service. Sometimes hosts aren’t able to keep up with things like cleaning, replacing supplies and communicating with guests, so it might make sense to hire a property manager or cleaning company to help out if the cost fits into your budget. Guests also enjoy little perks like free coffee, luxury toiletries and restaurant recommendations; these can be incorporated into your rates without too much of an increase.
Good reviews are extremely important for Airbnb guests and hosts, too. DPGO recommends responding to guests even if you are already booked on their requested dates; ask if they are flexible or work out a referral system with one of your competitors. Also encourage them to leave reviews as soon as possible by messaging them through Airbnb’s messaging system, but don’t be annoying or rude. KeyCafe shares a good example of what you can write; simply thank them for their stay and politely ask for their help.