If you’re considering renting out space in your home on Airbnb, there’s one designation that might give you some pause before doing so: Superhost. Superhost status isn’t an easy feat to achieve — several conditions must be met and requirements that must be fulfilled to qualify as an Airbnb super host, but it’s certainly worth the effort to achieve this prestigious status if you’re looking to get more business from your Airbnb listings. Here’s everything you need to know about becoming an Airbnb super host.
What Is Airbnb Superhost?
Although your question is about what is an Airbnb superhost, I’m going to answer it by explaining what a superhost is. A superhost is a title given by Airbnb that means you’ve rated 4.8 or higher (on a 5-point scale) on over 100 reviews. In other words, you must be very well-liked.
There are many perks to being a superhost and one of them is that you can earn additional income from offering hosting services as opposed to just having people rent out your home as extra rooms or private apartments. For example, you can use registry (website) which has become one of several tools available for superhosts who want to offer their services outside of Airbnb.
How To Become An Airbnb Superhost
If you want to make money from your spare room and home by being a superhost, you’ll need some specific qualities. What is an Airbnb superhost and how do you become one? Here are all of our tips for creating memorable experiences for travelers that will take your hospitality business to another level. These tips will be especially helpful if you’re looking to snag that most-coveted badge for your profile. To start with, let’s look at what it takes to be an Airbnb superhost.
The exact requirements vary depending on location and experience but here are some general things you should know about becoming a super host: Make sure your house is clean. This may seem obvious but it matters. It shouldn’t look like no one lives there but it also shouldn’t look like Martha Stewart herself lives there (because then people might expect 5-star accommodations).
We recommend cleaning before every guest checks in and taking note of any issues as they arise during their stay so you can address them next time around. Always leave towels out for guests when they arrive!
The Benefits of Being an Airbnb Superhost
First of all, let’s define what it means to be a superhost: Airbnb defines a super host as someone who has earned five-star reviews from at least 75% of their guests. If you’re eligible, several benefits come with being an Airbnb superhost. The most important one is that it makes your listings stand out on-site, which encourages more bookings.
Being a superhost also grants you access to special perks like two months of premium subscription service for free and a personalized listing seal for your profile picture. But above all else, what matters is how much business you get from being a super host—and in that sense, being one can bring quite a lot of business your way. In fact, according to research by travel company Phocuswright, 45% of all new hosts start their business because they want to become super hosts! And according to another study by TripAdvisor and HomeAway, just 5% of hosts have earned super host status. So what does it take?
What do these numbers tell us about what qualifies someone as a super host? It turns out that earning top marks from guests isn’t necessarily about having better accommodations or better amenities than other hosts—it’s about providing superior hospitality and ensuring that everything goes smoothly for every guest during their stay.
How to Optimize your Profile as a Host
Using good quality photos, a detailed description of your place, and great reviews can help you become a Super Host on Airbnb. One of the biggest benefits that come with being a super host is that it gives you priority over other hosts when renting out your space. In short, once you have achieved super host status, it’s easier for people in search of accommodation in your area to find you.
It’s also possible for some hosts to make more money as super hosts than others without increasing pricing. Currently, there are only two factors that determine whether or not you become a super host: guest reviews and the number of bookings.
How to Write the Best Listings on Airbnb
Think of your Airbnb listing as your own personal sales pitch, designed to entice your ideal guest. After all, people spend a lot of time deciding where they want to stay for their vacation or business trip. If you don’t make it easy for them and give them a compelling reason why they should stay with you, they will go elsewhere—and find someone else willing to accept their business. Here are some tips on how to write listings that stand out and get more guests to stay at your place.
How do I leave great reviews?
Reviews are a big part of what makes Airbnb tick. Before you submit a review for a host, be sure you’ve been completely satisfied with your stay. If you’re pleased with your stay, it should be as simple as choosing Great! or Outstanding! for your rating. After you’ve left your review, check out other reviews.
In most cases, only one person can leave a review per booking—the person who booked it—so if someone else has already left a review and rated the host poorly, there’s probably no point in writing another negative review unless something especially poor happened during your stay. At that point, consider contacting customer support directly instead of leaving a public note on other people’s reviews.
Your response rate needs to be 90% or higher
To maintain your status as a super host, you need to meet a minimum response rate of 90% or higher. In other words, if you received 10 requests in one month, you must respond within 24 hours and accept, decline, or make a counter offer for each request. The more time you spend answering requests, however, could mean less time making money from your rentals. So be careful not to let responsiveness detract from profitability.
Always take your guests’ feedback into consideration
It’s a good idea to always consider guests’ feedback, even if you don’t agree with it. Taking time to listen and respond to guest feedback is key in turning a dissatisfied guest into a super host candidate. This can also help your profile get more positive reviews, which is equally important in becoming a superhost. Pay attention to what your guests are saying so that you can not only address their concerns but also anticipate their needs.
Make sure you respond quickly, professionally, and politely! In addition, remember to rate your guests! If they were satisfied with their stay, let them know by leaving them a positive review and rating.
You Have to Have More Than 10 Bookings Per Year
The superhost designation is given to those hosts that have received a certain number of positive reviews from their guests. But what if you’ve only had five bookings in your entire time as a host? Don’t worry, you can still qualify for super host status. To be eligible, you have to have received 10 or more cumulative bookings on Airbnb over any 12 months and at least 80% of those bookings must have been rated 5 stars by your guests.
Additionally, only one listing per host is counted toward these metrics. If you’re not sure what’s counted toward these figures, it’s really easy: It’s anything that involves money changing hands—whether it be paid via PayPal or cash—and reservations made via email are also included in your overall booking history.
Conclusion
Become a super host by creating excellent experiences for your guests and responding quickly to any problems. Keep in mind that communication is key; whether you need help checking into your room or have special requests, always use messages before phone calls or emails.
Overall, treating each guest like they’re part of your ohana (Hawaiian for family) will make all the difference in becoming a superhost—and can even land you some great reviews. Once you become a super host, don’t forget to feature your blue Superhost Badge prominently on your profile!