What is a Superhost and How to Become One?
Hosting platforms such as Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com all have their own algorithm highlighting certain listings over others. On Airbnb, hosts strive to become Surperhosts, communicating to the guests that they are top-tier hosts who have been verified by Airbnb.
Superhost status is granted to Airbnb hosts who have proven to go above and beyond for their guests. Although strong reviews are required to become a Superhost, it’s not the only condition they have to meet.
What is an Airbnb Superhost?
An Airbnb Superhost is a host Airbnb has deemed outstanding. Superhosts can be identified by the badge that appears next to their listings on Airbnb search, and on their host profile. Reaching Superhost status means that that host has continuously received good reviews over a designated period of time.
What are the benefits of becoming an Airbnb Superhost?
The golden badge denoting Superhost status does more than give hosts bragging rights. Superhosts enjoy a number of benefits that help advance their Airbnb business, such as the ones listed below.
Greater Visibility and Higher Occupancy Rates
The most obvious benefit to achieving Superhost status is increased visibility in Airbnb search, which leads to higher occupancy rates for your listings. Superhost status also increases the chances your listing will be featured in Airbnb newsletters and other curated lists.
Airbnb features Superhost listings on the first pages of Airbnb, without the need for users to filter for Superhosts. According to AirDNA, Superhosts experience an 81% higher occupancy rate than non-Superhost listings.
Increased ADR
Booking with a Superhost assures guests they will enjoy a premium experience. Increased visibility and higher occupancy rates contribute to an overall trust being cultivated among the Superhost community. For this reason, Superhosts are generally able to charge a higher daily rate than their competitors. According to AirDNA, Superhosts can potentially earn 60% more revenue per available day.
Airbnb Priority Support Staff
Superhosts enjoy dedicated customer support from Airbnb personnel, helping your vacation rental business run more efficiently. As part of the Superhost program, you’d be able to access an elevated tier of Airbnb staff, helping you resolve customer concerns with ease.
Exclusive Rewards
Airbnb rewards its Superhosts with a $100 travel coupon that can be applied towards a future Airbnb trip. They also earn an extra 20% on top of the normal referral bonus when they refer a new host to sign up to Airbnb. Hosts must maintain Superhost status for one year to qualify for the $100 travel credit.
How Airbnb Superhosts are Selected
Every quarter Airbnb evaluates host performance over the past 12 months. These evaluations take place throughout a 5-day period beginning on:
January 1st
April 1st
July 1st
October 1st
During these evaluations, Airbnb assesses how well all listings on your account have performed and determine if you qualify for Superhost status. For this reason, it’s important your exceptional level of service remains consistent across all of your vacation homes.
Not only does Airbnb select new Superhosts during these quarterly assessments, but they also manage existing ones. If a Superhost’s ratings go down or cancellations rise from one quarter to another, they risk losing their Superhost status.
There’s no need to apply to become a Superhost. If you meet the program’s requirements you’ll be notified of your new status at the end of each assessment period. It could take up to one week for your Superhost badge to appear on your listings.
Airbnb Requirements to Become a Superhost
If you’ve just started to host on Airbnb, it can be discouraging to have to wait an entire year before being eligible for Superhost status. Luckily, as long as you've successfully completed a certain number of bookings within 100 days—you don’t have to wait 12 months to become a Superhost.
To qualify for Superhost status a vacation rental host has to have their account in good standing and have met the following criteria:
Maintained at least a 90% response rate to queries made within 24 hours
Completed either 10 trips or 3 reservations that total a minimum of 100 nights
Maintained an overall 4.8 rating
Maintained a less than 1% cancellation rate
Reaching Superhost Status in 4 Easy Steps
As you can see from the requirements mentioned above, Superhost status won’t come by chance. Hosts need to focus on maintaining a high response rate, a low cancellation rate, strong ratings, and high occupancy. Below are four steps you can take to increase your chances of becoming a Superhost.
Establish a quick response rate
Being ‘on’ all the time can be stressful, but when you run short-term rentals, you have to be willing to compromise. Turning on your Airbnb notifications and answering as soon as you see them will strengthen your response rate. You should aim to respond in no less than 24 hours to messages from guests.
One way around this is to proactively reduce the number of times guests reach out by providing them with resources that answer potential questions that may arise. Examples of these resources are neighborhood guides, house rules, and cleaning checklists. Consider creating these resources for your guests, and sending them as soon as they confirm their stay.
Consistently rate guests and secure 5-star reviews
With all of your focus placed on providing a phenomenal guest experience and securing 5-star reviews, it can be easy to forget that as host, you’re able to rate your guests as well! Reviews count towards Superhost status in one of two scenarios:
When both the guest and the host have submitted a review or,
When the 14-day window during which a review can be written, is over
Writing reviews of your guests is an undervalued vacation rental strategy for hosts. When you leave a review on your guests’ profiles, they get a notification letting them know you’ve done so. This makes it more likely they’ll write a review back, strengthening your reputation as host on the platform.
In order to increase chances of a high rating, hosts should strive to meet the following criteria:
Have solid wifi capable of streaming video calls for extended periods of time (3 mbps connection)
Present an exceptionally clean and organized space
Respond to guest requests in a timely and respectful manner
Include a personalized welcome gift upon arrival
Avoid cancellations at all costs!
Perhaps the most challenging aspect of achieving Superhost status is achieving a less than 1% cancellation rate. In order to achieve a maximum of 1 cancellation per 100 bookings, hosts have to be hypervigilant of their calendar. Make sure you maintain a detailed and updated calendar of your booking schedule and personal life to avoid scheduling conflicts.
Although some exceptions are made under Airbnb’s Extenuating Circumstances Policy, there’s a number of scenarios that don’t qualify for excused cancellations. If a host cancels due to a natural disaster or government restrictions, they have 14 days to appeal the cancellation penalty. However, even instances such as illness and jury duty don’t make the list.
Regularly update your Airbnb listing description and prices
Many travelers will make their final decision regarding a stay based on price. Although price is not the only factor guests consider when booking a stay, they’ll definitely compare prices and choose the place that offers them the best deal. Hosts should keep this in mind and regularly update the price of their vacation homes to ensure their listings remain competitive.
Even if your Airbnb was the best option in the area a year ago, that may no longer be the case. Not only do you want to update your price to stay competitive, but also your listing description to reflect any recent changes to your neighborhood and/or property.
Contract a Full-Service Vacation Rental Management Company to Achieve Superhost Status
Operating vacation homes in LA is an exciting and lucrative opportunity, but the pressures of achieving Superhost status with multiple properties under your belt can get overwhelming.
If you want to secure 5-star ratings, consistently book your vacation homes, and achieve Superhost status, contact us today to learn more about our full-service vacation rental management services.
MBX Homes is a boutique rental management company, offering personalized services that are guaranteed to set your property apart from the competition. Call us today to get started!
