Airbnb Superhost Status: Benefits of Becoming One | Hospitable (2024)

With more than 7 million active listings on Airbnb, standing out is the key to more bookings and higheroccupancy rates. One of the ways tostand out from the competition on the platformis to achieve Airbnb Superhost status.

A little badge that looks like a military medal, sitting next to the profile picture on listings, tells potential guests they can expect high-quality customer service when booking with Superhosts.

But what exactly does it mean to be an Airbnb Superhost? Should you strive to attain this status, and what benefits will you enjoy? We’ll talk about all of this and more in this article.

What Is an Airbnb Superhost Status?

Airbnb defines Superhosts as top-rated and most experienced hosts who go above and beyond to provide excellent hospitality. Travelers can easily identify an Airbnb Superhost from thespecial badgeon their listings and profile. In Airbnb’s words, this badge is awarded to inform everyone that the host is “extra awesome.”

Any Airbnb host can become a Superhost, from people offering simple private rooms andtiny homesto those who run multipleluxury vacation rentals. Becoming an Airbnb Superhost reflects the host’s outstanding service, not the luxury or uniqueness of their properties.

Airbnb Superhost Benefits

Becoming a Superhost doesn’t just mean you’ll get a little badge displayed on yourhost profileand listings. The status also comes with a wide range of potential benefits, and as an Airbnb Superhost, you can expect to:

Attract more guests—the Superhost status shows that you reliably offer a perfectguest experience, which can make the difference when a traveler chooses from several similar properties.

Get special recognition—properties managed by Superhosts are more likely to be featured in promotional emails and curated lists on the Airbnb website.

Get access to exclusive awards—you get an extra 20% on top of the usual referral bonus and earn a $100 Airbnb coupon if you maintain your status for four consecutive quarters.

Providing a fantastic experience for all your guests involves a lot of work. Still, it will be easier to focus on this essential aspect of hosting if you automate your daily repetitive tasks using vacation rental software like Hospitable.

How to Become a Superhost on Airbnb

You don’t need to apply to become a Superhost on Airbnb, but you must meet certain criteria. Every quarter, Airbnb evaluates your hosting performance over the past 12 months for all your listings. The assessment periods last for seven days and begin on:

• January 1st
• April 1st
• July 1st
• October 1st

If you meet the program requirements by the assessment date, you’ll become a Superhost automatically. They’ll notify you of your Superhost status at the end of each assessment period, and it may take up to 1 week for your Superhost badge to show up on your listing.

Remember that Airbnb takes time to check your hosting performance four times a year, and you’ll need to continue to meet all the program requirements to maintain your Superhost status on the next assessment date. If you miss even a single requirement, you’ll lose the title.

Getting a Superhost status implies doing a lot of things right. It also means you must avoid the stupid mistakes that impact your guests’ experience and make you say goodbye to the Superhost badge. Download our freeguide on avoiding the horrible, still popular hosting mistakes.

Airbnb Superhost Requirements

Now that you know how this Airbnb program works and how to become a Superhost, let’s see what requirements you need to meet to qualify for this VIP status.

Maintain a 4.8+ overall ratingbased on reviews from your guests in the past year. Note that a review counts towards Superhost status when either the guest and the Host have submitted a review or the 14-day window for reviews is over, whichever comes first.

If you opt for Hospitable, we’ll help you to get more 5-star reviews with our personalized review templates and automatic review requests. Moreover, our tool will protect your Airbnb profile from negative reviews by allowing you to send negative guest reviews right at the end of their possible response window.

Meet the number of stays or nights. You must complete at least ten trips or three reservations totaling at least 100 nights. This criterion gives equal opportunities for hosts offering short-term and long-term stays.

Maintain a 90% response rate or higher. Fast and clear communication is one of the most important aspects of Airbnb hosting. You need to provide guests with the necessary information at the right time. Remember that all hosts are expected to reply to at least 90% of guest messages related to new reservations within 24 hours.

Maintain a less than 1% cancellation rate. You are expected to honor your commitments as a host, so you can only cancel 1 in 100 bookings. Exceptions are made only for cancellations under the Airbnb Extenuating Circ*mstances policy.

So Is Attaining Airbnb Superhost Status Worth It?

Becoming a Superhost is not easy, and maintaining the status is also rather challenging. It involves hard work, dedication, and commitment to providing exceptional customer service to make guests happy with their stays. And although Airbnb promises many benefits, how does Superhost status really affect your revenue? Do Airbnb Superhosts make more money?

Let’s look at a few stats provided by the data analytics platformAirDNA,which specializes in providing insights and performance metrics for Airbnb.

• 41% of Airbnb hosts have Superhost status.
• 4% of all Airbnb hosts receive a 4.5-star rating or better, but only 41.3% achieve Superhost status.
• 75% of Superhosts have a 4.9-star rating or higher, compared to 39% of standard hosts.
• On average, Superhosts earn 29% more revenue per year than standard hosts.
• Despite earning more overall, Superhosts charge 11% less per night than standard hosts.
• The annual revenue potential for Superhosts is $48,277, compared to $37,293 for standard hosts.
• Listings managed by Superhosts have an occupancy rate of 58.2%, compared to 53.6% for standard hosts.

Learn about AirDNA short-term rental data

These stats speak for themselves. Airbnb Superhosts have higher occupancy rates, receive better reviews, and make more money. However, the Superhost status is an indicator of prior performance and your commitment to providing an enjoyable guest experience.

The true driver of your revenue as an Airbnb Superhost is the level of customer service that you deliver consistently. It sets you apart from other hosts on the platform and inspires potential guests to choose your listing over others. This leads to more bookings, potentially higher nightly rates, and, as a result, increased revenue.

Guest Favorite vs Superhost

Airbnb created the Guest Favorite and Superhost programs to showcase the best, most experienced hosts who provide exceptional customer service. The criteria for Superhosts and Guest Favorites titles differ slightly, but actually, they signify different achievements.

The Superhost status evaluates the host’s overall performance across all listings. It is awarded at the account level to top-rated hosts on the platform who consistently meet specific criteria. On the other hand, the Guest Favorite feature is focused on the guest experience at specific Airbnb properties and highlights top-rated listings to help guests find great places to stay. Besides, the Superhost status is re-evaluated quarterly, and the Guest Favorite status is reviewed daily.

So, let’s compare Guest Favorite vs Superhost statuses. It’s clear that Superhost status is about the host’s overall excellence across all their listings, while Guest Favorites spotlight the individual vacation rentals that guests have particularly loved.

If you’re a Superhost with a listing in Guest Favorites, both statuses will be highlighted on your listing page. Your Airbnb listing will also have aGuest Favorite badgein search results.

11 Quick Tips to Help You Become an Airbnb Superhost

Becoming an Airbnb Superhost requires attention to detail, commitment, and a genuine desire to provide an exceptional experience for all your guests. Here are some tips to help you achieve and maintain Superhost status and compete effectively on the platform.

1. Complete your listing thoroughly—fill in every detail possible to provide accurate information about your rental space and set clear expectations.
2. Optimize yourlisting titleto make it catchy and memorable. You may include your property’s best features and highlight specific amenities to attract more attention from potential guests.
3. Create an engaging description of your Airbnb rental to get travelers excited about staying in your space. Use relevant words and phrases to increase the chances that your listing will appear in appropriateAirbnb categories.
4. Adjust your listing to reflect the seasonand impress your guests. Consider adding a seasonal décor. You may also want todecorate your Airbnb for Christmasand other holidays to make it more festive and inviting for guests.
5. Getprofessional photosof your property—they will help to sell your listing. Hire anAirbnb photographerwho can show your rental as best as possible, highlighting your unique features so guests will be excited about booking your place.
6. Price your Airbnb fairly to attract guests and maintain a high occupancy rate. Adjust your nightly rates to reflect the seasonal changes in supply and demand, holidays, etc. Using a dynamic pricing tool, you can automate this process and ensure your prices are competitive. You must meet Airbnb’s requirements regarding the number of stays while maintaining a profit.
7. Show your guests that their stay experience matters to you. Do your best to exceed guests’ expectations every time by adding a few nice touches. A good idea is to provide your guests with awelcome basketto make them feel special and welcome.
8. Make sureyour place is super clean. Consider hiring professional vacation rental cleaners trained to do the job quickly and thoroughly.
9. Send your guests through an epic“guest-nurturing” messaging sequence. Ensure effective communication with guests to provide accurate information, make them feel cared for, and foster good relationships.
10. Reduce your minimum stay requirements to attract guests looking for quick stays. It will help keep your calendar full and optimize your revenue.
11. Prioritize communication. Answer guest inquiries as fast as possible, ideally within 24 hours. Maintaining a high response rate is one of the critical requirements for becoming an Airbnb Superhost.

Conclusion

Becoming a Superhost on Airbnb isn’t just about meeting the minimum requirements. It’s about maintaining high standards in customer service and consistently going above and beyond in your hosting duties.

Stats show that Airbnb Superhosts, on average, earn more revenue than standard hosts, but their great results come from hard work and dedication. If you want to achieve and maintain this status, you should focus on creating memorable experiences for your guests and constantly strive for excellence in everything you do as a host.

What you will benefit from a big-time is to save yourself from the bad mistakes some hosts make.Download our listand ensure you won’t recognize yourself in any of those situations.