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Airbnb Superhost Status—Is It Really Worth It?
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.
With more than 9 million active listings on Airbnb, standing out is the key to more bookings and higher occupancy rates. One way to stand out from the competition on the platform is to achieve Airbnb Superhost status.
A small badge resembling a military medal, placed next to the profile picture in 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, highly experienced hosts who go above and beyond to provide excellent hospitality. Travelers can easily identify an Airbnb Superhost from the special badge on 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 and tiny homes to those who run multiple luxury 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 your host profile and 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 perfect guest experience, which can make the difference when a traveler chooses from several similar properties. According to Airbnb, some 59% of guests say Superhost status makes them more confident in the quality of accommodation.
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 priority support—Superhosts receive priority assistance when they contact Airbnb Support.
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 repetitive daily tasks with short-term 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 reviews your hosting performance 4 times a year, and you’ll need to continue meeting all 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 free guide to avoid 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 rating based 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 review window has passed, 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. If you don’t set any review rules, Hospitable will generate a personalized 5-star AI review suggestion based on reservation and messaging history, which you can review, edit, and schedule for publishing. 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 bookings or three bookings 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 respond to at least 90% of guest messages about new reservations within 24 hours.
Maintain a cancellation rate of less than 1%. You are expected to honor your commitments as a host, so you may cancel only 1 in 100 bookings. Exceptions are made only for cancellations due to Major Disruptive Events or other valid reasons that make hosting impossible, like a serious personal illness or major property damage.
Note: A host must be the listing owner of at least one home listing to be evaluated for Superhost status. Co-hosts aren’t included in this evaluation.
So Is Attaining Airbnb Superhost Status Worth It?
Becoming a Superhost is not easy, and maintaining the status is challenging as well. It involves hard work, dedication, and a commitment to providing exceptional customer service to ensure guests are 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 platform AirDNA, 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, Superhost status indicates 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. 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 a Guest Favorite badge in search results.
12 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 your listing title to 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 appropriate Airbnb categories.
4. Adjust your listing to reflect the season and impress your guests. Consider adding seasonal décor. You may also want to decorate your Airbnb for Christmas and other holidays to make it more festive and inviting for guests.
5. Get professional photos of your property—they will help to sell your listing. Hire an Airbnb photographer who can showcase your rental as well as possible, highlighting your unique features so guests are excited to book your place. Create a photo tour to showcase each room, its features, and amenities.
6. Price your Airbnb fairly to attract guests and maintain a high occupancy rate. Adjust your nightly rates to reflect seasonal changes in supply and demand, holidays, and other factors. With a dynamic pricing tool, you can automate this process and ensure your prices remain 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 a welcome basket to make them feel special and welcome.
8. Make sure your 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 and respond as quickly as possible to guest messages. Ensure effective communication with guests by providing accurate information, making them feel cared for, and fostering good relationships.
Pro tip: With an Airbnb PMS like Hospitable, you can automate guest messaging at key touch points in the guest journey, use AI tools available in your Inbox to draft replies to tricky guest questions, or even opt for a fully automated AI Inbox—let the AI automatically reply to guest messages without your review when you’re not online.
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. Stay proactive. Inspect your property regularly, perform routine maintenance, and follow up with guests after check-in and before checkout. These tactics help prevent problems before they start.
12. Offer your guests extra services, such as late checkout or equipment rental. If you organize this via Hospitable Upsells, you won’t sound pushy. Your guests will find available add-ons in their guest portal and purchase them the same way they do in any ecommerce store.
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 success stems from hard work and dedication. If you want to achieve and maintain this status, focus on creating memorable experiences for your guests and consistently strive for excellence in everything you do as a host.
What you will benefit from, big-time, is saving yourself from the bad mistakes some hosts make. Download our list and ensure you won’t recognize yourself in any of those situations.
Table of contents
Common questions
What is an Airbnb Superhost?
An Airbnb Superhost is a top-rated host who consistently provides excellent guest experiences and meets Airbnb’s performance standards. Superhosts are identified by a special badge displayed on their profile and listings, helping guests quickly recognize experienced and reliable hosts. The designation is awarded based on hosting performance rather than the type of property you offer. Whether you rent out a spare room or manage multiple vacation rentals, Superhost status reflects the quality of your hospitality.
How do you become an Airbnb Superhost?
You don't need to apply for Superhost status. Airbnb automatically evaluates eligible hosts four times a year based on their performance over the previous 12 months. If you meet all Superhost requirements during the quarterly assessment period, Airbnb will award the badge automatically. To maintain the status, you must continue to meet the requirements during future evaluations.
What are the Airbnb Superhost requirements?
To qualify for Superhost status, hosts must maintain a 4.8+ overall rating, complete at least 10 stays or 3 reservations totaling at least 100 nights, maintain a response rate of 90% or higher, and keep the cancellation rate below 1%. Airbnb reviews these metrics every quarter using performance data from the previous 12 months. Missing even one requirement can result in losing Superhost status during the next evaluation cycle.
Do Airbnb Superhosts make more money?
Superhosts earn about 29% more annual revenue than standard hosts and achieve higher occupancy rates on average. However, the Superhost badge itself is not what generates additional revenue. The higher earnings usually come from the practices that help hosts earn the badge in the first place: excellent communication, strong reviews, reliable operations, and consistently positive guest experiences.
How can you improve your chances of becoming a Superhost?
The best way to become a Superhost is to focus on the metrics Airbnb evaluates: guest satisfaction, communication, reliability, and cancellations. Respond quickly to guest inquiries, maintain a spotless property, provide accurate listing information, and consistently deliver a great guest experience. Automation can help. For example, Hospitable can automate guest messaging, review requests, and review management, helping hosts maintain high response rates and generate more positive reviews while reducing manual work.