How to Become an Airbnb Superhost: Meaning, Tips, Requirements

What is Airbnb's Superhost Status Really Worth?

Airbnb launched its Superhost program back in 2016 to reward its most devoted hosts with a special VIP status. But being a Superhost is about more than bragging rights alone. Those who achieve Airbnb Superhost status reap benefits such as improved search placement, better booking conversions, and even more revenue, according to Airbnb. Many guests—perhaps yourself included—are simply more likely to book with a Superhost than a regular host. No matter how you slice it, the title clearly carries weight.

In this guide, we’ll provide insights into the meaning of Airbnb Superhost status, requirements for becoming a Superhost, and tips for achieving this coveted status.

Why did Airbnb launch the Superhost program?

The creation of the Airbnb Superhost program was a response to the lack of consistent experiences on the "alternative lodging" platform.

Previously, Airbnb's rating system proved an inadequate way of deciphering between professional quality operators and novice hosts. With 80% of Airbnb properties achieving at least a 4.5-star rating, how can a guest more confidently select a premium property? The Superhost program fills this void by creating a more comprehensive quality metric that takes into account a host's entire portfolio of properties.

The four criteria that hosts must meet to become an Airbnb Superhost are:

Respond to 90% of new guest messages within 24 hours.

Have a cancellation rate of less than 1%.

Simply put: Airbnb is looking for hosts who are active, responsive, reliable, and have earned high ratings. This means they must have at least 10 stays per year (or 100 nights over at least three stays), respond quickly to communication from guests, maintain an average overall guest rating of at least 4.8, and cancel less than 1% of the time (excluding extenuating circumstances)—all over the past year.

While Superhost requirements are quite clear, knowing exactly how to meet them can be trickier. Below are some tips to help you qualify for Superhost status.

1. Offer a comfortable, clean, easy-to-use property.

Cleanliness is crucial to guests, and they won’t hesitate to respond with low ratings if a property is not clean enough for their standards. They also expect ease of use and comfort—everything should work, beds should be comfortable, check-in should be simple, and you should offer the standard amenities guests need (plus something extra if you want to surprise and delight!). You can achieve these standards (and earn high guest ratings) by hiring professional cleaners who follow a checklist, inspect the property regularly, and keep up on maintenance.

This requirement is strict and straightforward: Hosts who have a cancellation rate of more than 1% are disqualified from Superhost status. Cancellations are commonly caused when a property is inadvertently double-booked, so keeping an effective calendar is key to ensure your guest cancellations are minimal.

Like in any relationship, communication is paramount—and that includes the guest-Superhost relationship, too. No one ever became a Superhost by ignoring messages. If you're serious about elevating your host status, answer initial booking inquiries as quickly as you can, and respond instantly if guests have any questions or issues during their stay. It’s a good idea to reach out to guests proactively after they check in and check out in order to resolve any problems immediately without them having to ask you. 

4. Make guests feel like they're getting a good deal.

While aspects such as easy check-in, a comfortable bed, or clean bathrooms all play a part in getting good reviews, ensuring that guests feel they’re receiving a “good deal” has been proven to be the biggest contributing factor. Guests who believe they received a good deal are much more likely to leave a five-star review. If you’re struggling to exceed a 90% occupancy rate, adjusting your prices can create a virtuous cycle. More people will read those glowing reviews and book your property, and higher occupancy will gradually make up for your lower average daily rate (ADR).

Why aren’t hosts qualifying for Airbnb’s Superhost status?

Have guests paid attention to the Superhost program and rewarded Superhosts for their superior service? Has Airbnb rewarded its top-performing hosts for their superior offering? We dove into the data to uncover answers.

We began this analysis by drilling down from the total host count (4.9 million) who were present on the platform in the last 12 months to hosts who had at least one reservation in the same time frame. This left us with a distinct count of 3.5 million hosts. And for this analysis, we are focusing on full-time hosts who had at least one property available for 180 days or more in the last 12 months, which filtered our host count further to 2.1 million.

Of those 2.1 million hosts, just 14.3% (304,000) achieved superhost status.

This begs the question: What led to the 1.8 million disqualification?

Not meeting minimum reservation requirements was the biggest reason. And the quality of reviews was the second biggest impediment.

The remaining 26% of hosts hosts did not qualify due to either a low response rate or canceled bookings.

What is the effect of Superhost Status on property performance?

Despite charging a lower nightly rate than non-Superhosts, Superhosts perform better across the board in terms of occupancy, revenue, and revenue per available room (RevPAR). Superhosts charge a 13.9% lower ADR than non-Superhosts, while earning 19.3% more occupancy, 3.3% more RevPAR, and 5.9% more revenue. 

It appears that Superhosts are better able to find the delicate balance between occupancy and nightly rates. Our conclusion is that dynamic pricing is a critical component of not only maximizing revenue but also achieving Superhost status.

Anyone with experience in the hospitality industry knows that everything boils down to RevPAR impact. (RevPAR is the single best metric for comparing property performance.) Our data shows that Superhosts in the United States earn 5.9% more revenue in a year, fueled by their ability to be booked more often than their non-Superhost peers.

It’s also worth noting that a larger percentage of individual operators are Superhosts compared to professional managers. Of individual operators in the U.S., 24% earned Superhost status in the last 12 months, while only 8% of professional managers had done so in the same time frame. Individual operators tend to be more hands-on in the reservation process and have less overall overhead than professional managers. (Pro managers also tend to operate more properties and larger properties.)

However, whether individual operator or professional manager, Superhost status can be directly linked to better performance. Surprisingly, individual operator Superhosts in the U.S. charge 6.3% less on a nightly basis, while their professional manager Superhost counterparts charge 1.8% more. Regardless of nightly rates, occupancy, RevPAR, and revenue remains higher for Superhosts. 

Superhosts also perform better across location types, with higher occupancy being the most stark trend, although RevPAR and revenue are also consistently stronger. 

Hosts must meet Airbnb Superhost criteria in order to qualify for this special status, and many don’t make the cut. There are plenty of things hosts can work on in order to become Superhosts, but is it worth it? According to our data, the answer is yes. Hosts earn significantly more revenue on Airbnb when they receive the Superhost stamp of approval.

Bottom line: Putting in the necessary time, effort, and strategy toward elevating your host status makes a difference in your short-term rental (STR) profitability. 

Do you know how your STR property stacks up to the competition? Find out with MarketMinder.

Q: What's the difference between a Superhost and a regular host on Airbnb?

A: Superhosts must meet certain standards and maintain them every year in order to keep their Superhost status. These include hosting at least 10 stays in the past year, responding to 90% of messages within 24 hours, maintaining a guest rating of at least 4.8 overall, and having a cancellation rate of less than 1%. Hosts who don’t meet these requirements or fail to maintain them will not achieve Superhost status.

Q: What are the benefits of becoming an Airbnb Superhost?

A. Superhosts are able to drive higher ADRs, occupancy, and revenue.

Q: What percentage of Airbnb hosts are Superhosts?

A: Just 14.3% of hosts (304,000) achieved Superhost status in the last 12 months.

Airbnb launched its Superhost program back in 2016, but do you know what it is, or how to attain this coveted status? Read more at the AirDNA blog.

How to Become an Airbnb Superhost: Meaning, Tips, Requirements

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