How to Become an Airbnb Superhost

Make an effort to be available.

Being available is crucial to being a Superhost. When guests message you, they expect a quick response. 31% of Airbnb users said they’d be likely to decline your listing if you took more than 6 hours to respond. 58% of Airbnb users surveyed by the company said that messaging response times were important when considering a booking.

If you’re not able to respond quickly enough, use your “unavailable dates” setting on Airbnb. Your calendar will show up as blocked out for those dates, and potential guests will see that you are unavailable and won’t book with you during that time period. You can also set automatic responses in your “House Rules” section on Airbnb within your listing settings, so that potential guests know what to expect from their stay at your property—even if you aren’t around or immediately available to respond!

Respond to your guests in a timely manner.

The biggest thing you can do to set yourself apart from the competition and be a Superhost is to communicate with your guests on a level that’s above and beyond what they expect.

Guests who have had good experiences will write Superhost reviews, so make it easy for them. Respond promptly to every message, review and inquiry. There have been plenty of times I sent an inquiry about a property, got an immediate “yes” response, then booked it within minutes of receiving the confirmation email. You don’t want to lose out on potential rental income because you were late in responding or didn’t respond at all!

Communicate clearly with your guests.

• Make sure guests have your phone number and email
• Tell them your time zone (especially important if they are not from the United States)
• Tell them how many hours ahead or behind you are from their time zone

Always be friendly and courteous.

• Always be friendly and courteous. It’s important to treat your guests the way you would like to be treated when you are a guest, or better yet, the way you would like your own mother or father to be treated. Be gracious and welcoming and make sure that they feel at home in your space.
• If desired, offer them food and drink upon arrival. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy; any gesture is appreciated.

Give your guests space and privacy.

Airbnb travelers are spending money to have a comfortable, home away from home experience. One of the best ways to ensure that they’re getting that is by respecting their space and privacy. You can give your guests a relaxing space by not being overbearing or obtrusive. Don’t talk about politics or religion if you don’t know their views, and don’t show up in their rooms without knocking first (and definitely don’t do it while they’re getting dressed).

By giving them the privacy they deserve, they’ll likely feel more welcome to be themselves and relax. This can go a long way toward making your guests feel more at home than they would in the typical hotel stay.

Set the tone with a warm welcome.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to set the tone for the rest of your guests’ stay by creating an atmosphere that is comfortable and welcoming. You’ll gain tips on how to be flexible, provide information about local attractions and transport, and set expectations for your guests. Plus, we’ll go over some nifty tricks to make your guests feel welcome.

By the end of this lesson you will:

• Understand why setting a warm tone at check-in is so important
• Know what items to include in a guest guidebook

Provide your guests with a guidebook or other helpful resources.

• Brainstorm the topics you want to include in your guidebook.
• Create a layout for your guidebook, including where you’ll put each topic.
• Write about and include pictures of each topic in your guidebook.
• Format and export your guidebook using Canva, a free design website that’s easy to use and has plenty of templates to choose from.

Make sure you have accurate listing information and photos.

The first step to becoming a Superhost is getting the listing up, and that means having accurate information about your property. Make sure your listing accurately describes the space, including all amenities in detail. You don’t want to leave anything out or paint a false picture of your apartment or house.

As for photos, you are going to want to make sure that you take them from the best angles possible at both daytime and nighttime. Make sure to use natural light because it can make your space look bigger and brighter. If you don’t have much natural light in your home, there are ways to use artificial lights in order to brighten up a room!

Make sure to photograph the most interesting parts of the property like an outdoor patio if you have one! If something looks better at night—like city lights out of a window—take pictures during the appropriate time so that renters can see its best features at all times.

Make sure they are well-lit and capture what is unique about where future guests will be staying!

Provide a comfortable, clean space for your guests to stay.

When all is said and done, the most important thing that can be done is to ensure your Airbnb is clean and well-kept before guests arrive. This means ensuring there are toilet paper, paper towels, and soap in the bathroom. It seems like a minor detail, but guests will appreciate it once they get there. Likewise, keeping linens and towels fresh and clean can really make all the difference to how much a guest enjoys their stay. In addition to these basics, more work needs to be put into cleaning after guests leave—and making sure the space is cleaned thoroughly afterward. As for the laundry area for guests, this may not seem like much of a big deal until you’re charging upwards of $200/night for your apartment. The main reason that hosts need to provide a laundry area for their guests isn’t about making themselves look good—it’s about making sure guests feel cared for so they’ll want to return again! Make sure you have clothes sent over from your family or friend who loves shirts or sheets. That way you don’t end up with too many items of clothing in your own wardrobe just because you forgot clean ones were needed.

Offer an experience that’s unique to your local area.

Make for a memorable experience, and do it your way.

You’ve probably heard the saying “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” The same goes for your Airbnb listing. One of the best ways to get positive feedback is to create an experience that is unique to your local area. This could be anything from arranging transportation or providing tickets to a local event to giving restaurant recommendations that are available only in your area.

When you research what makes your area unique, think about what guests can expect when they visit. If they come during cherry blossom season, are there any festivals or traditions you can take them to? If they visit around tax time, would it be helpful if you provided some tips on how not to have their heads spin? Is there a certain type of food dish native to your region? Are there any locally made products you love? If so, encourage guests to check out the market where these items are sold and maybe even buy one or two as souvenirs (with your guidance).

If you share a passion for something in particular about where you live—whether it be a restaurant, park, festival, art installation—let them know! Your enthusiasm will make guests want to go check it out for themselves!

Superhost status is not out of reach for the average host.

While it’s easy to assume that only professional hosts with multiple properties can achieve the status, this is not the case. The program was designed for regular hosts who want to provide the best possible experience for their guests.

Just about anyone can join. All you need to do is offer high-quality service and be a great host. It’s that simple! Superhost status isn’t a certificate you can buy. It requires good reviews from your guests, as well as a low cancellation rate. Make thoughtful decisions along the way and one day you’ll open the app to a stream of confetti congratulating you on your Superhost award!