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Hi, I am Sarah, and I am proud to be a top-rated Airbnb host!  I am also a mom, wife, and travel blogger.  I use this blog as both a way to share our travels and share my experience as an Airbnb host.   So, if you are interested in either of those, you have come to the right place!  Airbnb hosting (and owning investment property) has changed our lives, and I am incredibly passionate about it.  It is very rewarding to help others get started on their journey, and today I want to share more about how you can become an Airbnb Superhost.

Hosting on Airbnb

We are located in the southeastern corner of Alabama, just north of Panama City Beach, Florida, and in 2023 we currently own 4 condos on 30A.  If you aren’t familiar with 30A, you have to check it out!  This two-lane scenic highway located between Panama City Beach and Destin is dotted with the most charming small communities, such as Seaside, FL (where the Truman Show was filmed), Rosemary Beach, Grayton Beach, and more! Check out my post titled What is 30A to learn more!

How to Get Started on Airbnb

Want to be a superhost?  Well, the first step is to become an Airbnb host!  Getting started on Airbnb is easy, and I find the platform to be incredibly user-friendly.  I plan to write a separate post on how actually to get set up, but since most of my readers are already hosts, I am going to jump ahead and share more about the Airbnb Superhost program with you now.  Today, I want to talk specifically about achieving superhost status.

Airbnb Superhost

Most new Airbnb hosts set attaining Superhost as their primary goal, and the good news is that it’s pretty easy to achieve!  In this post, I plan to discuss what a superhost is (and how exactly you earn it) and then share some of my personal tips for hitting each of the requirements. 

I earned Superhost status 2 years ago within 2 months of joining the platform and have maintained it each quarter since.  So, am approaching my 9th assessment period and am on track to earn it again.  It’s easy to track your progress; I will share more about that below.

READ: 8 Truths I Wish I Knew Before Becoming An Airbnb Host

What is an Airbnb Superhost?

Airbnb Superhosts are the cream of the crop.  These are generally hosts that you can count on for a seamless stay.  As a requirement, they must have near-perfect reviews, be quick to respond, and have a very low rate of cancellations.  In a nutshell, a superhost is someone you can feel confident booking with.  Are they perfect?  Probably not.  No one is.  But they provide a wonderful guest experience and are consistently high performers who are awarded this title and the Superhost badge on their listings.

Most Superhosts love what they do, and it’s evident in reading their reviews.  You can click here to take a look at my Airbnb reviews, and I am very proud of how happy my guests are!

How can I Become an Airbnb Superhost?

The good thing is that becoming a Superhost requires no extra work on your end, specifically meaning you don’t have to apply for this designation.  Airbnb automatically assesses each profile at the start of each quarter, and as long as you meet the requirements, the title is yours!  But you do need to be a proactive, top-notch host.

To be honest, I take a lot of pride in being a Superhost and knowing that I provide my guests with the best possible Airbnb experience.  It’s hard work!  It means always bringing your A-game, and this often means being accessible at all times, which is no easy feat. But it’s worth it!  The feeling I get when I read a kind and thoughtful 5-star review from a guest can’t be beaten.

Airbnb Superhost Requirements

The requirements to become an Airbnb Superhost are pretty straightforward.  And the below is taken directly from Airbnb, and I will go into each of those below.

To qualify for superhost, an Airbnb listing owner (with an account in good standing) must meet  the following criteria:

• Completed at least 10 trips or 3 reservations that total at least 100 nights
• Maintained a 90% response rate or higher
• Maintained a less than 1% cancellation rate, with exceptions made for those that fall under our Extenuating Circumstances policy
• Maintained a 4.8 overall rating (A review counts towards Superhost status when either both the guest and the Host have submitted a review or the 14-day window for reviews is over, whichever comes first).

Number of Bookings Required to Become an Airbnb Superhost

In most cases, you will be shooting for the first metric, which is having at least 10 reservations completed in the 12 months prior to a superhost assessment.  This is not difficult to hit if your vacation rental is in a busy market (like ours on 30A) with a high occupancy rate and you host guests for short stays (2-3 nights).  The latter option, 3 reservations totaling 100+ nights, is more for hosts with long-term renters, such as snowbirds!

Airbnb Response Rate

Your response rate and response time measure how quickly and consistently you respond to inquiries and reservation requests.   This is not referring to regular messages from current guests and is specifically related to both inquiries sent via “Contact Host” or reservation requests, and both show up in your inbox.

An Airbnb inquiry is when a guest sends you a question or wants to know more before booking an actual stay.  They have dates attached to them but don’t block your calendar.  You have 24 hours to respond to them.  You also have the option to Pre-Approve the booking, which means they can instant book from there or Decline a booking if it’s not a good fit.  I usually Decline them if what they are asking is a blatant violation of my rules.  For example, more guests than allowed or want to bring pets.

An Airbnb reservation request is when they are actually booking a reservation, but it needs your approval to either Accept or Decline.  Typically, these guests haven’t met your instant booking requirements and usually are newer to Airbnb.

For both of the above, you want to respond within the first 24 hours initially.  Any follow-up messages don’t affect this metric.

How Cancellations Affect Your Superhost Status

I think this metric is one in which you can run into a bit of trouble.  Airbnb does not like when a host cancels a booking.  Not only does it lose money for the platform, but it typically upsets the guest, and guest satisfaction is probably Airbnb’s biggest concern.  Maintaining a cancellation rate under 1% means that you have to have at least 100 bookings between cancellations.   This does NOT apply to when a guest cancels their reservation but instead is when YOU (the host) cancel a reservation that a guest has already made.  This is why it is VERY important to manage your calendar appropriately.

I have had times when a guest instant booked a reservation that clearly violated my rules.  An instance of this is when a reservation came through for my studio condo on 30A with bunk beds.  That unit allows 2 adults + up to 2 children on the bunk beds. 

A reservation came through for 4 adults, and the guest’s initial message said that they are 4 besties coming for Spring Break.  In this case, I did not want to get penalized for canceling them, yet did not feel comfortable with the booking.  So, I called the Airbnb Superhost phone number, and they were very helpful and put through a cancellation that did not negatively impact me.   If you are ever in a situation like this, where you don’t feel comfortable with a booking, I would recommend that you call Airbnb, even if you aren’t a superhost, and talk it through with them before just canceling a reservation.

Airbnb Rating Requirement for Superhost

This one is easy to understand but involves the most work.   We all strive for 5-star Airbnb reviews; as long as you can get them most of the time, you will be good here!   Just be a great host.  Make sure your communication is friendly and your place clean and welcoming. 

Provide local recommendations and be quick to answer any questions that a guest may have. Provide clear and concise information about your property, including any codes, passwords, or directions that a guest may need.  Anticipate your guests’ needs. Make sure to read out my 7 Airbnb Must Haves!

READ: How To Deep Clean & Reset Your Airbnb In The Off-Season

When can I become an Airbnb Superhost?

Airbnb evaluates its hosts on a quarterly basis beginning on the 1st day of January, April, July, and October.   During each evaluation period (which lasts approximately 5 days), they look back on your performance over the past 12 months to see if you meet the requirements that I listed above.   You don’t need to have hosted a full year to get assessed.  In fact, when I earned Superhost for the first time, I had been hosting for less than 3 months.  If you are looking to earn Superhost right away, the biggest hurdle will be getting those 10 bookings completed prior to each quarter’s assessment period.

If and when you do earn Superhost, you will receive an email and a notification in your account (around the 6th of the month) that lets you know that you have earned Airbnb Superhost. Shortly thereafter, the superhost badge will be visible on your profile and listings.

What Happens if I Don’t Earn Superhost Status? Or if I lose it?

Don’t panic!  The beauty of this program is that it is assessed quarterly, which means another opportunity to earn Superhost is right around the corner.  Just keep your head up and work to improve the metrics or metrics that fell short.  The 12-month period before an assessment is rolling, so each quarter a few months drop off, and the last three months are added.  This means that eventually, the shortcomings (maybe a bad review or an unexpected need to cancel a few reservations) will fall off. As long as you do great most of the time, you shouldn’t have a problem earning the status in future quarterly assessments.

And honestly, if you are doing the best you can and don’t earn Superhost, it’s ok.  Sometimes things are out of your control, and you have to move on and not dwell on it.

How to Track Your Superhost Progress

It is easy to check and see if you are on track to becoming an Airbnb Superhost!  Within your Airbnb app, click MENU and then look for SUPERHOST PROGRESS just below your listings, reservations, and guidebooks.   It will tell you when the next assessment will be and where you are vs the target metrics that you need to hit.

For example, today is September 9th, 2022, and this is exactly what my SUPERHOST PROGRESS dashboard looks like in my Airbnb app.

Airbnb Superhost Benefits

To be frank, I do wish that Superhost had more benefits.  Even an extra 1% off our fees on the backend would be amazing.  However, I am not really in it for the benefits.  I want guests to choose my listings because they know that they can trust me.  That is by far the biggest benefit for me as a host. 

But, it does also get you access to a dedicated Superhost Support Line, and if you earn it 4x in a row, you receive a $100 Airbnb credit.  I actually just used my most recent credit on this amazing Airbnb experience to kayak out and watch the bats emerge from underneath the Congress Stree Bridge in Austin, Texas!  Check out my Instagram reel from that experience!

Earn the Superhost Badge

When you become an Airbnb superhost, you will have a badge on your profile, and all of your listings letting guests and other hosts see that you are a superhost!

Increased Visibility For Your Listings

Guests are able to filter their searches to show only listings from  Superhosts, and it’s always nice to be included there.  Airbnb also will use superhosts listings from time to time in promotional material and email campaigns.

Access to the Airbnb Superhost Phone Number + Priority Support

Airbnb Superhost Bonus + $100 Credit

When you maintain your Airbnb Superhost status for 4 quarters in a row, you earn a $100 bonus credit on your account.  This is in the form of a travel coupon that you can use to book an Airbnb or Airbnb Experience.  Personally, I think this could stand to be a little more of a perk, but I will take what I can get!    You also earn an extra 20% bonus for any host referrals that you make.

Tips to Help YOU Become an Airbnb Superhost

So, that was the nitty gritty on how and when you can become a Superhost with Airbnb, but I want to share some of my personal recommendations to help you achieve those goals.  It’s always a matter of practice making perfect, but hopefully, some of my suggestions will give you an extra leg up and get you well on your way to achieving this designation.

Provide a Great Experience & Get 5-star Airbnb Reviews

The one thing that I have learned about hosting is that you can’t please 100% of people 100% of the time.  When first writing this post in 2022, I currently have gotten 303 reviews.  299 are 5-star, and 4 of them are 4-star. The 4-star ones hurt, and they have a tendency to really ruin my day.  But with each of those bookings, I know that I did everything possible on my end to ensure a wonderful stay.  Some people don’t ever want to give that 5th star, and that is not something you can change. 

So, all that YOU can do is give it your best.  When guests are rating your property, they are often equally rating your performance as a host as well as the actual space they are in.

My number one recommendation when it comes to the space is to manage expectations.  This means that it should look exactly as it does in your photos, and there should not be surprises at check-in.  This is why I would avoid over-staging your space for photos and using extra wide-angle lenses that often make a space feel bigger than it is.  Take photos from all angles to really help a guest get a feel for the place.  I find this especially important when talking about small spaces like my studio and one-bedroom condos that are all under 750 sq feet.

If you need help maximizing your actual space, such as choosing the best bedding for Airbnb properties or choosing the best TV for your Airbnb, you should check out all of the posts in my Airbnb Hosting category.  I have a lot of great information to read, though, and I include links to everything that we use in our 5-star condos on 30A!

The other factor is you!  I personally choose not to use any of the scheduled message options with Airbnb because I like to make a personal connection with each and every guest that I host. This starts with my Airbnb welcome message.  I like to provide curated recommendations to ensure that they get what they want out of their visit.   It’s pretty easy to determine off the bat whether a guest wants to communicate a lot or wants to be left alone, and your job to take that lead.   I make sure that all of my messages are friendly and often respond within a minute, which brings me to my next point.

Respond to Guests Quickly

When people ask me what it’s like to be an Airbnb host, my number one description is that you are now on call 24/7.   You no longer have the option to unplug for a week or go off the grid, especially if you have more than one listing.  I have a couple of recommendations when it comes to being accessible yet not glued to your phone.

#1 Triple send all communications.  In my Airbnb app, I go into my MENU –> SETTINGS –> NOTIFICATIONS and under ACCOUNT make sure that GUEST AND HOST NOTIFICATIONS are on email, push, and SMS.  I actually have everything on that.  It may be overkill but ensures that I do not miss a message.  Sometimes, like this very minute, my phone is in the other room, and I am on my computer.  In this instance, I will see the email come through before the text and push notification.

#2 Get an Apple Watch.  I live by my Apple watch.  I don’t like to carry my phone with me all day and especially don’t enjoy the nonstop feeling of having to check it.  So, I always wear my Apple watch, and it’s just the basic SE version without cellular since my phone is almost always somewhat nearby.  I actually only allow calls, texts, and Airbnb to send notifications on it, so when I feel it vibrate, I know it’s usually important.   When I get a message or an inquiry, I will get both a push notification and a text on my watch.  Overkill, yes, but now I know that when it vibrates back to back, it’s almost always Airbnb.


#3 Set up a FOCUS on your iPhone.  On a recent iPhone iOS update, they added a new feature called FOCUS, where you can control what notifications come through on your phone.  I set up my SLEEP FOCUS to only allow notifications from Airbnb as well as calls and texts from my very close family.  This means that I can turn the volume on, yet will only hear it if an Airbnb guest is messaging me in the middle of the night.  And this has happened.  It’s probably only been 5-8 times, but I have been called by guests overnight when the power went out, or the AC stopped working. 

A couple of times, guests arrived after midnight and couldn’t find out condo.  Yes, exact directions are sent before arrival, but not everyone takes the time to read that.  So, short story long, use this feature!  From time to time, I do get woken up with a late-night booking confirmation or non-emergent issue but it’s worth the peace of mind to know that I won’t miss anything.   And I use that SLEEP FOCUS during the day too!  Like right now, when I am trying to get this post up and avoid unnecessary distractions!  You can also add a new focus and just call it Airbnb, but I set mine up under sleep.

Manage Your Calendar to Avoid Cancellations

There is no worse feeling than realizing that you underpriced a prime week or someone booked your place during a week that you planned to use it.   So, make sure to manage your calendar very well.  I do not leave my dates open by default and usually manually open them up for booking about 3 months out.  I have smaller places that are usually best for couples and couples with young kids, so they do tend to book shorter notice.  If you have a large home, you will likely want your open 6 months to a year in advance.  Just make sure to pay attention to important dates and set your rates. 

Down on 30A, where our condos are, there are a number of periods outside of peak seasons that get busy such as Fall break, Spring break, festivals, and more.  So, I pay very close attention to local calendars when opening up my own Airbnb calendar.   Our local country tourism council provides a link to the school break and holiday calendars for all of the feeder markets, which comes in very handy!  If you are also on 30A, I have a link to that in my When Is The Best Time to Visit 30A blog post.

Learn More About Becoming an Airbnb Host

If you made it this far, thanks for reading!  I hope that you found what you were looking for and then some!  Being an Airbnb host has changed my life.  Not only do I enjoy owning properties and building equity, but I truly love my job.  And don’t let anyone tell you that it is not a job.  I easily net well over 6 figures annually doing something that I love while still being a mom (usually shuttling my kids around) and traveling as often as I can!

Are you considering buying a vacation rental and becoming an  Airbnb host?  If so, I am here to encourage you and help you along the way.   I have an entire section here on my blog and have detail-oriented posts just like this about a variety of topics.  I love talking about hosting and always welcome any conversations with readers like you. You are always more than welcome to leave me a comment here on the blog or reach out to me on either of our Instagram accounts below! And please do follow along there and see what my family is up to. It usually involves a beach!

Are you interested in becoming an Airbnb host?  Click here to find out what you can earn!

Rent our 30A Seacrest Beach Airbnbs

And we love hosting other hosts!   If you are considering a trip to the Florida panhandle, we have four condos on 30a that we book exclusively on Airbnb.   I take pride in providing a top-notch concierge-style experience for our guests and making sure they get the most out of their visit.   Just click here to view all 4 of our Seacrest Beach vacation rentals (located a block from Rosemary Beach, Florida) and check availability and prices.

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