20 Feb AskSam: Is Becoming An Airbnb SuperHost Worth It? 

Is it worth it? I have been a Superhost for 2 quarters (6 months) now. I honestly have not seen a substantial increase in bookings from my Superhost badge.

There’s only one explanation for this disappointment: it is not what Airbnb claims it to be. But that’s okay. I’m sure the Superhost badge helps in some ways, but just not something I can quantify yet.

However, if you are still interested in finding out what the process is for you, then check out this post! Recently, Airbnb updated their Superhost requirements so, in order to become a Superhost, you’ll now have to fulfill their “Basic Requirements.”

How to Fulfil Airbnb’s Basic Requirements

Here are the requirements that you’ll need:

• Overall rating: 4.7 or above
• Response rate: 98% or above( here’s an article that you’ll help you more on response rate)
• Cancellations: 0/yr
• Essential amenities: Towels, bed sheets, soap, toilet paper, and pillows

My actual assessment for meeting their basic requirements

(Want to know how to make your listing business travel ready? Head over to this article.) 

As you can see, you have to maintain a very high response rate in order to qualify for their basic requirements. Actually, 98% is really strange because, in order to become a Superhost, you’ll only have to maintain a 90% response rate.

How to Meet Airbnb’s Superhost Requirements

It’s important to note that Airbnb only audits hosts every 3 months or so. Be sure to check out their evaluation schedule. The next re-evaluation for me is from April 1st – April 14th, 2018.

Here are the requirements for Superhosts:

• Overall ratings: More than 4.8
• 5-star reviews: More than 80% of the times
• Response rate: 90%
• Cancellations: zero per year
• Trip hosted: more than 10
• Trips reviewed: more than 50% of the guests need to review you

my actual assessment for meeting their Superhost requirements

Here are my 3 tips to help you accelerate your Superhost process.

1) Set clear expectations

There is no harm in writing, “The house is a basic, clean and functional place for guests to sleep at night. It is not fancy.

The more detailed the description is, the better off everyone will be since each Airbnb host is so different. Even if it seems obvious, there is no harm in restating the obvious.

Hosts often neglect to include the small details. Here are some things hosts rarely cover in their Airbnb listing:

• Is the guest sharing the apartment with the host? Will they be sharing the apartment with any other guests? If they are, how many will there be? Does the host work at home?
• Does the apartment require the guest to climb up a series of stairs? Is there elevator access? This is going to be an issue for people with physical handicaps.
• Is the place service-animal friendly? (Occasionally, people travel with dogs.)
• Is there construction going on around the apartment and/or area?
• Is the area noisy or is the apartment located right next to a bar?
• How flexible are you with outside and/or overnight guests that the Airbnb guest may bring over?
• What is the parking situation like?

It’s okay if there are lots of house rules. But just make sure guests are aware of the house rules beforehand.

2) Treat it like a business

Because it is. It’s not just “an easy way to make some money” or like having a friend crash. It’s a financial transaction in which guests are able to rate and review their hosts (and therefore affect your future earnings). That means it’s probably not a good idea to nag people to turn off the light or do the dishes, even if they are annoying habits. There’s always a cost of doing business.

If guests are ever inconvenienced because of me—like I need them to check out early—or because I personally made a booboo, I often offered a fairly reasonable refund proactively before the stay was over to make up for the trouble.

On pricing: Guests pay the fees and it’s important to take that into account. Satisfaction is based on perceived value (not actual value). If many guests aren’t leaving five-star reviews, that means guests don’t think its a great deal. Consider lowering the price, but do not lower too much.

( Want to know how I increased my Airbnb Income by a whopping 33%? Head over to this article)

3) Going above and beyond

I’ve had both great and terrible hosts. That means if a guest ran out of toilet paper or need extra blankets for warmth, it’s not going to kill you to provide a clean what they need!

If the apartment is meant to be functional, breakfast may not be provided. But offering guests a few cups of coffee or tea every now and then definitely don’t hurt.

One particular host, I stayed with not too long ago offered guests access to his Monterey Bay Aquarium membership passes for a small fee. Because of his generosity, we saved a full $60 on the price of tickets.

Last Words

Becoming a Superhost takes time, so please be patient on your journey!

Interest in learning how to build your rental arbitrage empire? You can subscribe to my blog and learn tips and insights on my process of creating a profitable 6-figure passive income business using other people’s home. I write on the regular and offer free tips and insights.