13 Airbnb Tips to Become a Standout Superhost

Superhost status isn't luck, it's the predictable result of stacking small wins across your property, your systems, and your guest experience. These 13 tips show you exactly where to focus to hit a 4.8+ rating and hold it quarter after quarter.

Key Takeaways

• Airbnb requires a 90% response rate or higher to earn a Superhost badge, which means they calculate how quickly you respond to inquiries.
• A cleaning checklist is the easiest way to ensure consistent cleaning standards.
• A digital guidebook improves the overall experience. But don't obsess over pretty layouts, as that's not what makes guests use them.
• Automation of management and smart devices is a background system that enables remote property management.

We can divide tips for Airbnb hosts into a few groups: things to improve on your property, systems you can put in place and automate to handle guest turnover, listing optimization, and things that are not directly related to the accommodation but make guests happy and improve their overall experience, such as providing directions in a guidebook and recommending local businesses like restaurants.

If you work on all these fronts, you will see a compounding effect that leads to more bookings and Superhost status. Guest reviews are the most important factor, so we’ve chosen tips that are most closely correlated with stellar reviews. Whether you're a new or experienced host, stick with us!

Let's have a look at Airbnb hosting tips to guide you toward becoming an Airbnb Superhost!

Airbnb Success Tips: How to Become a Superhost

To become an Airbnb Superhost, you need to consistently make a good impression on guests, which is reflected in an overall rating of 4.8 or higher. Other platform requirements include maintaining a response rate of 90% or higher and a host cancellation rate of less than 1%.

Airbnb rules state that the platform conducts a quarterly assessment of your listing to determine whether you're eligible for Superhost status. This means that four times a year, Airbnb reviews your listing’s performance, and each evaluation is an opportunity to gain or lose Superhost status.

The Airbnb tips below will help you maintain high performance consistently, and Superhost status will follow as a predictable result. The sooner you start implementing them, the better. It’s easier to maintain strong performance than to recover from a dip.

1. Choose amenities wisely

Choose amenities based on your ideal future guests. Business guests appreciate fast and reliable Wi-Fi, a dedicated workspace, a coffee maker, and self-check-in. Families with kids appreciate cribs, high chairs, kids’ tableware, toys, and safety features. Hikers and outdoor travelers appreciate bikes, gear storage, and information about nearby trails and maps.

It’s no secret that interior design and the amenities you offer play a big role in your success on Airbnb. While design and luxury amenities such as a hot tub or pool are planned upfront or during a property upgrade, other amenities can be added over time. Make sure to mention all of them in your listing.

2. Match amenities to guest capacity

Don’t forget to match the number and size of amenities to the number of guests your space can accommodate. For instance, if you rent out a two-bedroom house that can accommodate six guests, make sure you reflect that number by providing six beds, at least six sets of linens, enough towels, six chairs and a kitchen table to match, as well as enough plates, mugs, and silverware.

It may seem self-explanatory, but these little details affect guests’ comfort, especially when they’re traveling in groups.

3. Follow cleaning checklists

As hygiene and cleanliness are so essential for great reviews and hospitality, you need agreed-upon standards in your contract with your cleaning team to get consistent results after each guest turnover. A checklist is the easiest way to implement this.

Quality standards are important because you also need to justify the cleaning fee you'll likely charge guests. Even if you don't hire a cleaning service and do it yourself, you're still better off with a to-do list to ensure you never forget something, like letting fresh air into your property.

With iGMS as your property management tool, you can create a smart checklist and automatically track the progress and completion of tasks you assign to your cleaners.

4. Respond to guest inquiries quickly

The fact that Airbnb officially requires a 90% response rate or higher to get a Superhost badge means they are calculating how quickly you respond to inquiries. As a host striving for excellence, you should maintain fast response times before, during, and even after a guest's stay. By doing so, guests will also be more inclined to leave you good reviews.

Guest communication can be automated to a great extent. For example, with iGMS, you can send automated messages instantly, which benefits the guest and the algorithm alike.

5. Automate the check-in and check-out process

Check-in and check-out are two important moments that define your guest experience. Smart locks have seen rapid adoption because they enable remote management and eliminate the hassle of lost keys. With smart locks, hosts can set codes once, and the codes automatically expire after checkout.

Then you can set up a system to automatically greet guests, send check-in instructions, and send check-out instructions a day before they leave. A property management system like iGMS has automation features based on templates and triggers that can save you a lot of time on repetitive messages.

6. Optimize listing description

Airbnb listing optimization affects your visibility in the algorithm and shouldn’t be left to chance. Optimizing your listing includes the title, description, amenity list, photos, hero image and pricing structure. The description must accurately match all amenities so guests know what to expect. A more advanced aspect of optimization is pricing: how to structure your base rate versus additional fees, such as cleaning or extra guest fees.

It helps to see how competitors are doing it, meaning listings that appear in the same filtered results. Lead with your strongest differentiators in the title and the first few lines of the “About” section, which are visible before clicking “Show more.” That is prime real estate that shouldn't be wasted on fluff.

7. Use high-quality and well-lit photos

Mistakes in listing photos often go unnoticed, including dark, gloomy lighting, bad composition and angles, poor photo order, missing key angles, and overemphasizing details. Sometimes, even over-editing can become a problem, as it can be misleading.

The first few images should showcase the strongest selling points. Then, you should stage the space and show not only the interior but also the lifestyle and context (a set table, a fire pit burning, and so on). All images should have the same style and be taken at the same time to avoid mismatches in lighting and color. A good professional photographer can definitely save you valuable time.

8. Use a channel manager for multiple platforms

To maintain a cancellation rate below 1%, you can't afford double bookings. The average short-term rental host lists on platforms beyond Airbnb, such as Vrbo, Booking.com, and direct booking websites. Luckily, there are tools called channel managers that automatically update all your calendars.

For instance, iGMS has a channel manager that updates calendars. Whenever a guest books on one platform, the same dates are instantly blocked off on other platforms. This way, you never put all your eggs in the same basket, and you can diversify your income so you're never dependent on a single channel.

9. Surprise guests positively

Going the extra mile and focusing on little details makes your Airbnb guests feel more appreciated. That extra mile could be a coffee maker with ready-to-brew coffee. Then, you can include board games, puzzles, and other small touches that make the stay more enjoyable.

A welcome basket is a nice way to greet your guests. You can include bottled water, coffee, tea, snacks, or breakfast basics. You can also focus on local products to give guests a taste of the area, or include healthier options for wellness travelers. It depends on your top priorities what to include in the basket, but never underestimate the power of positive surprise in hospitality.

10. Set competitive pricing

Pricing strategy needs to be carefully considered. The short-term rental market experiences significant fluctuations throughout the year, and the best strategic response is to implement dynamic pricing. Dynamic pricing means adjusting your rates based on demand, including high and low seasons.

Going below a certain limit is not advisable because you may attract lower-quality bookings and bad guests. In both high seasons and low seasons, use your direct competitors as benchmarks. You can do the research manually or use dynamic pricing tools. Your pricing strategy should be revised regularly to keep pace with the market.

11. Leave plenty of supplies

Make sure you always have enough supplies of shampoo, shower gel, paper towels, cleaning supplies, dishwashing detergent, trash bags, and toilet paper. Guests often express frustration on forums over missing basics like a bottle opener or paper towels, even in otherwise nice listings.

Hosts often have doubts about how many supplies are enough. Should I provide toilet paper for the entire stay, especially for longer stays, or just an initial supply? Will I often encounter “over-consumers”? The cost of supplies is insignificant compared to revenue, so try to put the guest experience first. For longer stays, consider restocking supplies gradually, such as once a week.

12. Create your own guidebook

A digital guidebook is one of those extra miles that can improve the overall experience. Firstly, don't obsess over pretty layouts; that's not what makes people use them. Even a Google Doc or Notion page can work. But those who do take care of their brand will invest in a beautiful design on top, and even in a printed version to have on the spot.

Focus on usefulness, guide guests on where to find grocery stores, local attractions, parking, hiking trails, and great restaurants. You can even partner with local businesses to recommend them to your guests. Include at least: wifi and password, check-in/checkout instructions, appliance instructions, house rules summary, top restaurants and top activities they can do nearby, and emergency contact.

13. Plan for possible emergencies

Make sure you leave your contact or your co-host's contact, whoever is available to promptly respond to guests. Also, have a network of reliable vendors you can contact in case of different emergencies. It’s perfectly reasonable to leave a first aid kit and emergency contact numbers for the police, fire department, medical services, and the nearest hospital.

An emergency contact in your guidebook or on the property is a must. Even if you automate the check-in and check-out process and leave a guidebook with instructions, it doesn't mean guests won't have questions or issues on rare occasions.

Final Airbnb Host Tips

Don't wait too long to answer your guest's request. Moreover, your activity influences your Airbnb SEO. Use the tools for hosts that will help you cope with fast and easy communication. Vacation Rental Management Software such as iGMS can send the auto-replies immediately for you.

Also, automate team and channel management so that hosting on Airbnb and other platforms becomes much more enjoyable. Automation is not a replacement for great hospitality. It’s more of a background system that makes great hospitality possible.

FAQ

How to get more positive reviews as a host?

Positive reviews result from a consistently great experience at your Airbnb. It takes work to create that experience, but once you've done it, don't shy away from asking for reviews at the right time. Some guests just never think to leave a review, even after an amazing stay. Send a polite follow-up message after check-out with iGMS, thanking guests and inviting them to share feedback.

Can I run multiple Airbnbs remotely?

It's absolutely viable to expand your Airbnb business remotely, as it's easier than ever to automate property management and use smart devices and apps to stay on top of all your properties. A combination of automation and reliable teams, such as cleaners and vendors, is a win-win for remote property management.

Can I screen potential guests?

You can screen potential guests on Airbnb by reviewing their profiles, reading past reviews, and asking a few clarifying questions before accepting a booking. For additional security, there are screening tools such as Safely or Truvi.

What is the best app for managing short-term rental bookings?

You can find different STR management apps on the market, but we recommend iGMS because it has been around for more than a decade, helping Airbnb hosts run efficient operations and secure more bookings while remaining reasonably priced, especially for small and medium-sized vacation rental businesses.

On top of that, iGMS has created a very user-friendly mobile app that won't overwhelm busy owners.