Does Being an Airbnb Superhost Make You More Money? (2024)

In the U.S., the average Airbnb host earned more than $44,000 in 2021. How much you can earn as an Airbnb host depends on the size of your home, where you live and how frequently you rent it out. Can you increase those earnings as a Superhost? Some hosts say yes, while others haven’t noticed a difference in earnings. Keep reading to learn more about being an Airbnb Superhost.

What Is an Airbnb Superhost?

A Superhost at an Airbnb is perceived as the cream of the crop, delivering the best service, achieving top ratings from guests and being extremely responsive to customer inquiries.

A Superhost meets certain metrics defined by Airbnb that exemplify an active host with high ratings. It’s important to note that being a Superhost has nothing to do with where your Airbnb is located, how much you charge or the size of your rental.

What Qualifies as a Superhost?

Every quarter, Airbnb hosts have an opportunity to qualify as a Superhost. You don’t have to apply for the status. Airbnb grants Superhost status automatically if you meet the criteria.

To become a Superhost, you must:

• Have an Airbnb account in good standing during the evaluation period. This period takes place for five days beginning on the first of January, April, July and October each year.
• Complete at least 10 trips or 3 reservations. These must total at least 100 nights in the past 12 months from when the evaluation begins.
• Respond to queries within 24 hours at least 90% of the time.
• Maintain a cancellation rate of less than 1%, except in extenuating circ*mstances — such as some unforeseeable natural disasters, declared emergencies or government travel restrictions.
• Maintain a 4.8% overall review rating.

What Is a Superhost vs. Regular Host on Airbnb?

The difference between a Superhost and a regular host could be related to a variety of factors, from customer service or high cancellation rates to how often they rent their property as an Airbnb.

It’s easy to see that Superhosts meet some challenging criteria, putting them in an elite class of Airbnb hosts. Compared to Superhosts, who consistently earn 4.8 ratings, 80% of regular hosts earn 4.5 stars or more. That means 20% of hosts receive less than 4.5 stars.

Only 19.4% of hosts become Superhosts. However, over 50% of those who failed to achieve Superhost status lacked 10 or more stays at their property. This shows it was a matter of volume, not of quality. This could be a personal, conscious decision by hosts who only want to rent out their primary home a few weeks out of the year and aren’t turning Airbnb hosting into a full- or substantial part-time income.

What Benefits Do Superhosts Receive?

Those who achieve Superhost status get a variety of desirable benefits that can lead to increased income as an Airbnb owner.

Some rewards that Superhosts receive are:

• 20% extra income for new users who join Airbnb under your referral.
• A $100 bonus Airbnb travel coupon per year.

At a bare minimum, you’ll put an extra $100 in your pocket as a Superhost. That’s not much when you consider the overall income potential of Airbnb. If you are also hustling to introduce friends to Airbnb as a way to earn money, you can also earn an extra 20% on these referrals.

Intangible Benefits of Being a Superhost

Being a Superhost can increase your visibility in Airbnb listings, potentially securing more bookings for your property.

Airbnb may showcase Superhost listings in the search results. Much like how Google wants to show the most relevant, useful and frequently clicked websites when you enter a search query, Airbnb wants to showcase the best properties. Plus, the Superhost badge on your listing may attract more guests.

Airbnb may also choose to feature you in their newsletter. Being a Superhost may also help you earn other media placements on news sites and travel blogs, especially if you reach out to writers and promote yourself as a Superhost.

Guests searching for an Airbnb can filter by Superhost, thus ensuring they view only the best listings. If you’re not a Superhost, you might miss out on hosting opportunities.

Do Superhosts Make More Money?

Superhosts tend to charge less per night, but on average they still earn 60% more revenue per day than standard hosts. Due to increased visibility, Superhosts achieve an average occupancy rate of 47%, while regular hosts have an occupancy rate of just 27%.

Is Being an Airbnb Superhost Worth It?

With all these benefits, striving to become a Superhost might seem like a no-brainer. However, some have not seen an increase in revenue after becoming a Superhost.

It’s possible that Airbnb hosts become Superhosts because they are already accomplishing the things — such as high occupancy rates and good ratings — that lead to increased revenue. In other words, becoming a Superhost doesn’t increase their success with Airbnb but, rather, is a result of their success as an Airbnb host.

Bottom Line

If you become an Airbnb Superhost, you can leverage the title for media coverage and increased occupancy rates. To achieve Airbnb success, do the things a Superhost does even before you reach that status. But if renting your home for at least 100 days out of the year doesn’t appeal, and you’re happy with the revenue your Airbnb already brings in, don’t stress about the badge.

Information is accurate as of Aug. 30, 2023.

Editorial Note: This content is not provided by any entity covered in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews, ratings or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any entity named in this article.