A Superhost is an Airbnb host who has consistently earned high ratings, responded quickly to guests, and avoided cancellations. Airbnb awards the designation automatically every quarter to hosts who meet four specific performance thresholds. The badge appears on your listing and profile, signaling to potential guests that you have a strong track record. According to AirDNA data, Superhosts in the U.S. earn an average of $54,687 per year, compared to $42,595 for non-Superhosts.
The Four Requirements
Airbnb evaluates every host against the same four criteria. You need to meet all of them during the assessment period to qualify.
- Stay volume: At least 10 reservations, or at least 3 reservations totaling 100 or more nights. This ensures you have enough hosting activity for a meaningful track record.
- Overall rating: A 4.8 or higher average across all your reviews. A review counts toward your Superhost rating once both you and the guest have submitted reviews, or the 14-day review window closes, whichever comes first.
- Response rate: 90% or higher. This measures how consistently you reply to guest inquiries and booking requests.
- Cancellation rate: Less than 1%. Cancellations due to major disruptive events or other valid reasons (like emergencies recognized by Airbnb’s policies) are excluded from this calculation.
The rating threshold is the one most hosts find hardest to hit. A 4.8 average leaves very little room for low reviews. A single 3-star rating can drag your average below the cutoff if you don’t have a large volume of 5-star stays to offset it.
How Airbnb Evaluates You
Airbnb reviews your performance every three months. On each quarterly assessment date, the system automatically checks whether you meet all four criteria. There is no application to fill out and no manual review process. If you qualify, the Superhost badge appears on your listing and profile right away.
This also means you can lose the badge just as easily. If your rating dips below 4.8, your response rate slips, or you cancel too many reservations in a quarter, the badge disappears at the next assessment. You can earn it back the following quarter if your numbers recover.
What Superhosts Get
The most visible perk is the badge itself. It shows up on your listing page and your host profile, giving guests a quick way to identify experienced, highly rated hosts. Many travelers specifically filter search results to show only Superhost properties, which means the badge directly affects how many people see your listing.
Beyond the badge, Airbnb gives Superhosts increased visibility in search results and access to exclusive rewards. The platform has historically offered perks like travel coupons, priority customer support, and early access to new features, though the specific rewards rotate over time. Current Superhosts can log in to their account to see and claim whatever rewards are currently available.
How Much More Superhosts Earn
The financial impact varies significantly by market, but the overall trend is clear. AirDNA data shows Superhosts have a 4% higher occupancy rate on average (59% compared to 55% for standard hosts) and earn roughly 6% more per available night. That metric, called RevPAR (revenue per available rental night), averages $162 for Superhosts versus $153 for non-Superhosts.
Those seemingly small percentage differences compound over a full year. The 28% gap in annual revenue between Superhosts and non-Superhosts reflects a combination of better occupancy, the ability to charge slightly higher nightly rates, and the trust signal that converts more browsing guests into confirmed bookings. In large urban markets, the gap is even wider, with Superhosts earning up to 76% more than their non-Superhost counterparts.
It’s worth noting that causation runs in both directions here. Hosts who are attentive enough to earn Superhost status also tend to have better photos, more detailed descriptions, and faster communication. The badge amplifies advantages that already exist.
How to Reach and Keep the Threshold
Your rating is the metric that requires the most ongoing attention. Small details drive 5-star reviews: a clean space, accurate listing photos, clear check-in instructions, and quick replies when something goes wrong. Guests tend to rate harshly when reality doesn’t match expectations, so understating your space slightly (rather than overselling it) works in your favor.
For the response rate, the simplest approach is to turn on push notifications and respond to every message within a few hours. Airbnb counts messages you ignore or miss, so even a brief acknowledgment protects your rate. If you’ll be unavailable, use the platform’s automated messaging tools or designate a co-host to handle inquiries.
Cancellations are the easiest metric to control because you simply avoid canceling. Block off dates you’re unavailable rather than accepting bookings you might need to cancel later. If you use multiple booking platforms, sync your calendars to prevent double bookings, which are one of the most common reasons hosts cancel.
The volume requirement catches some hosts off guard. If you rent a single property and only get a handful of bookings per quarter, you may not hit 10 reservations. In that case, you’ll need the alternative threshold: at least 3 reservations totaling 100 nights. Hosts with fewer bookings but longer stays can still qualify.