With the pandemic almost over and states reopening fully, now’s the perfect time to start your Airbnb business! Especially when the borders open up back again, tourists will be seeking bargains for lodging. Here’s my top 10 tips I’ve learned over the years that aided me in becoming a Superhost.

A brief background about my experience as a host on Airbnb. I’ve been hosting for 4 plus years and had over 500 guests stay with me. I welcomed guests from all over the world, with the Superhost badge stamped for 3 years. People always ask me ‘What’s it like being a host? Is it awkward? Is it a lot of work?’ Being a host has been not only an easy income stream, it’s also a great way to network more. For the workload it’s not much, it’s more about consistency. Follow along below my simple tips and strategies to get started.

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1. Cleaning

It doesn’t come as a shock that the most crucial part of gaining 5-star reviews will be from the cleanliness of your listing. Some hosts hire professional cleaners and while that’s the easiest route it’s probably the most expensive which can dig into your earnings. Reaching that decision will probably depend on whether you are listing your entire home or just a private room. Whole apartment/home listings you should be earning enough to hire cleaners. With a private room (this is the listing I host) then you’re better off cleaning yourself.

I’m able to turnaround a room in an hour and that’s including bathrooms. Keep clean sheets, towels and blankets fresh and stocked for your next four guests. That’ll give you some buffer time in between laundry visits. White colors are the preferred aesthetic, this is why hotels always use white linens. Or at least solid colors…stray away from the grandma patterned sheets as guests may view them as tacky and dirty. Consistently wipe down every surface that dust settles in. Always swiffer and vacuum before a guest arrives. Febreeze is also a must have to keep your whole place smelling fresh. What often gets overlooked is how much bathrooms get judged in your reviews. Guests EXPECT your bathrooms to be pristine, so be sure to wipe away any lingering hairs in there. Here’s a pro tip for you: Add in the check-in manual that each guest needs to take off their shoes before entering your bathroom(s). It’ll save you a lot of work and time as shoes muck up bathroom floors very easily. I even have two signs on each of my bathrooms politely reminding them to don’t wear shoes there.

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2. Responsiveness

Are you the type of person who take hours or days to text someone back? Well if you plan on being a Superhost on Airbnb that type of responsiveness isn’t going to get you there. That’s why it’s important to respond as soon as possible (immediately most times) when a potential or current guest asks a question about your listing.

You have to think of it in their perspective. They’re looking at more than one listing so whoever responds to them the fastest will win their booking. Or a current guest has a quick question on how the coffee machine works. If you take two hours to respond back and they had to go buy coffee that’ll be docked on your review. It’ll be in your best interest to download the app on your phone and to get text messages to push through. That way you won’t miss a message and get reminded twice. What’s been the best time saver for me is to have a plethora of saved messages so you can easily respond back to them. Then you won’t have to write out each answer every time. My saved message list is extensive ranging from the first message to directions to my place from airports.

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3. Transparency

It’s human nature in us to embellish a little bit, hey look at any one of our instagrams! But with describing your Airbnb listing, what I realized is being upfront and honest with guests is the best route to a 5-Star rating. If you say it takes only 5 minutes to get to the nearest subway from your apartment when it really takes 10, trust me you’ll hear about that negatively in your reviews. It’s better to be transparent with guests on your listing and they’ll respect that more than you trying to present your best sales pitch. Don’t be too concerned if answering truthfully will scare them away. Majority of the time it won’t as they’ve already had an idea of your listing and what to expect when they visit.

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4. Fair Pricing

This aligns with transparency, price your listing to what the market is currently showing. The strategy I use for this is I’ll go on Airbnb like a potential traveler in my area. I’ll look at a specific weekend of the month then click on the map to see what other listings just like mine are pricing at. Then shave off about $5 or $10 less than what they promote. Another peeve guests don’t like is outrageous cleaning fee costs. I’m actually surprised how many bookings I’ll see that say $110 a night but then I look closer and it’s $180 per night because of cleaning costs. To me that’s not that transparent, but to each their own. I keep my cleaning costs realistic at $20 per booking as that’s how much it’d cost for use of cleaning supplies. Yours could be higher depending on your listing type, just make sure to check what other Superhosts are charging to get an idea of what’s fair.

Pro tip: Don’t use Airbnb’s ‘Smart Pricing’ tool. I’ve noticed every time I test that tool out it ends up pricing my listing way below market value. I’m guessing the reason for that is Airbnb wants prices low as possible to get more guests to book more nights as they’re in competition with hotels. The tool also will not recognize holidays like Christmas and 4th of July. Or events specific to your city like a music festival that’s close to your place where you could charge higher for tourists looking for a place to stay nearby.

5. Review Back

It’s surprising how many hosts don’t do this, but it should be a given that you should always review your guest back. If guests take the time out of their day to write up a glowing review, then it’s only fair to do the same for them. Reviews will help them get booked for other trips they have planned and helps you get to that 4.8 average star rating you’ll need to become a Superhost. Even if you have an unsettling guest that stayed with you and you’re worried about reviewing back. It’s best to write back an honest assessment of why their stay went wrong and apologize for the inconvenience.

The trick is to wait to send over yours if you’re certain their review isn’t going to be good. That will you give you some time to have more bookings in the meantime and positive reviews will be posted above theirs. Keep in mind though once they do leave that bad review it will stay there forever. The good thing is you can ‘reply back’ under their review to make your case to show other viewers how you’ve fixed whatever issue they had during your stay. Even if it’s a glowing review, it’s beneficial to ‘reply back’ to them on how much you enjoyed their stay and even promote your amenities again for potential guests to be reminded once more.

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6. Stand Out

While most of us hosting won’t have a listing like the image above, we can find ways to get creative to stand out from the rest! Think about the city you live in and the specific neighborhood. Does it have some history you can share? Or try playing into what you’re passionate about. If you’re an actor, dress up the room in old Hollywood movie posters. Are you a musician or just a live music fanatic? Make your room themed with concert memorabilia with instruments available to play. I live in NYC so the room is decked out with vintage shots of buildings and broadway shows. You could even name your listing something tailored to what the theme of the room is.

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7. Suggestions

Guests are always looking for suggestions and I see most of that appreciation coming back in reviews. That’s why it’s good to have written up well thought out Guidebook on Airbnb they can easily access. Think about why guests book to stay with you compared to going to a hotel. They want that authentic experience of someone who lives in your city/country. I always point my guests in the right direction as far as where the best food is, nightlife, museums and nature. Think of the best-kept secret places only true residents in your area would know to recommend to them. Some guests I’ve had even extended an invite for me to join which was always fun. Which leads me to my next point.

8. Personality

Always show a nice personality to your guests when they first arrive and throughout their stay. Even if you’re having a bad day don’t let it show to your guests. I’m not saying you have to be super extrovert and constantly messaging them. Actually quite the opposite, give them their space but be cheerful and cordial. It goes a long way. I think the majority of my 5-Star reviews came from former guests stating how fun yet chill I come off as during their stay. Make them feel like they’re one of your family members, a cousin staying for the weekend. Maybe you never see your guests in person but there’s always ways to show it through personal messages. Check in a day after they get settled in to see how their trip is doing. Saved messages are a lifesaver but be sure to rewrite some of them so you don’t come off like a robot each time you reply back.

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9. Simple Perks

It’s the small things in life that count they say. And those should be perks you can promote on your listing. For example, in the private room I list there’s a small mini-fridge where guests can store their items. It’s not only for storage, I keep it fully stocked with water, juice and gatorade. All hotels charge for this but not when you stay with me. Other perks you can include that won’t break your budget is complimentary coffee or breakfast. Some hosts place candy in the guests’ room. Free toiletries like tooth paste, shampoo and body wash as most guests forget to take that with them on flights. Pro tip: Don’t list every single thing you give up as freebies in your listing description. Keep a couple secret so when they do stay and see that you offer them it’ll be a pleasant surprise that’ll more than likely be noted on your 5-Star review.

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10. Upsell

Not everything should be free though right?!? Correct! There will be some perks that your guests will gladly pay for. The most common one I get is late checkouts because many guests have a night flight and hope they can store their luggage at my place to get later in the day. Some hosts offer this as a free service. However, I think it takes a lot of effort to keep track of new guests coming in and former guest luggage needing to be stored in a safe place. Therefore it’s totally fine to require an additional payment (that you can do outside of Airbnb) of $10-$25 for late checkout. Think of other creative ways you can upsell too. If you have extra bikes lying around the home, charge for an all day bike rental. Is your city where tourists spend a lot on apparel and accessories? Have a little shop at your place where they can buy last minute items for their family they forgot to pick up from their last time exploring.

This concludes my 10 tips to become a Superhost. While it may seem like a lot of work it’s really not once you start to host guests to get a feel for how to navigate the app properly and housing etiquette. There’s many benefits to why you’d want to become a Superhost, have a look at what Airbnb says here: Why strive for Superhost status