Building and Improving the Superhost Program

[Airbnb]

As our global host community grows and becomes increasingly diverse, Airbnb’s programmes and policies need to grow and adapt as well – both to ensure the success of people from all over the world, and to show our appreciation for hosts’ hard work and amazing hospitality. That’s why we’re updating the Superhost programme to make it more fair, inclusive, and valuable to hosts everywhere.

Review rates

Great reviews are essential to earning Superhost status. They also help create a community where trust and transparency is shared between guests and hosts. But, hosts can’t control whether or not their guests choose to leave a review. After examining global data and speaking with Superhosts in a number of countries, we discovered that review rates aren’t consistent worldwide – some travellers always leave reviews, while others rarely do. This discrepancy can put some hosts at a disadvantage when it comes to consideration for Superhost status. In order to make the evaluation process more fair for everyone in our global community, we’ll no longer require that hosts have at least a 50% review rate in order to become Superhosts (or retain their existing status).

Cancellation policy

As part of our effort to make sure Airbnb programmes are built to meet the needs of all hosts, we’re also updating our cancellation requirement. Previously, we required that Superhosts have zero cancellations, but for hosts with an extremely high volume of bookings across multiple listings, that standard is impractical. To make the programme more fair for high-volume hosts, we’re now allowing one cancellation per 100 trips booked over the past year, which means a cancellation rate of less than 1% across all of your listings. It’s important to note that we still take cancellation as seriously as ever. Over the past five years, the Superhost community has worked hard to earn the trust of their guests and we will continue to reward that trust by recognising the most reliable hosts with Superhost status.

Both the changes to our cancellation and review requirements will take effect on the 1 July quarterly Superhost assessment. We’ll also be updating hosting dashboards at this time to reflect this new criteria.

Stay tuned 

We’re committed to continually improving the Superhost programme so that it works for the entire host community. That includes using clear, fair qualification criteria and making it valuable for every Superhost. From the overall design of the programme to how it rewards the community, we’re looking at different ways to not only make your hosting experience more positive, but also help you be more successful. So, please stay tuned, there’s a lot of exciting news to come.

[Yaneth11]

Ingrid, it's so true, I had only one so untruthful review from a guest that clearly contradicted herself on the review  and when I contacted Abb  they truly didn't care about my rebuttal, which ment to me that they only care for the guest.

They're saddling the wrong horse. 

[John2178]

Airbnb is amazingly two-faced. I had a person who never turned up, no call, nothing. And he later asked for all of his money back as "I never used your facilities" and as I declined his request he then wrote a bunch of lies. They said that the review didn't break their review rules. Not true.

WTF! What happened to someone having the skill & ability (& the power) to "fix" that and punish the offender?

6 months later whilst calling Airbnb on a diff matter I mentioned my previous dilemma to the person and the review was gone almost instantly. The Guest then sent me an SMS re finally having his cleaning fee reimbursed and stupidly said: "suck my balls". I then notified Airbnb and I think that they might have done something but no way of knowing.

He was a 23 yr old Australian idiot.

Never give up fighting for what is right!

John

[Kati16]

A similar thing just happened to me.  First time Airbnb guest wrote a glowing review but gave me an overall rating of just 3 Stars.  It knocked me back and I won't get a superheat rating for at least another 50 five star reviews.  Guests often are clueless as to what effect their ratings have.  There should be a way a guest can amend their rating. 

[Nima11]

I had exactly the same experience and spend hours on the phone with Airbnb.  They said they cannot do anything about it and my rating suffered because of that.

[Retno0]

You are right. I was 5 start before one air bnb member came.her review really bad make mine diown to 4.5, juat necause because inforget the shampoo she need 1 am in the morning also she is not able tonised the laundry for her under wear in the middle of the night. First I deliver the shampoo in the morning also let her use the laundry which Cleary is not for sharing.

Also only grade from cheaper house to exclusive one.

There is not appreciated at all with all my effort.

I wish I never give her anything.

We should help and remains each other to be better not ruining or trash other. Now is hard to get back to 5 start and air bnb threatens me to close down the listing.

In have a lot if guess are very happy but they don't wrote review at all.they stay for 1 month .I even return 5000$ for Shorten the stay for company reason and they came back to used it.I even giving my garage for free storage. Air bnb do not know what  I did good, but they listen to guess who got cheap prize.

[Marlon28]

Ingrid and Airbnb Community,

I have experienced this several times. from people that did not show up and demands a full refund.

If the guest do not spend at least one night in the listing, should not be allowed to leave a review. as guest, because they were not technically guests.

Airbnb should remove the review and place it in some other platform but not among the guest s reviews . it is misleading and out of context.

[Heather415]

It seems, guests who aren't as dedicated to the success of STR are given TOO much power to effect our AirBnB ratings.  AirBnB could build in a way to mitigate some of the negativity related to erroneous claims, i.e. " there was no ________" when they haven't reached out to the host to inquire where it may be found in the suite.  Or, for  personal taste, i.e.  Beds.  Of course, the feedback is appreciated and gathered for capital spending decisions. However,  if prior and/or subsequent guests have complimented the beds, it seems that a host should not be rated too harshly when Goldilocks doesn't find her "preferred" bed.  Another, example is when a neighboring suite's guests disturb them but they have not notified the host so that they can address the concern. 

Further,  the guests words in the review should be considered as well as the stars. Guests do not realize how hard a star or two impact the rating.  Super-host and Work Collection are the goal. 

[Alonso18]

Con una calificación mal necesitas 26 para recuperar tu estatus ?

[Natalie776]

Airbnb needs to protect the Hosts that make their company survive and stop giving so much weight to guests that lack history on the site.  

[Leonidas21]

Hi Ingrid! I understand how unfair is an  untrue review!

For me also an untrue review that  Airbnb should take it out of my  host rating.  I am disappointed about this low sensitivity  in the matter by Airbnb and it seems that Airbnb promotes the low level reviews as like as  they watch their favorite critic fancy  TV Show!

[Pamela835]

Ingrid 345,

That's pretty AWFUL, Ingrid345 !! Did you CALL Airbnb personally & explain your situation/ what happened?? Good God!!

If you talk to a "human-being" at AirBNB - they should be able to clear that up for you - right away!!

Pamela Sweet ~

Super Host

[Catherine285]

Unrealistic numbers which I have managed to achieve because Airbnb is 1/2 my life!

While working on getting covid guest refunds from airbnb with 15 calls and no resolve a BULLY snuck in a insti-booked  1.3 years before college Graduation.  My compromise was not acceptable to her and she bullied and laughed at me.... I would never let anyone that rude in my home. 

Now I have a    .51  rating of less the 1 %... seems extreme when we are spending so much time trying to get airbnb to do the right thing to us and the guest for THIS YEAR!!

[Jen-and-Garrett0]

Keep asking until you find someone who listens. I had a guest who said he had no idea who I was and that we never interacted. The 1st CS person I asked approved the review even tho it was entirely untrue. We spoke 12 times. The next time I called back, this new CS agent wasn't an idiot and helped me remove the review immediately.

[Catherine969]

i'm still waiting for that CS agent!!!

[Kaz21]

Only guests that stay at the property can leave reviews.