Superhost and long-term hosting

[Tapio0]

Why the NUMBER of guests determines in becoming a super host? I have guests who stay one and half or even almost three months - and they want to come over and over again each year. This winter during five months my second home has been booged - five months! But no way to become a super host because this was made just by three guests. Very funny! Airbnb chooses amount. I would prefer QUALITY!

**[Post moved to create new topic–title updated]

[Dan2]

I agree with you, @Tapio0 that it's best to have quality, and measure super hosts that way.

I've also had many long-stay quality guests, and so I have now lost my SuperHost status.

It seems more reasonable for everyone if AirBnb measured by ratings plus number of nights and not number of guests.

[Matthew285]

@Tapio0 AirBnB is not saying "more guests are better" or that more guests are indicative of a great host.

It is just that there must be a minimum number of guest reviews to ensure a diversity of opinion. If a host only has two different guests all year, even if both guests are very happy, there is not enough evidence to ensure that many different guests would be happy.

It is kind of like the product reviews on Amazon. When you see that a product has a perfect 5-star rating, but it only has one review, do you trust it? Or do you trust the product with 130 reviews and a great rating?

By the same token, one guest staying 90 nights and providing a great review is not as convincing as 30 guests each staying 3 nights and all providing great reviews.

It is not completely fair (of course it isn't). But there is a good reason for the standard.

[Tapio0]

There is enough reviews and everything shows top value, but the only thing what is not possible to reach is ten hosts per year when the quests like to stay more than just a few days - which actually maybe not shows the real value. I think the real value can be seen better during a long stay!

Here my meters copied:

Overall rating 5.0   /  4.8 

5-star reviews 100%  /  80%

Response rate 100%  /  90%

Cancellations 0/yr  /  0/yr

Trips reviewed 80%   /  50%

[Bryce1]

I support Dan & Tappio 100%! I gained Superhost status when the program originally launched several years ago (I've been hosting for 6-7 years now). Then after I started accepting longer term hosts (sometimes as long as 6+ months for traveling nurses), I lost Superhost status solely for the 10-review requirement. All my other stats EXCEED the required ratings. I hope more people will raise this issue and I propose a simple solution - once you've achieved Superhost status (so you get a base level of hosting experiences), another rule applies where occupancy rate comes into play. If you maintain a low vacancy rate (perhaps 75% occupied for the year) hosts would either automatically be approved or could apply for an Airbnb review to confirm Superhost status when the only criteria preventing approval is number of bookings. I completely disagree with Matthew's assessment. It is far easier to get a 5-star review when you're only hosting a guest for 1-2 nights. But hosting a guest for 6-months...and having them return is far more difficult. You can't fake "nice" over such a long period of time. Since Airbnb penalizes hosts for not accepting guests, it seems counter-productive to penalize hosts who follow that policy and accept long-term guests. That's not in the spirit of "belonging."

[Deb125]

I lost superhost also,, so crazy AIRBNB offers you a "crown" if you get bookings and 5 Star reviews.. I am so booked by other websites,  there are barely any openings to post  in AIRBNB's platform, and their user fees are higher than other booking sites.. just don't worry about being a superhost.  Do a good job, and get on other booking sites.. 

[Neva0]

Airbnb: UNFAIR Super-Host requirement for long-term hosting !

We  are deprived of attaining Super-Host status WHEN WE OFFER LONG-TERM HOSTING to our guests. 

This is unfair! 

I have now had 2 long-term guests this year. One was 4 months and the most recent was 2 weeks. 

Because they are long-term, Airbnb only counts them as ONE Guest each time.  

To attain SuperHost status, Airbnb is requiring 10 guests every 3 to 6 months as I recall.

It appears to me that Airbnb DOES NOT VALUE long-term hosting. Perhaps that is because of the discounting involved? 

However, it is my contention that if Airbnb is not going to provide some way for long-term hosts to attain  Super-Host status, then they should activate a comment under the checkbox where one selects to offer long-term hosting. That way Airbnb will be offering full disclosure of what will be the future deprival of SuperHost status for any long-term host. 

I do not believe there are very many long-term hosts, because I have had several guests (or potential guests) tell me that I am one of the very few offering long-term in my region of the state of Oklahoma.

I think it would be ETHICAL for Airbnb to give full disclosure on what selecting “long-term hosting “ will give you:  It will DISALLOW you from ever attaining Super-Host status during the period of evaluation that you have successfully hosted long-term guests.

I have brought this up three or four times with Airbnb support staff. Two of them told me that they would get back with me. They never did.  The others have just read (and re-read) a boring policy statement and repeated it several times instead of actually having an honest conversation with me about this topic. 

Airbnb needs to step up to the plate and JUST TELL THE TRUTH—at the time a host is checking the box for “long-term hosting.”

Sincerely, 

Neva

Host in Yale, OK

[Matthew285]

@Neva0 I agree that Airbnb needs to figure out a fairer way for hosts who have long term guests. 

Please be aware that you don’t have to host 10 guests every 3 or 6 months. You just need to host 10 guests in the prior 12 months. While they run the super host every 3 months, the super host stats are considered for the most recent 12 months.

[Neva0]

Thank you for that clarification, Matthew!