How to become an Airbnb Superhost: requirements and benefits
In short: Superhost is the badge Airbnb gives to hosts who meet four requirements —a 4.8 rating, a 90% response rate, under 1% cancellations, and at least 10 stays (or 100 nights) a year—. It is evaluated every three months. Beyond the icon, it gives you better ranking in results and more guest trust, and that translates into more bookings.
If you are a host, sooner or later the question comes up: is it worth aiming for Superhost? The short answer is yes, but not for the icon — for what is behind it. Let’s look at it straight.
The 4 requirements to become a Superhost
Airbnb checks them automatically. You have to meet all four at the same time:
- A 4.8 or higher overall rating over the last 12 months.
- A 90% or higher response rate to messages (reply fast, even to inquiries that don’t book).
- Under 1% cancellations on your side (except force-majeure cases that Airbnb allows).
- At least 10 completed stays in the year, or 100 nights across 3 or more stays.
None of them is impossible, but all four together demand consistency: a bad run of reviews or a single cancellation can leave you out until the next evaluation.
How often it is evaluated
Airbnb reviews the status four times a year (January, April, July and October). If you meet the criteria, you keep the badge; if not, you lose it until the next cutoff. That is why Superhost isn’t a prize you win once: you sustain it.
Why it is worth it (beyond the icon)
- Better ranking in results: Superhost listings tend to appear higher, and appearing higher means more bookings.
- More trust: the badge reduces the friction of a guest hesitating between two similar properties.
- Search filter: many travelers filter directly by “Superhost”.
In competitive areas, that boost is the difference between filling your calendar or being left with gaps. You can see how many Superhosts there are in your area with the competitiveness index: if there are many, standing out is harder and the badge matters even more.
Superhost competition varies a lot by city
How contested the top is changes by market. This is what we see in a sample of ~20 listings per city (Airbnb, September 2026):
| City | Superhosts in the sample (of ~20 listings) |
|---|---|
| Pucón | 8 |
| Santiago | 5 |
| Quito | 5 |
| Lima | 4 |
| Playa del Carmen | 4 |
| Montevideo | 4 |
| Cusco | 3 |
| Cancún | 2 |
| Buenos Aires | 1 |
| Mar del Plata | 0 |
Limited sample (~20 active listings per city, September 2026). It’s an indicator of how saturated the top of each market is, not a full census. The more Superhosts around, the harder it is to stand out —and the more the badge matters—. Open your city to see the current competition.
How to get there (and not lose it)
- Reply fast and always, even if the inquiry doesn’t end in a booking. The response rate is one of the easiest things to look after and one of the most neglected.
- Take care of reviews from minute one: real photos, clear expectations and a stay without surprises. The rating is built, not requested.
- Avoid cancelling. If your pricing and availability are set right, you won’t need to cancel over overbooking. Set your price with data, not by guesswork, by looking at your area’s rates.
- Keep occupancy up: reaching 10 stays is easier if your rate and your listing are tuned.
None of this is magic: it is constant management. If you don’t want to be on top of it every day, at Bookhap we do it for you —pricing, listing and guest support— so the badge arrives and stays.
Conclusion
Being a Superhost isn’t the goal: it is the consequence of managing well. Meet the four requirements consistently and the badge comes on its own. And if you want to know how many Superhosts you are competing against before you start, check your area’s competitiveness.
Frequently asked questions
What are the requirements to become a Superhost?
There are four, and you have to meet all four at the same time: a 4.8 or higher rating, a 90% or higher response rate, under 1% cancellations, and at least 10 completed stays (or 100 nights) in the year.
How often is Superhost evaluated?
Airbnb reviews the status four times a year (January, April, July and October). If you meet the criteria you keep the badge; if not, you lose it until the next cutoff.
Is being a Superhost worth it?
Yes: the badge improves your ranking in results, adds trust, and many travelers filter directly by 'Superhost'. In highly competitive areas, that boost is the difference between filling your calendar or being left with gaps.
How do you lose Superhost status?
By failing to meet one of the four requirements at an evaluation: a bad run of reviews, a drop in your response rate, or a cancellation on your side can leave you out until the next cutoff.