The key to being an Airbnb superhost? Getting to know your guests

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In my spare time, when not writing about consumer technology I have a sideline renting out a cabin house on Airbnb. So when Jose reserved the property last October, it was nothing unusual. He said he wanted to host some relatives for a quiet weekend in the mountains. I welcomed him without hesitation.

That Saturday, my neighbours texted me as they watched caterers carry large white pillars and bouquets into the backyard. Then 10 cars surrounded the front yard and dozens of people wearing suits and dresses poured into the house.

It became clear this was no intimate get-together. For a day, my Airbnb rental was turned into a wedding venue, which broke city laws. My business would be in jeopardy if the police were notified.

Such is life as an Airbnb superhost. Since buying my cabin house in Northern California in late 2015, I have hosted about 30 groups and become part of the booming ecosystem for Airbnb, the online reservation marketplace that lets people turn their homes into vacation rentals. With more than 140 million guest arrivals to date, Airbnb has proved a boon for hosts and an attractive option for travellers looking to avoid hefty fees from hotels.

In the process, I have been named a superhost, which means I have hosted many guests and consistently received five-star reviews. It’s a small group — researchers say only about 7 percent of hosts are Superhosts.

In exchange, I get more visibility in search results, invitations from the company to exclusive events and a medal next to my profile photo. The designation as a Superhost has paid off: My house is a few bookings away from netting a profit.

Yet vaulting to Superhost status is hardly intuitive, and I learned hard lessons along the way. Here are some tips on running a successful (and lucrative) Airbnb rental based on interviews with Superhosts and my experience.

Hospitality, Not Real Estate

People who rent your house on Airbnb are choosing it over a hotel. So you had better be as hospitable, friendly and communicative as a hotel.

For your rental, that means a few things. Provide staples like cooking equipment, cable TV, soap for bathing and cleaning, towels, toothpaste and toilet paper. Your house should work as advertised — faulty appliances should be repaired or replaced. For another, be extremely responsive to guests, much like a hotel front desk. Nobody trusts a host who is slow to respond.

Set expectations

Being dishonest about your listing will hurt when it comes time for a guest to leave a review. It’s better to be straightforward about what you are offering and transparent about any imperfections.

In my experience, guests were surprised in the summer that the house lacked air-conditioning, even though the listing never said it had air-conditioning. I resolved this with subsequent guests by saying explicitly in my welcome email that the house lacked air-conditioning and that portable fans were in each room.

Solve problems quickly

Be quick to address complaints, or risk facing a negative review. If a dishwasher breaks or the shower pressure is too low, send a plumber. If a remote control was misplaced or stolen by a previous group, have a backup remote ready in a drawer.

If you host the property remotely, the best option is to befriend someone trustworthy in the neighbourhood who can act as a property manager. Pay the manager a fee for each task.

Make cleanliness a priority

Airbnb attracts travellers from all over the world, and it is remarkable how standards for cleanliness differ from person to person. My jaw dropped when one guest left a positive review about her stay, but dropped me one star because the dish-scrubbing brush was dirty. (Couldn’t she have used the clean sponge instead?)

There is no point  acting defensive. The solution is to hire superb professional cleaners. Relay any negative feedback from guests to your cleaners so they improve over time.

Set prices based on demand

Depending on where your house is, demand may be higher at certain times of year. If you hope to ever make a profit, you will want to set prices higher during peak rental seasons, and reduce prices during slow seasons.

Get the guests you want

Last year, Airbnb introduced an anti-discrimination policy that urged hosts to welcome guests regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender and age. That makes sense, since Airbnb wants to connect hosts with travellers from all over the world. But it doesn’t mean you should let just anybody into your home.

Hosts reserve the right to decide what types of groups they would like to host, especially when taking into consideration city laws. For my rental, city law forbids loud parties past 10pm When guests request the house, I ask them the purpose of the visit and ask them to carefully read and agree to my house rules, including one about loud noise.

Some vetting is permitted by Airbnb’s nondiscrimination policy, which says hosts can decline to rent based on factors that are not prohibited by law — so my rejection of those planning to have loud parties fits the bill.

Another important point is to describe your listing depending on the guests you want. Ribbers titled his listing “couples getaway.” My listing, intended to attract family ski trips, advertises the house’s proximity to the ski lifts.

Document everything

Most guests are not bad people. But perhaps one out of 10 times, a rotten egg will pass your smell test. The lesson I learned from Jose was that being a Superhost did not make me impervious to the actions of a misbehaving guest.

To protect yourself, diligently document everything valuable in your house. Take photos of countertops, the refrigerator, stove, dining table, barbecue grill and television set. In the event anything is damaged, Airbnb will ask for before-and-after photos to prove that guests caused the damage.

This story was first published in the New York Times.