Superhosts: their tips for a hassle-free rental

The essentials. For a hassle-free stay, the Superhosts featured here keep their property personal but tidy, trust their guests and remain reachable without sending a flurry of messages. Before check-in, verify access instructions and the Wi‑Fi ; during the stay, explain clearly how to report an emergency. These gestures can improve the welcome, but they do not guarantee a positive review or Superhost status, which depends on the criteria set by Airbnb.

Keep your personal touch

« For us it’s essential to offer a warm experience while keeping personal touches such as family photos, because that authenticity is what many guests are looking for. » Ludovic and Maxime, Paris, Île-de-France.

A property can keep what makes it feel alive. Guests see the items in your photos and then find them when they arrive : that continuity matters more than decoration added just for the booking. Still, leave some space for their belongings.

You can leave photos and decorative items on display. However, tidy away paperwork, medication and items you do not want to make available. Also leave room in the cupboards for the guests’ things. A personal touch should not force anyone to hunt for an empty shelf.

Trust

« We are flexible with our guests and we go out of our way to give them a memorable experience and they repay us in kind ! Recently a couple gave me a plant I found in the property during cleaning; that little gesture really touched me. It’s important to build a relationship of trust, people are respectful when they feel respected. »

The plant was a gift received by this host, not a promise of the same in every stay. You can be flexible about a timing request if the cleaning and the next booking allow it. Say yes or no quickly, then confirm the agreed time by message: trust works better when everyone knows what was decided.

This relationship can make the stay calmer for you and your guests. It also increases the chance they’ll return or leave a positive review, without either outcome being guaranteed. For sensitive information, trust does not rule out access controls : the StyQR FAQ on codes and welcome book access distinguishes what you share from information reserved for authorised guests.

Foster a sense of service

« I always try to be available for guests without being intrusive. I like them to feel at home, while offering a complete change of scenery thanks to the unusual setting of the pénichette. I always listen to guests and ensure mutual respect. » Boris, Rezé, Pays de la Loire.

Boris hosts on a pénichette : his setting is unusual, but his rule about contact applies just as well to an apartment. Make the Wi‑Fi code clearly visible and, if it suits your welcome, a chilled bottle of water. These attentions meet an immediate need ; they do not replace a response when something isn’t working. To avoid guests searching through messages, gather the network and instruction details in the Wi‑Fi and access section of the welcome book.

After check-in, send one message only : « If you have a question, message me. I reply in the morning and late afternoon ; for an urgent problem in the property, call me. » Then let guests enjoy their stay without repeatedly asking if everything is fine.

If an unexpected issue occurs during the stay, keep this contact rule : a message for routine questions, a phone call for urgent problems. For example, if guests discover a water leak, ask them to call you immediately. Then tell them who can intervene and when, and keep them informed. A quick response does not fix the leak ; it prevents guests waiting without knowing what to do.

The Superhosts quoted in the article share a common approach. The table sets out their gesture and what you can reasonably expect from it.

Approach	What the guest experiences	What it saves you from, without review guarantees
Keeping personal touches (photos, everyday items)	They recognise the advertised atmosphere and still find space for their belongings.	An impersonal or cluttered property, though details alone won’t guarantee they’ll return.
Trusting guests and being flexible	Their request gets a clear response, with limits if the schedule requires it.	A misunderstanding about timing ; respect and a positive rating are not automatic.
Being available without being intrusive	They enjoy the stay and know how to reach you if there’s a problem.	Repeated messages and an urgent issue left unanswered.

What to check before check-in to avoid the first call ?

Take the route a guest who doesn’t know the area would take. Reread the address, parking details, the path to the door and the key handover instructions. If you offer an self check-in, test the code after changing it and plan a solution if the key safe won’t open.

Inside the property, connect to the Wi‑Fi with the password given to guests. Open the cupboards intended for them, check the entrance light and leave the check-out instructions easy to find. The welcome book template for holiday rental helps you write these directions in the order of the stay ; the cleaning checklist between stays is used to check the property before the key handover. They are two different checks.

StyQR internal note : our support FAQ separates arrival information, access codes and Wi‑Fi into distinct modules. This breakdown is useful when a single detail changes : correct the code without rewriting the whole welcome message. For a property rented occasionally with little change in instructions, a shared document may suffice ; a digital welcome book for short-term rental lets you update information accessible to future guests without re-sending the document.

How to ask for a review without applying pressure ?

Thank the guest after their departure and, if you wish, invite them to freely tell their experience. Do not link a gift or a discount to the rating requested. The Airbnb policy on reviews forbids quid pro quo and pressure intended to influence a review.

The plant mentioned earlier illustrates a pleasant relationship ; it does not establish cause and effect between a gesture and a good rating. If a comment points out difficult access or poorly explained equipment, fix the issue first. Our article on online reviews for a rental covers how to read them and how to respond.

And the Superhost badge ? These tips are about hospitality, not a recipe to obtain it. According to the criteria published by Airbnb to become a Superhost, the platform reviews stays hosted, responses, cancellations and the overall rating. It assesses the listing owner : a co-host does not receive the status solely on the basis of the listing they manage.

Frequently asked questions

Should I remove my personal belongings to host guests ? No. Ludovic and Maxime prefer to keep photos and objects that give character to the property. Do tidy away paperwork, medication and items you do not make available, then free up space for luggage.

How do you build a relationship of trust with guests ? Respond clearly to their requests and confirm agreed arrangements. The host who told the story about receiving a plant attributes it to a respectful relationship ; their experience does not guarantee the same reaction from every guest.

Do I need to be available at all times for my guests ? No. Boris recommends staying reachable without intervening constantly. State when you reply to routine questions and give a way to call you for an urgent problem.

Do small attentions really make a difference to reviews ? A bottle of water or easy-to-find information can make arrival more pleasant. No attention guarantees a rating. On Airbnb, do not offer anything in exchange for a favourable review.

Do these tips really come from Superhosts ? The original article, published by StyQR, presents Ludovic and Maxime and Boris as Superhosts and reproduces their testimonies. We have kept their words. However, we do not have independent verification of their current status or of the identity of the person who gave the plant testimony.