New "Airbnb Plus" Rating Flags Luxury Rentals

As part of its tenth anniversary celebration, Airbnb has launched a new rating that's geared toward attracting high-end, luxury rentals, exceptional hosts, and a class of guests looking for the best of the best. The vacation rental business is setting its sights high as it embarks on its second decade of business--and a far cry from its origins as a cheap alternative to a motel room.

First-Line Qualifications

In order to qualify as an Airbnb Plus listing, the property must meet a specific set of basic criteria. Many of these components are already part of the Airbnb Superhost program. They include the following requirements:

Property owners must offer the whole home or a private room with a private bathroom.
Properties must be located in Austin, Barcelona, Cape Town, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Melbourne, Milan, Rome, San Francisco, Shanghai, Sydney, or Toronto.
Hosts must have a minimum of a 4.8 star rating out of 5 stars and have agreed to 95 percent of their booking requests. They also must not have cancelled any reservations over the past 12 months.

Detailed Criteria

If Airbnb properties meet the initial criteria, owners can then apply for further inspection, which takes place first remotely as well as in person later in the process. Owners will receive feedback during the in-person inspections, have the opportunity to improve their home and property, and be reconsidered if they are not initially accepted. More than 100 different items are checked and verified. These criteria are grouped into four categories:

Comfort. Properties are checked carefully for things like high-quality linens, fluffy pillows, soft towels and top-notch guest products. Furniture is evaluated for comfort and quality, and items such as privacy shades and storage space are considered and noted.
Amenities. Airbnb ensures that key amenities such as filtered or bottled water, an iron and hair dryer, cooking utensils and basic ingredients like oil and salt are provided. These are in addition to basic amenities such as a smoke detector and basic appliances. Streaming ability and wifi connection speeds are all checked to ensure that you have easy access to online and communications needs while staying at a Plus property. Minimum connection speeds must be met.
Well-Maintained. Homes are checked to ensure that they are clean, free of clutter and pests, and fully operational and in good repair. Details such as strong water pressure, functioning appliances and working interior locks are verified. Airbnb inspectors make sure that nothing is broken inside or outside the home.
Aesthetically Pleasing. Finally, Airbnb professionals will make sure that the property is pleasing to the eye with fine style, elegant design, and unique character. Every item in a Plus property must either be functionally needed or add to the overall decor of the property. Homes will be both comfortable to stay in as well as beautiful to behold during your stay.

Plus Privileges

If an Airbnb property receives the coveted Airbnb Plus rating, it will receive special privileges on the site. After six to 12 weeks, these properties will have a higher search ranking, access to professional photography, and premium customer support.
Plus properties promise a reliable and effortless check-in process. All Plus properties have a lockbox and keypad or a host who will be available to welcome you. In addition, a specially trained team provides faster, more reliable customer service as well as for those clients selecting a Plus property.

These perks, in addition to the Plus badge, will ideally boost bookings for the vacation rental owner and enable higher rental rates for Plus properties.

With this new category of Airbnb properties, the company is obviously reaching for the most expensive, highest class homes on the global market today. From its humble beginnings of two young men looking to make a little extra money by providing an airbed and a bowl of cereal in a spare bedroom, Airbnb is now strutting into wealthiest market segment with high hopes for the future.