Airbnb Setup Guide
How to List Your Property on Airbnb
A Twin Cities Superhost's Complete Guide
We've been Airbnb Superhosts since our first year. Here's exactly how we'd set up your listing today — from cover photo to first review.
Earn a $100–$1,000 bonus when you sign up as a new host
Sign up via our Superhost referral link and earn the bonus after welcoming your first guest.
Bonus amount varies by location and market conditions. GSS earns a referral fee from Airbnb when you sign up through this link.
Create your host account
Sign up at airbnb.com — use our referral link above for the $100–$1,000 bonus. Use a dedicated business email if you plan to scale to multiple properties. Enable two-factor authentication immediately; Airbnb accounts are a high-value target for phishing.
Start your listing
Go to Airbnb → Hosting → Create a new listing. Select "Entire place" for investment properties (vs. "Private room" if you live there and rent a room). Select your property type: House, Apartment, Condo, etc. This determines which search filters you appear in.
Write a title that converts
Airbnb titles are 50 characters. Lead with your highest-value amenity, not the location — Airbnb already shows the city in search results.
Less effective
"Minneapolis Home Near Downtown"
More effective
"Cozy 2BR Near Minnehaha Falls | Free Parking"
Photos — the single most important ranking factor
Airbnb's algorithm heavily weights listing quality score, which is driven by your cover photo click-through rate.
- Minimum 20 photos — Airbnb internally tracks listings with fewer
- Cover photo: your best room in natural daylight, wide angle, shot from the corner
- Include: kitchen, living room, every bedroom, every bathroom, outdoor spaces, one exterior shot
- No flash. Natural light only. Shoot at golden hour (30 min after sunrise or before sunset)
Write your description
Three-part structure that converts best:
The space
Describe the property specifically. '3-bedroom home with king bed in the primary, full kitchen, and private backyard' — not 'charming and cozy.'
Guest access
What they can and can't use. Be explicit — ambiguity triggers questions and lowers booking conversion.
The neighborhood
What's walkable, what's a short drive, local favorites. Name actual places.
Amenities — check everything that applies
Airbnb uses amenities in search filters. Missing an amenity is worse than adding one you're borderline on. High-impact amenities in Minneapolis:
Pricing strategy
Do notuse Airbnb Smart Pricing — it consistently underprices, especially in markets Airbnb's algorithm knows less well.
- Research manually: Filter Airbnb for your bedroom count, similar amenities, your zip code. Check what's actually booked (calendar view).
- Start 10–15% below market: For your first month only — to generate initial reviews quickly. You'll recoup this in year 2.
- Set weekly and monthly discounts: 10–15% weekly, 20–25% monthly. Longer stays mean less turnover cost, so discounts still net you more.
- Set a 2-night minimum: Going to 3 nights significantly reduces low-quality short bookings and cleaner workload.
House rules — keep them short
The longer and more punitive your rule list, the lower your booking conversion. Cover the essentials: no smoking, no parties/events, pet policy, quiet hours, max guest count. Everything else can go in your check-in instructions.
Enable Instant Book
Instant Book is the #1 signal Airbnb uses to boost your search ranking. Airbnb's own data shows Instant Book listings receive 2–3× more bookings. Enable it with guest requirements (ID verified, no negative reviews) to keep risk manageable.
Getting your first reviews
Your listing is effectively invisible until you have reviews. These tactics work:
- Offer a 20% introductory discount for the first 3–5 bookings — treat it as a marketing cost
- Message every guest on day 1: 'Hope everything is great! Let me know if you need anything.' This triggers the 'cared about' effect that drives 5-star reviews
- Leave the guest a review within 24 hours of checkout — Airbnb prompts them to review you in return
- Never ask for a 5-star review directly (Airbnb TOS violation). Instead: 'It was a pleasure hosting you.'
How to reach Superhost status
Superhost is evaluated on a rolling 12-month window. Requirements:
Completed stays
10+ stays OR 100+ nights across 3+ stays
Response rate
90%+ (within 24 hours)
Cancellations
1% or fewer
Overall rating
4.8+ average
Ready to create your Airbnb account?
Sign up via our Superhost referral link and earn a $100–$1,000 bonus after welcoming your first guest.
GSS earns a referral fee from Airbnb when you sign up through this link.
We'll set up your Airbnb listing — for free.
Sign on for GSS cleaning and we handle your entire Airbnb setup at zero cost. We're Superhosts — we know what actually converts guests.
Prefer to reach us directly? We're available 9am–7pm CT, 7 days a week.