The Airbnb Superhost

Hosted by Neil Harvey

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139

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Nov 2026

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About the show

Welcome to The Airbnb Superhost, your ultimate guide to mastering the art of hosting on Airbnb. In each episode, lasting about 15 minutes, Neil will reveal the secrets to creating unforgettable guest experiences and maximizing the potential of your property, drawing on over 10 consecutive years as a qualifying Airbnb Superhost and hosting over 2000 guests from over 40 countries. With a focus on 3 specific aspects of running an Airbnb business; the host, the property, and Airbnb itself, Neil provides step-by-step guidance on everything from ambiance creation to effective communication. In each episode, a Superhost Secret will help you elevate your hosting game and keep guests coming back for more. Whether you're a seasoned host or just starting out, Neil’s actionable tips and tricks will help you become a hospitality superstar. Disclaimer: The Airbnb Superhost is in no way affiliated with Airbnb. All ideas, thoughts, concepts and data presented in this podcast are entirely Neil’s own and do not represent the views of Airbnb.

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November 4, 2026Episode 13915 min

#139 Would You Buy a Sofa-bed?

Would you invest £1,000 in a sofa bed if you knew it could generate £50,000 in revenue? It's a question I regularly ask audiences when speaking about Airbnb hosting. But this week, I've found myself putting that principle into practice all over again! With every bedroom occupied, my neighbours fully booked, and guests wanting to extend their stays, I've run out of beds — but not ideas! My solution involves replacing a 60-year-old settee, buying a new sofa bed, several metres of blackout fabric, a sewing machine, and creating an unconventional sleeping space in my conservatory that I'm calling The Tunnel! In this episode, I share how a Sunday afternoon visiting furniture shops turned into an exercise in investment decisions, why you should NEVER buy a mattress without lying on it first, and how I managed to make more money by offering one of my regular guests a 50% discount! It's a story about problem-solving, knowing your customers, making sensible investments and discovering opportunities hiding in plain sight. In this episode, you'll discover: · Why removing unused furniture can reveal hidden income opportunities. · What I learnt from trying sofa beds in five furniture shops. · Why comfort, practicality and guest experience matter more than appearance. · How I approached the challenge of creating privacy in a glass conservatory. · Why I only offer unconventional accommodation to trusted returning guests. · How charging one guest half price allowed me to retain two bookings and increase revenue. · Why a long-term investment shouldn't be compromised by a short-term delivery delay. · How an additional sleeping space could cover its own monthly financing costs with occasional use. And perhaps the biggest revelation of all? Two pieces of furniture that had been in my family for 60 years had been preventing me from recognising an opportunity in my own home for the past 11 years! This episode follows on from Episode 135 — “Get Rid of What You Don't Want to Make Room for What You Do Want.” This week's Superhost Secret: “Sometimes the biggest obstacle to seeing an opportunity is what you've become accustomed to looking at.” And the limerick: I had a settee and a chair That occupied space as a pair But once they were gone It wasn't too long Till a cash-making sofa was there! The Airbnb Superhost Podcast — helping you discover the hidden income potential of the home you already own. Register for my next FREE webinar on how to monetize your own home, here - https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/61WTjBMhTF2MPCh_WrcMbA If you’re enjoying the show, hit follow and leave a review — it helps more people find it!

October 28, 2026Episode 13817 min

#138 — Airbnb's Dirty Dishes: Have We Lost Our Common Sense?

Episode 138 — Airbnb's Dirty Dishes: Have We Lost Our Common Sense? Should Airbnb guests be expected to wash their own dishes? Or has common courtesy become an unreasonable house rule? Airbnb's latest changes to its house rules have sparked a storm in a washing-up bowl! From 20 November 2026, Airbnb's updated policy generally prevents hosts from requiring guests to wash and put away the dishes and cookware they've used. Hosts can ask guests to put dirty dishes in the sink, but washing-up can no longer generally be made compulsory. And hosts aren't happy! A petition calling for Airbnb to reconsider attracted more than 20,000 signatures in less than a week, with the controversy attracting international media attention. In this episode, I explore both sides of the argument, drawing on eleven years of experience welcoming strangers into my own home. It all begins with a story from my university days, when four students, one dishwasher and a housemate who never washed up taught me a valuable lesson about common courtesy! In this episode, discover: What Airbnb's new house rules actually mean for hosts and guests. Why washing-up has become such a controversial subject. Whether excessive cleaning fees and unreasonable checkout demands have contributed to the problem. Why my kitchen has a sign saying "Leave no evidence!" The difference between cleaning a property and cleaning up after yourself. How a growing petition is seeking a constructive compromise. Why clear expectations and mutual respect matter more than ever. I also share my personal theory about how some hosts may have inadvertently contributed to the situation — and why I believe Airbnb needs to listen to the people whose properties make its business possible. Because ultimately, this isn't just about dirty dishes. It's about the relationship between hosts, guests and Airbnb itself. This week's Superhost Secret "Rules set expectations. Respect makes them work." The petition Read the campaign and decide whether you'd like to support it: https://www.change.org/p/airbnb-keep-self-catering-self-catering-let-hosts-ask-guests-to-wash-up Official Airbnb policy https://www.airbnb.co.uk/resources/hosting-homes/a/important-changes-to-house-rules-21 https://www.airbnb.co.uk/help/article/4168 Want to earn income from your own home? I regularly host a free live webinar where I explain how live-in Airbnb hosting works, share lessons from my own experience and answer questions from people considering becoming hosts themselves. Find the registration link accompanying this episode. Follow me on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube: @SuperhostNeil If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who has a spare room, an empty annexe or a property that's sitting idle. It might just change the way they think about their home! Till next time — may your rooms be booked and your reviews five-star! Register for my next FREE webinar on how to monetize your own home, here - https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/61WTjBMhTF2MPCh_WrcMbA If you’re enjoying the show, hit follow and leave a review — it helps more people find it!

October 20, 2026Episode 13716 min

#137. What Your House Is Trying to Tell You

Can your house tell you what's going on without you seeing a thing? After eleven years of welcoming strangers into my home, I've developed something rather like a sixth sense. I can often tell who's arrived, who's gone out, which rooms are occupied and even when something isn't quite right — without seeing anybody! But when I recently started training a new helper, I discovered that what has become second nature to me isn't necessarily obvious to somebody else. And that's when I realised that listening to your house is a skill you can learn. In this episode of The Airbnb Superhost Podcast , I explore how the smallest clues can help you run a more efficient, welcoming and secure Airbnb. You'll discover how a bedroom door left slightly open can reveal whether a guest has arrived, how smart-lock information can help you look out for guests, and why a hot kettle led to an unexpected moment of hospitality. There's also the rather entertaining tale of a young guest who tried to smuggle his mate into my house at one o'clock in the morning. Unfortunately for him, the staircase had other ideas! And even the humble washing machine has something to teach us about managing our time. Whether you're already hosting or just considering welcoming guests into your own home, this episode will encourage you to look — and listen — at your property in a completely different way. This week's Superhost Secret: "You can't manage what you don't notice." Because great hosting isn't just about providing a comfortable room. It's about being aware of what's happening around you and using that awareness to create a genuine home from home. Interested in becoming a live-in Airbnb host? Join me for one of my free live webinars, where I share more about how I've turned spare rooms in my own home into a source of income. You'll find the registration details below. Follow me on Instagram and other social platforms @SuperhostNeil for more hosting tips, stories and a bit of laughter. And remember: your house is talking to you. Are you listening? Register for my next FREE webinar on how to monetize your own home, here - https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/61WTjBMhTF2MPCh_WrcMbA If you’re enjoying the show, hit follow and leave a review — it helps more people find it!

October 13, 2026Episode 13616 min

#136. Does anything ever get broken?

Episode 136 – Does Anything Ever Get Broken? What happens when your Airbnb guests break something? And what if the thing they break is actually your way of thinking? After eleven years of hosting and around 19,000 guest-nights, I've come to accept that things occasionally get broken. It's part of welcoming strangers into a working home. But when a mysterious broken fridge door turns up with a vital piece missing, I'm left wondering whether someone has been covering their tracks! That little incident got me thinking about a completely different kind of breakage. This week, a couple from India staying for a month have challenged just about everything I thought I knew about equipping my guest rooms! From removable shelving and full-length mirrors to bathroom locks, fridge space and a rather amusing incident involving a lady trapped in my bathroom, I've found myself questioning arrangements that have worked for years. And there's more! A simple change to a sofa bed creates an unexpected chain of improvements, including under-bed storage and a private workspace for a guest delivering a webinar at two in the morning. Sometimes the greatest improvements come not from buying something new, but from looking at what you already have in a completely different way. In this episode, you'll discover: Why broken belongings don't bother me nearly as much as concealed damage. How guests can reveal problems you've stopped noticing. Why eleven years of experience doesn't necessarily mean you've got everything right. How a fridge swap solved a problem without spending a penny. Why one small change can create a whole chain of unexpected opportunities. This week's Superhost Secret "Don't let years of experience become years of resistance." Just because nobody complains doesn't mean there's nothing to complain about. And the next time a guest challenges the way you do something, instead of saying, "That's how I've always done it," try asking yourself: "What if they're right?" You might be surprised at what else falls into place! Want to learn how to become a live-in Airbnb host? I regularly run a free live webinar where I share how I've turned spare rooms in my own home into a source of income. Follow me on Instagram @SuperhostNeil for more hosting tips, stories and a bit of laughter. And if you've enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who has a spare room and might be surprised by what it could do for them! Register for my next FREE webinar on how to monetize your own home, here - https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/61WTjBMhTF2MPCh_WrcMbA If you’re enjoying the show, hit follow and leave a review — it helps more people find it!

October 7, 2026Episode 13516 min

#135 Get rid of what you don't want to make room for what you do want

Get rid of what you don’t want to make room for what you do want. What does throwing away a 60-year-old armchair have to do with making more than £300 from Airbnb the very next day? Quite a lot, as it turns out. In this episode, I explore something I first learned many years ago called the Principle of Vacuum : Get rid of what you don't want to make room for what you do want. It's a principle that has followed me throughout my Airbnb journey — sometimes without me even realising it. I share how getting rid of furniture I'd inherited from my mother helped create my very first Airbnb room; how throwing away an appallingly uncomfortable futon eventually led to a sofa bed that's earned me more than £50,000; and how completely stripping out my master bedroom allowed me to see how one room could become two — floor space that has subsequently generated well over £120,000 in turnover. There's also the story of a useless patch of bumpy lawn that I levelled in 2014. Five years later, that empty space was the reason I came home from the Game Fair with something I had absolutely no intention of buying — particularly as I'd deliberately left my wallet at home! A wood-fired hot tub. That hot tub went on to become a major lead magnet for my Dome. But the story that prompted this week's episode happened only a few days ago. After eleven years of procrastination, I finally disposed of an old armchair that had been in my family for around sixty years. Within 24 hours, the space it left behind presented me with a solution to a problem I hadn't known was coming — and helped me retain a guest booking worth more than £300. Coincidence? Maybe. But I've seen this principle work too many times to ignore it. Sometimes we become so accustomed to what we already have that it prevents us from seeing what could be there instead. And that doesn't only apply to furniture or Airbnb rooms. It can apply to habits, working practices, attitudes, beliefs — and sometimes even relationships. This week's Superhost Secret “Create the space before you know what will fill it.” Because the real power of the vacuum isn't getting rid of something once you've found something better. It's having the courage to let go first. Then seeing what moves into the space you've created. This week's limerick When something no longer serves well, It's time to bid fondly farewell. Create a clear space, Put the vacuum in place, What comes next, you never can tell! Follow me on Instagram @SuperhostNeil for more Airbnb tips, stories and a bit of laughter. And if you'd like to learn more about becoming a live-in Airbnb host yourself, follow the link below to register your interest in my free live webinar. Register for my next FREE webinar on how to monetize your own home, here - https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/61WTjBMhTF2MPCh_WrcMbA If you’re enjoying the show, hit follow and leave a review — it helps more people find it!

September 29, 2026Episode 13415 min

#134. Airbnb: The Entrepreneur's Training Ground

Episode 134 — Airbnb: The Entrepreneur’s Training Ground What if the best place to learn how to run a business isn't in a classroom, on a course, or by risking tens of thousands of pounds? What if it's your spare room? In this episode, I explore why I describe Airbnb as a “business in a box” —and why becoming a live-in host can teach you many of the skills every entrepreneur eventually needs. I share the story of one of the students who helped me run my Airbnb before taking what he'd learned back to India and eventually to Berlin, where he used those skills to secure accommodation by helping another Airbnb host. I also look at what my student helpers are really learning when they're changing beds, doing laundry and preparing rooms. Behind those apparently mundane jobs are lessons in teamwork, time management, critical-path thinking, stock control, systems, accountability, customer service, problem-solving—and perhaps most importantly, learning to think like an owner rather than an employee . Because that's where entrepreneurship really begins. Airbnb gives you the marketplace, booking system, payment infrastructure and access to potential customers. But it can't teach you how to price your room, understand your customer, solve problems, exceed expectations, make a profit or eventually delegate without allowing your standards to fall. Those things you learn by doing. And the beauty of starting small is that your mistakes can become lessons rather than disasters. This week's Superhost Secret “Entrepreneurship isn't something you study. It's something you practise.” You don't learn to become an entrepreneur and then start. You start—and that's how you learn to become one. If you've ever thought about starting your own business but wondered whether you have the skills, perhaps your first question shouldn't be: “What business should I start?” Perhaps it should be: “Where can I learn how to run one?” And if you've got a spare room sitting idle, your training ground might already be right under your nose. 🎧 Also mentioned: Episode 107, my interview with the student whose Airbnb education eventually took him from my home to India and then Berlin. Want to find out more about becoming a live-in Airbnb host? Join me on one of my free webinars. Use the Zoom registration link below and come and say hello. Follow me: @SuperhostNeil May your rooms be booked, your reviews 5-star—and Airbnb teach you the entrepreneurial skills you need. Register for my next FREE webinar on how to monetize your own home, here - https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/61WTjBMhTF2MPCh_WrcMbA If you’re enjoying the show, hit follow and leave a review — it helps more people find it!

September 23, 2026Episode 13318 min

#133. Romance in the Dome

Episode 133 Show Notes The Dome at the bottom of my garden has witnessed rather a lot of romance over the years. Marriage proposals. Newlyweds. Candlelit pathways. Engagement rings hidden inside fruit. And then... there was the Viagra. In this episode, I share five very different stories from my years of hosting guests in the Dome — some genuinely touching, some wonderfully unexpected, and one that required a particularly good pair of rubber gloves. You'll hear about an encounter with a film producer where Bambi, Thumper, Honey and some suspiciously memorable leather costumes eventually made perfect sense. I'll tell you how my old theatre instincts kicked in when a guest asked for help proposing to his girlfriend — resulting in twenty IKEA lanterns, an engagement ring beneath a six-metre-high Michelangelo's David and me watching the whole thing unfold from a darkened bedroom. There's another proposal involving an extraordinary fruit sculpture and an engagement ring hidden inside a pineapple, followed by the newlyweds who arrived at the Dome to discover a huge candlelit heart waiting for them on the lawn. And finally, there's the mysterious blacked-out car, four voices in the hot tub, two unexpected guests... and poor Martin's unforgettable first day working in hospitality. Because after ten years of welcoming strangers into my home, I've learned that you can prepare for almost anything. But you can never quite prepare for everything. This week's Superhost Secret: “Don't try to control the story. Just be ready to host it.” When you open your home to other people, you never quite know what stories they're going to bring with them. Some will make you laugh. Some will genuinely touch you. And occasionally, you'll get the opportunity to become part of a moment they'll remember for the rest of their lives. And occasionally... you'll need the rubber gloves. If you'd like to discover how you could generate an income from the spare space in your own home, join me for one of my free live webinars. You'll find the registration link below. Follow me on Instagram etc: @SuperhostNeil Register for my next FREE webinar on how to monetize your own home, here - https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/61WTjBMhTF2MPCh_WrcMbA If you’re enjoying the show, hit follow and leave a review — it helps more people find it!

September 15, 202615 min

#132. My Airbnb makes money for my neighbours.

What happens when your Airbnb is full — but one of your regular guests still needs somewhere to stay? You send them next door! In this episode, I explore something I rarely hear mentioned when people talk about running an Airbnb: the importance of having great relationships with your neighbours. It starts with a young Malaysian student arriving in the UK for the first time. I'd promised to collect her from the bus stop after dark — before realising I wasn't actually going to be there. One phone call to my neighbour solved the problem. But why was he so willing to drop everything and collect a complete stranger on my behalf? The answer goes back more than 20 years, to the day I first moved into my home and made a conscious decision: I was going to like my neighbours. Over the years, cups of tea, glasses of wine, shared garden tools, parties, small acts of kindness and countless little favours became hundreds of deposits into what I call my relationship bank account . And when I eventually found myself in serious financial difficulty and Airbnb became increasingly important to me, those neighbours became an extraordinary part of my support network. Today, three of them even act as my “guest reservoir” — accommodating trusted regular guests when all my own rooms are full. They earn the money, my guests still have somewhere to stay, and I don't lose valuable regular customers. My Airbnb actually makes money for my neighbours. So perhaps your Airbnb “power team” shouldn't just include your plumber, electrician, cleaner, handyman and gardener. Perhaps some of its most valuable members are already living next door. And if you're not an Airbnb host but your neighbour is, perhaps there's an opportunity for you too. Could your spare room, your time or simply your willingness to help become an extension of their business? My Superhost Secret “Build relationships before you need favours.” Don't be nice to your neighbours because you might need something from them one day. Make those tiny deposits without expecting to make a withdrawal. Because one day, when you really do need somebody, you might discover just how wealthy that relationship bank account has become. Register for my next FREE webinar on how to monetize your own home, here - https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/61WTjBMhTF2MPCh_WrcMbA If you’re enjoying the show, hit follow and leave a review — it helps more people find it!

September 8, 2026Episode 13116 min

#131. The unexpected joy of strangers

Episode 131 – The Unexpected Joy of Strangers “I couldn't have strangers in my home.” It's probably the number one objection I hear when I talk to people about becoming a live-in Airbnb host. But here's the thing: every guest starts off as a stranger. And over the years, some of those strangers have given me experiences, friendships and memories I could never have anticipated when they first walked through the door. In this episode, I'm sharing five of them. There's the captain of a winning USA Ultimate Frisbee team who ended up giving us a lesson on my lawn, in the dark, before I retaliated by teaching him croquet. There's a professional juggler called Twirly who came to improve his clowning skills — and somehow ended up teaching me to juggle. Then there's the guest who, when she discovered I was in serious financial trouble, spontaneously offered to lend me £10,000 with no security and virtually nothing in return. I'll also tell you about Malcolm, the Vietnamese film student whose request I very nearly turned down, but who went from stranger to guest, colleague and mentee. And finally, I share an encounter that forced me to confront one of my own prejudices — and taught me the difference between noticing someone's physical appearance and actually discovering the person behind it. Hosting isn't only about occupancy, reviews or making money. Sometimes the greatest rewards come from the people you would never otherwise have met. This week's Superhost Secret “Don't judge the stranger. Discover the person.” Ask questions. Be curious. Give somebody the opportunity to become more than the first impression you've formed of them. Because every one of the people in this episode walked through my door as a stranger. They just didn't all leave as one. Register for my next FREE webinar on how to monetize your own home, here - https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/61WTjBMhTF2MPCh_WrcMbA If you’re enjoying the show, hit follow and leave a review — it helps more people find it!

September 2, 2026Episode 13013 min

#130. Never forget the 'mint sauce'!

Episode 130 – Never Forget the ‘Mint Sauce’ What does a dollop of mint sauce have to do with being a great Airbnb host? Quite a lot, as it turns out. This week, a new guest paid me a wonderful compliment. Having stayed in countless Airbnbs around the country, he told me there was something about staying in my home that just felt... different. So different, in fact, that he immediately booked another three consecutive weeks. But what was that something ? In this episode, I go back to my experiences dining at the five-star Luton Hoo hotel, where I learned an important lesson about the ‘theatre’ of hospitality — and why the smallest details can completely change the way an experience feels. I look at the Airbnb equivalent of those little dollops of ‘mint sauce’: clear pre-arrival communication, welcome videos, thoughtful room layouts, a reading light where you actually need one, somewhere convenient to charge your phone, simple house rules — and the human touches such as carrying a guest's bags, offering them a cup of tea or meeting them at their car with an umbrella when it's raining. None of these things on their own will make a great stay. And no amount of ‘mint sauce’ can rescue a bad meal. The fundamentals still have to be right: cleanliness, comfort, safety and a good night's sleep. But once you've got those fundamentals right, it's often the hundred tiny details surrounding them that turn accommodation into hospitality. Because your guests may never consciously notice everything you've done. They'll simply notice how staying with you feels . This week's Superhost Secret “Great hospitality isn't one big gesture. It's a hundred little ones.” And, naturally, there's a limerick: It’s not grandiose gestures that win, But the details you quietly slip in. For a memorable stay, It’s the small things that say: “We’re delighted to welcome you in.” If you're interested in learning how you could generate an income from your own home by becoming an Airbnb host, join me for one of my free live webinars. You'll find the registration link below. And follow me on Instagram @SuperhostNeil for more hosting tips, tricks and a bit of laughter. Register for my next FREE webinar on how to monetize your own home, here - https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/61WTjBMhTF2MPCh_WrcMbA If you’re enjoying the show, hit follow and leave a review — it helps more people find it!