What Superhosts Do Differently: Inventory Secrets from Top-Rated Hosts

Superhost status isn't just about having a nice property. Plenty of beautiful listings sit at 4.5 stars because of operational slip-ups — missing towels, empty soap dispensers, stained sheets that should've been replaced two months ago.

The hosts who consistently hit 4.9+ ratings share a set of habits around inventory that most average hosts skip. None of these are complicated. But doing them consistently? That's what separates the top from the rest.

---

1. They Set Par Levels for Everything

Not just toilet paper. Everything.

Superhosts know exactly how many bath towels, coffee pods, bin liners, and cleaning product refills they need to have on hand at any given time. They know because they've tracked it.

What this looks like in practice:

A superhost managing a 2-bed flat knows she needs 6 bath towels, 4 hand towels, 14 toilet rolls, and 200ml of shampoo refill to get through a typical week of 3 turnovers with a comfortable buffer. When any item drops to its reorder point, she orders more — before it runs out.

This isn't obsessive. It's efficient. She spends less time thinking about supplies than a host who wings it, because the system does the thinking for her. Our par levels guide explains the formula.

---

2. They Use Checklists (and Stick to Them)

Every turnover follows the same process. Every time. No shortcuts, no "I'll check it later."

This matters because consistency is what guests are actually rating. They're not comparing your property to a hotel — they're comparing it to the photos and description you posted. If you promise a well-stocked kitchen, it needs to be well-stocked every single time.

A superhost's turnover checklist typically includes:

• Stock check (bathroom supplies, kitchen consumables, cleaning products)
• Linen inventory (enough clean sets for the next 2 turnovers?)
• Damage check (anything broken, stained, or worn that needs replacing?)
• Photo verification (quick snap of each room for records)

The checklist catches problems early. A frayed towel gets replaced before a guest photographs it for a review. A near-empty shampoo bottle gets topped up before the next check-in. Small things, but they compound.

See our turnover tips for a complete checklist breakdown.

---

3. They Track Costs Per Booking

Most hosts know their total supply spending. Superhosts know their supply cost per booking.

This number tells you more than the total ever could:

• Is property A more expensive to run than property B? Why?
• Are costs per booking going up? What changed?
• Which items eat the biggest share of your supply budget?

A rough breakdown for a typical 2-bed property:

Category	Cost per booking	% of total
Toiletries (soap, shampoo, etc.)	£2.50-4.00	20-25%
Paper goods (toilet roll, kitchen roll)	£1.50-2.50	15-20%
Cleaning products	£2.00-3.50	20-25%
Laundry (detergent, energy)	£3.00-5.00	25-30%
Replacements (worn items)	£1.00-3.00	10-15%
Total	£10-18 per booking

If your costs per booking are significantly higher than these ranges, there's room to cut costs without hurting quality.

---

4. They Invest in Quality Over Quantity

Superhosts buy fewer items but better ones. This sounds counterintuitive — how does spending more save money?

The maths:

• Budget bath towels (£5 each): last ~40 washes before they look worn. Replace every 6 months.
• Quality bath towels (£12 each): last ~120 washes. Replace every 18 months.

Cost over 3 years for 8 towels:

• Budget: 8 x £5 x 6 replacements = £240
• Quality: 8 x £12 x 2 replacements = £192

The quality towels cost less AND guests rate them higher. Win-win.

The same logic applies to:

• Bedding: Better sheets last longer and feel better
• Cleaning products: Concentrated formulas cost more per bottle but less per clean
• Kitchen tools: A decent can opener lasts years; a cheap one breaks in months

The exception: pure consumables like toilet paper, bin liners, and paper towels. These are disposable by nature — buy them in bulk at the lowest reasonable price. Nobody's reviewing your bin liners.

---

5. They Have Backup Suppliers

When a superhost's main supplier is out of stock or delivers late, they don't panic. They've already identified a backup.

This isn't about having a rolodex of 20 vendors. It's about knowing the answer to: "If my usual towel supplier can't deliver this week, where do I get towels by Friday?"

Most superhosts keep a simple list:

• Main supplier — for regular orders (best prices, established relationship)
• Backup supplier — for emergencies (slightly higher price, guaranteed fast delivery)
• Walk-in option — a local shop for absolute last-resort purchases

The backup almost never gets used. But when it does — a bank holiday weekend, a supply chain hiccup, a sudden booking spike — it's the difference between a smooth turnover and a frantic trip to the nearest supermarket at 9am.

Our guide on building a supplier network covers this in detail.

---

6. They Use Technology

Not all of them use dedicated inventory software (though an increasing number do). But they all use some form of technology to track supplies:

• At minimum: A shared note or spreadsheet that their cleaning team can access
• Better: A simple app that tracks stock per property with reorder reminders
• Best: A purpose-built tool that connects inventory to turnovers, costs, and ordering

The pattern is clear: the more properties you manage, the more you need proper tooling. One property, you can get by with memory and good habits. Three properties, you need a system. Five or more, you need software.

The hosts who resist technology aren't saving money — they're spending time instead. And time is the one thing you can't restock.

---

What These Habits Have in Common

Notice that none of these habits are about being perfect. They're about being consistent and prepared:

• Consistent stock levels (par levels)
• Consistent processes (checklists)
• Consistent measurement (cost tracking)
• Consistent quality (buy once, buy well)
• Consistent reliability (backup suppliers)
• Consistent systems (technology)

Guests don't notice when everything goes right. They notice when something goes wrong. Superhost habits are designed to make sure nothing goes wrong — or if it does, you catch it before the guest does.

---

The One Thing You Can Start Today

If you take nothing else from this article, do this: walk through your property with your inventory checklist and count everything. Write down what you have. Compare it to what you should have. Set a reorder point for your top 5 items.

That alone puts you ahead of 80% of hosts.

---

FAQ

Do I need superhost status to benefit from these habits?

No. These habits help any host get better reviews and lower costs. Superhost status is a result of consistency — these habits are how you build that consistency.

How long does it take to see results?

Most hosts notice fewer supply emergencies within the first month. Review scores typically improve over 2-3 months as consistency builds. Cost savings are visible within the first quarter.

What's the most impactful habit to start with?

Par levels. Once you know how much of each item you should have, everything else gets easier — ordering, budgeting, restocking. Start with our par levels guide and go from there.

---

Want the tools superhosts use? HostStock gives you par levels, reorder alerts, team access, and cost tracking — everything in this article, in one dashboard. Start your free trial →