THE STANDARD
Five public criteria
Any stay that fails one of these is not shown as Vetted — even if the host asks. It can still appear in results, just without the badge.
Rating 4.8★ or higher
A stay's public review score must be above our floor. We don't invent ratings — this is the same number Airbnb shows the guest.
10+ reviews from real guests
A stay with a handful of five-star reviews is a hunch, not a track record. We look for enough real feedback that the rating means something.
Superhost or Guest Favorite
Airbnb's own quality marker. It reflects things guests care about: response rate, cancellation rate, consistency over time.
10+ verified photos
A shortlist should show you the place, not one hero shot. If a listing does not have enough photos to tell the story, it does not get the badge.
Sane, honest nightly rate
Between $30 and $1000 per night. Above the ceiling is a specialised luxury conversation. Below the floor is almost always a data mistake.
Hand-picked stays: our small editorial set is chosen by a human, not just a rubric. The rating and reviews floors above still apply — the badge comes off any hand-picked stay whose numbers drop below them.
OUR PLEDGE
You can’t pay to get in.
No stay pays JEMS for the Vetted badge, and no stay can pay to skip a criterion. If a listing drops below the standard, the badge comes off — we re-check every one of them nightly. The whole point of the badge is that you can trust it.
Featured Partner slots (when they arrive) are clearly labeled as paid placement and live in their own section — they never mix into the organic list, and they never wear the Vetted badge.