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Top Neighbor: how to raise your rating in 30 days

The Top Neighbor badge gives you more visibility and a reduced commission. These are the 6 things that move the needle fastest.

May 10, 2026·5 min read

The Top Neighbor program rewards the most reliable owners with a visible badge, more visibility in search and a reduced commission of 17% (vs. the standard 20%). If you want to get there, these are the 6 levers with the biggest impact.

1. Reply in under 4 hours

Your response rate should be above 90%. Keep push notifications on. A quick reply doesn't need to be a "yes" — a "let me check and I'll confirm within 2 hours" counts as a reply.

2. Take professional photos (your phone is enough)

Good natural light, a clean background, 5+ photos from different angles. Items with quality photos get many more clicks → more rentals → more reviews → a higher rating.

3. An honest description of the condition

If the lens has a scratch, say so in the description. Negative reviews almost always come from unmet expectations, not from the product itself. Honesty = a consistent 4.8+ rating.

4. Punctual handover

Arrive 5 minutes before the pickup. Clean return. Clear communication if something comes up. The renter rates "handover" as a separate category.

5. Ask for a review when they return it

In the chat at the end of the rental: "I hope you enjoyed it. If you have a minute, a review helps me a lot." It works. Profiles with more reviews get more bookings — social proof rules.

6. Cancel as LITTLE as possible

Canceling once a month is fine. Canceling 3 times pushes your cancellation rate to > 5% and you lose Top Neighbor eligibility. If you CAN'T follow through, send a message before formally canceling — the renter will often accept a change of dates.

How your progress is going

In /dashboard/host you see your metrics in real time: rating, response rate, cancellations, completed rentals. The evaluation is automatic over your last 90 days: an average rating of 4.7 or higher, 8+ completed rentals, a response rate above 90% and cancellations below 5%.

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Top Neighbor: how to raise your rating in 30 days | Blog | VAKA