Bad review from guest who damage our place

[Nompumelelo5]

I am in need of some advice from other hosts about a guest we just had. We recently had a guest who gave us a VERY bad review after we had filed a complaint against them for cutting our furniture, moving our furniture, and rearranging how we had our place designed, putting glue almost everywhere (our towels, curtains, pots, bathroom door, wall art, and bedding). They also drew some offensive stuff in one of our pots. The person stayed at our place for 5 days, but the amount of damage they did still amazes us. We are trying to figure out what in the world they were doing, but we just cannot figure it out. A couple of days after we filed a complaint against them and asked for compensation for the stuff they damaged, we received a bad review from them. Oh, I must mention that we gave them a bad review first.

We think their review is a retaliation for the complaint and bad review we gave them because when we sent them a post-check-in message, they said, "every thing went smoothly and your place is perfect and I'm already very comfortable. 5 stars you will be receiving a very kind review." I did contact Airbnb to ask if they can get this review removed, but it just seems like they are not entertaining that idea. How do we deal with this situation? We have been hosting for 2 years now, and this is the first time experiencing something like this. I am tempted to respond to his review, but I just do not know how to go about it without sounding defensive. Any advice will be appreciated. 

[Patricia2526 · Accepted solution]

Hi @Nompumelelo5 

I’m sorry to hear about what happened.

If the review contains false information, screenshots of messages or receipts may help. If the guest violated house rules, highlight this in your case.

If they refuse removal, you can respond to the review publicly and professionally to share your side. Close your response with a professional tone to show potential guests you handle issues with grace.

My response will be:

We’re disappointed to receive this review, especially given the circumstances. While we always strive to provide a welcoming and comfortable stay for our guests, we had to report this guest to Airbnb due to significant damage to our property, including glue on multiple items and rearrangement of furniture. Unfortunately, it appears that this review was left in retaliation.

We take great pride in maintaining our home and ensuring a positive experience for respectful guests. We encourage future guests to read our many positive reviews and reach out with any questions before booking.

Best Regards

[Nompumelelo5]

Hi @Patricia2526 

Thank you so much for your advice! 

We have sent all the necessary documentation to Airbnb as proof. They said they still working on our case. So we just waiting to hear back from them about removing the review.

[Patricia2526]

@Nompumelelo5  Ok, great to hear that! You got this!

[Bronwyn100]

Unfortunately Airbnb will not assist you. Lodge a claim with them for the damage. 

[Juan63]

This is a huge problem with Airbnb. It's such an obvious retaliatory review but Airbnb won't agree. Guests fined for damage should not be allowed to leave a star rating but should be able to write one. This would be a much more balanced approach. Host's can then respond to the review without being dinged because of an disgruntled guest.

[Linda-and-Peter0]

@Nompumelelo5  @Juan63 I am so sorry that you had to experience that.  The Airbnb review system remain a huge challenge.  I agree with @Juan63 approach.  Another option is for both reviews to be removed

[Ahmed570]

This the major drawback of the AIRBNB system. And it seems that they are not interested to solve this issue.

To avoid this situation in the future, you can do two things:

- Choose a good guest, by checking their pervious reviews (I mean hosts reviews of them).

- Do not raise any complain against them until the guests already submitted their review of the stay. You will get a notification when they submit their review.

And try always not to complain on minor things.

[Joelle43]

Hello @Nompumelelo5 

I've been onto your two listings and can't see a recent bad review for either of them so I'm hoping that it's because Airbnb listened to you and removed it🤞Good news!

[Nompumelelo5]

@Joelle43 @Ahmed570 @Juan63 @Linda-and-Peter0 @Patricia2526  Thank you all so much for the advice and responding to my post. This morning I woke up and checked, and the review had been removed. I spoke to another Airbnb person last night, and she was very helpful. The previous person I spoke to completely dismissed me. So, I am really grateful for the second person who helped me. 

[Alex]

Hi @Nompumelelo5, 

I'm really sorry to hear about what you went through. It sounds like a very challenging situation, and I admire your patience and how you handled it. I'm sure you’ve gained valuable insights from this experience. 😌

Was there any response from the comments below that helped the most? Please feel free to mark it as "Top Answer" if you found one that stood out! 😄

Have a wonderful day, 

Alex

[Carlos5637]

I suggest you get in touch with Airbnb support explaining the situation.

I used  to have very good results using the platform.

Keep in mind that we also qualified the guest , we do want bad guests as well as we do not want bad host.

and in addition we have an insurance policy in case of important damage occur to the property.

Best of luck 

Carlos 

[Joelle43]

Hello @Carlos5637 

Just to let you know that @Nompumelelo5 bad review has been removed by Airbnb but you'll have to scroll down further to see her post letting us know of the happy outcome😊