Airbnb Removing a Guest Review for a Host Given a 1-Star Rating **

[Stacye3]

I am reaching out to the Community because I provided a review of a Host stay, entitled, "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly" which gave the host a 1-Star Rating, yet AirBnB removed the review so none of the information any potential guest needs to know was posted on the Host's page.  Yet, Airbnb allowed the host to inaccurately & inappropriately post a negative review of the Renter, without having any factual/reliable proof of the Host's falsified claim.  Below is the information, containing "The Good" & "The Bad", that potential guests needs to be aware of regarding the property itself.  I am also going to post "The Ugly" Information regarding  the inaccurate, offensive & degrading statements the Host was allowed to post against the Renter.

The Good:

*The property shows very well on the web page & is very attractive & appealing. 

*The house is decorated EXACTLY as shown in the photos.

*The Host/Co-Hosts provide the majority of the amenities guests/visitors need.

*The Host/Co-Hosts are very responsive to inquiries/requests & put forth the effort to try to accommodate your group.  Our group consisted mostly of Senior Citizens, in which the majority are handicapped/disabled with health issues.  The Hosts made a effort to be more accommodating, regarding the bunk bed upstairs.  The day we checked in was a very stormy day, so the Hosts also allowed us to check in early, when the weather was expected to be clear.

* The neighbor to the left (when facing the property) was very friendly.  She held long conversations with a few of the Guest of Honor’s sisters.

The Bad:

*The Front Yard is overgrown and definitely needs a huge improvement on curb appeal (See attached Photos).

*The Front entrance is really dark at night.  The colorful lights along the walkway are cute, but this area needs to be better illuminated for easier and safer access.

*The front of this property is located right by the sewer drainage system.  Therefore, when you park directly in front of the house at night, the area where you step out of your vehicle and onto the curb, near the drains, is FULL of disgusting bugs.  So this was a huge inconvenience, especially for an elderly person stepping out of the vehicle using a cane/walker.

*There is no where to sit in the front yard nor the front porch.  Having a sitting area on both sides of the walkway and a 2-seater bench or cater-corner outdoor chair on the front porch would be nice.  The only place you can possibly sit is on the concrete top of the steps.

*Guests/Visitors have to remember to close the gate upon entering/exiting.  It would be nice if this was a gate that self-closed.

*The main level of the home DOES NOT have a water closet (toilet/sink).  Therefore ALL guests/visitors have to either go up many steps to the 2nd level to use the hallway bath, or go down many steps to the basement level of the Master Suite.  So, when your guest is staying in the Master Suite, you are not going to want your visitors going into your bedroom to use the bathroom.  Therefore, they are forced to go upstairs to the hallway bath where the other guest rooms are located.

*There was an issue with the Floor Lamp near the dining room area that kept shutting off, apparently due to a short circuit. Both Floor lamp cords were a tripping hazard.  This room should have more lighting in the ceiling and the floor lamps should be removed to free up more space.

*The router was also placed on the floor and should be installed on the wall or hidden in a closet, so this also frees up more floor space.

*There was an ice-maker in the Freezer, but it was not generating any ice.  There was no bucket in the freezer to catch the ice, so maybe this is something the hosts are aware.

*The TV in the Living Room should have the cable hidden inside the wall.

*The Art on the walls are just vinyl art that are just attached to the wall.  The photos online are VERY DECEPTIVE, particularly for the Marilyn Monroe Bubble Gum art.  It looks like it covers an entire wall because of the angle of the photo.  However, there is only enough space for 1 (maybe 2) person to stand in front & take a photo.  The are NO WALL ART MURALS on any of the walls!!!  They are just hanging Vinyl wall art!!!

*There is only 1 TV in the entire house.  There is NO TV in the Master Suite downstairs, nor in the 2 Guest Rooms Upstairs.  So we brought our own.

*There is no seating in the Queen guest room, besides the bed.

*The Back Yard is desperately in need of a huge improvement on appeal and allowance for easier and brighter access to the home!  The so-called walkway was very soggy & not fit for anyone to safely & smoothly walk. There should be a clear, easily defined and more convenient walkway from the fence to the back steps, as well as to the Master Suite.    It is not a place I would want to sit back, relax & enjoy a meal and/or a drink, nor walk through.  There should also be seating on your back porch as well (as recommended for the front porch).

**[Title updated] 

[Stacye3]

These are the Seniors and the ONLY OCCUPANTS that stayed in the house and slept on and used the Linen.  It's ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE & DEGRADING for AirBnB to allow a Host to post this type of accusation!!!

[Rmd1]

This was taken after we finished the Birthday Celebration at a restaurant at the Waterfront!  Again there was NO PARTY at the house, as the Host wrongfully accused the Guest in her review!!!

[Helen744]

@Stacye3 Cuty pies . Happy birthday mom.

[Helen744]

@Stacye3 watch out . Those seniors look like they are up for anything if you ask me . H

[Stacye3]

In addition to the 3 completely falsified claims previously noted, the host then added more fabricated stories to my review, in which Airbnb allowed the Hosts to post, but removed my review without providing specific, detailed reasons why...Note:   I requested this from Airbnb several times!!!

• Additional Fabricated Note 1:  “I noticed that both cans of the air freshener had been emptied and thrown away, in what I believe was a failed attempt in trying to cover up the smoke before they left.”
  • Again, this is evidence that they rambled through the trash bags.  We gathered all trash from inside the house, bagged them & sat them out back.  This shows they were looking for something to use to justify their false claim!!!  I cannot even confirm they found empty Air fresheners.  If they did, they were from the ones we brought from home; not realizing the house would also be suppling those items.  We brought Air Fresheners, Wipes, Lysol & Microban Disinfectant Spray; as always, since we have entered the world of the Pandemic!

[Rmd1]

I can attest to this because I also brought Air Fresheners & Disinfectant Wipes/Sprays & helped set things up for my Aunts & cleaned up before we left!  There was absolutely NO TRASH left in the house, so the Hosts definitely had to rumble through the trash!

I am immune compromised, so I always bring cleaners, sprays & wipes from home wherever I go & was certainly going to do that for my Aunts to make sure they were kept safe & were well taken care of!  It was great for the Hosts to supply some of these things as well, but let it be known, we did bring our own!!!

So what they possibly found was likely something we brought from home that was already used!!!  No one needed to cover up ANY smoke smell because NO ONE SMOKED & there was NO SMOKE SMELL in the house!!!

We, as a family make sure our loved ones, particularly the elderly, handicapped & disabled have everything they need & are well taken care of wherever they go!

[Huma0]

@Rmd1 

I find your commentary here a bit odd. The host mentions in her review that there were unregistered people (i.e. people other than the booked guests) at the property and believes there was some sort of party. Meanwhile, @Stacye3 insists that no one stayed at the property other than the elderly, disabled ladies (which also doesn't make sense as she she stayed there too). Yet, here you are saying you were there too. That's a pretty major hole in @Stacye3 's story.

Also, it seems weird that your own Airbnb account has no info, no reviews and was set up recently. Was the purpose of setting up this account purely to be able to comment here on this thread? Your posts and @Stacye3 's seem very similar, almost as if they were written by the same person, but perhaps that's just coincidence.

@Stacye3 In terms of the review, although it's not stated in the review or content policies, I have heard from other hosts here on the CC that Airbnb does sometimes remove reviews where there is a resolution dispute (e.g. a claim for damages) involved. So, it is possible that is what has happened in your case.

Your review is also clearly retaliatory, as where it got 'ugly' is after the accusation of the marijuana smoking and damage claim. You specified that the listing was as described and the host helpful an accommodating. It seems that overall, it was a good place to stay and the guests seemed to enjoy it.

Most of your criticisms about the listing itself are kind of petty, e.g. complaining about amenities that weren't offered on the listing, or the size or type of the wall mural/art. The drain is outside of the property and outside of the host's control and there was other parking space available away from the drain. You mention the bad weather that caused you to ask for an early check in, which the host accommodated. Could this not have been the reason the path was soggy?!

The whole thing looks like a list of whatever reasons you can possibly think of to justify her 1* review, when the real reason is that the host accused your party of breaking her house rules and causing damage.

For sure the review the host left you would put me off hosting you, but your ranting response to it is far more off putting. Even if she'd left a positive review, if your review (also a massive rant) had been allowed to remain, that review would be the number one reason why I would never host you. That's my perspective, but I am sure many other hosts would feel the same.

[Rmd1]

@Huma0 If you were really paying any attention & read anything the Guest posted about who stayed at the property (several times), you will clearly see @Stacye3  DID NOT stay at the property.  It was only for the Birthday Girl & her Sisters (who were all Senior Citizens) to stay!

Of course, I was there as a visitor, as I stated!  Again, I also helped with check-in & check out & helped to make sure my Aunts were well taken care of, during their stay!

It seems as if you are choosing to completely ignore the fact that the Hosts knew this stay was for handicapped, disabled, senior citizens, from the start & why they were going to be staying there!  

I don’t know any elderly people that use a walker/cane or wheelchair that don’t need any assistance and/or caregiving!  So, anyone with any common sense should know there are going to be assistance & caregivers around at some point to help them!  Therefore, to think that NO ONE else was going to be in the house is just asinine!

As far as I can see, in the posting of this property, it does not state that NO VISITORS are allowed nor need any approval to enter into the property.  Like @Stacye3 stated, so that means the deliverers needed approval too?

Its very interesting that most of the Hosts on this platform are only looking at this situation from the Hosts eyes 👀 & reading what they want to read as opposed to paying ANY attention to the detailed facts that show how the Hosts contradicted themselves & just simply, flat out lied! 

I, along with several other professional people, can validate everything that happened the entire weekend because I was around helping out & doing things for my Aunts to celebrate life with my oldest Aunt (outside of the house)!  I scheduled the DC Tour for our group!  I ordered the Pizza!  I am VERY UPSET about the Hosts false accusations as well, because my Aunts have enough health-related issues to deal with, along with myself & should have never been falsely & wrongfully accused of such buffoonery, after having such a great weekend celebrating life!

But like “I” said  Airbnb is not going to support anything that’s going to hurt their bottom line…even if the Host is DEAD WRONG!

[Huma0]

@Rmd1 

I think it's pretty asinine to assume you can just have multiple people coming and going and entering the host's property without asking if it's okay. It doesn't matter if the host didn't specify no visitors or knew that elderly people were staying. Firstly it's just good manners to ask. Secondly, it's pretty standard that only the people booked to stay should be entering the property unless they have the host's permission to do so. There are implications in terms of Airbnb's insurance and there may be other insurance implications, local laws etc. regarding STR that make this problematic. 

The host also states no parties or events, and yet you chose her listing for a celebration at which other people were present, and are then outraged that she was not happy about it. That's pretty asinine. It doesn't matter who those people are or why they were there. You can try to justify it however you like but when a guest books on Airbnb they enter into a contract which includes agreeing to follow the house rules on the listing.

I have no idea RE the smoking accusation. Other than the host's review, we are only hearing your and @Stacye3 's side of the story. But to book a listing and then complain about things that were already stated, such as the stairs, and then complain about it because it doesn't suit your purposes is, well, just asinine. That's the guest's mistake not the host's.

None of what has been mentioned warrants a 1* review and I suspect that Airbnb might have removed it because that review was a complete outlier compared to other guests', plus complained about things clearly stated on the listing and clearly retaliatory.

If you bothered to read other threads on the CC, you would see that the hosts commenting here, including myself, often try to help out guests dealing with bad hosts and call out other hosts when we feel they are wrong. My comments here have noting to do with whether the OP is a host or a guest. They are based on what she and you wrote. Even if what the two of you are saying is 100% true, you still don't come across well.

[Kia272]

@Huma0 you are spot on, as usual.

It seems obvious to me that these two profiles are one and the same. I believe the one was created to bolster the arguments of the other. 

Regardless, there's no reasoning with this person, so it's probably not worthy of anyone's time to keep responding. The host is wrong, she is right, end of story. 

No doubt there was definite justification in removing that review. Unfortunately the host probably has to live with the 1* rating. 

Kia

[Huma0]

@Kia272 

I am sure you are right. It's not worth responding. I just couldn't help it due to the use of the word 'asinine'. Lol.

I hope the ratings were removed along with the review. Airbnb do this sometimes, even if some reps will claim otherwise. A few months ago a guest asked for her review of me to be removed (she had been happy with her stay and didn't realise 3* wasn't good) and the ratings were removed with it. Actually, the review was nice. It's the ratings that were the problem. If Airbnb had said they could only remove the review but not the ratings, I would have told the guest not to bother.

[Huma0]

@Rmd1 

Oh, and by the way, if @Stacye3 made the booking and didn't stay at the property, that's called a third party booking, which is against Airbnb policy and voids Airbnb's insurance. I am not sure if the host was aware that @Stacye3 wasn't staying or if she was aware of it but not aware of the policy. In any case, that's another reason for the review to be removed. The nature of this booking was problematic from the start and it should never have happened in the first place.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

I am always amazed by guests who use their vacation to travel to another city with their friends or family and then spend their time on a detailed inspection, analysis, and study of the accommodation of their choice, instead of relaxing and enjoying themselves.
What’s wrong with people lately? Is it the impact of Instagram influencers or covid isolation? 😄

[David8879]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 

"What’s wrong with people lately?"

A LOT

[Mark116]

@Stacye3 

It's very unusual for Airbnb to take down a guest review.  You could contact them directly, either by phone or on the message system, and ask them how your review violated the terms of service and lobby them to put it back up.  This might or might not work. 

However, I would recommend that you let it go and consider it a lesson learned.  Your review [even without whatever was in 'the ugly' section ] complained about many things that are clear in the listing photos--the yard looks the same as in your photo, there is clearly no seating in the front yard, no TVs in the bedrooms.  You also include a lot of very minor issues, such as the router being on the floor and complaining about the street drain, which the host has no control over.  Future hosts reading a review like this, which includes disastisfaction with things that were disclosed in the listing and/or out of the host's control may be hesitant to say yes to your booking. 

Obviously, I can't know if anyone did or didn't smoke, or why if no one in your group smoked the host would be so insistent that the house smelled of marijuana.  Making a false claim for a toilet seat would also be strange, since they're not very expensive.  Presumabily photos would document whether it was the same one as pictured in the listing.   It is possible that perhaps the cleaners damaged it and blamed you, or also possible that someone in your group damaged it and did not notice it. If you admit that your group took a bag of games, including the cards, by mistake, it seems unfair to call this a 'fabricated' claim or to take offense that the host asked you about these items.

I'm sorry your first experience was so distressing, but I would advise in the future to perhaps take more time in reviewing a listing property and if you have specific concerns such as street or other lighting, questions on the layout of the property or where bathrooms are, etc. that you should ask the host these questions before booking. Good thorough communication before booking is the best insurance for having a good stay with Airbnb. Good luck.