Reviews

[Clare22]

I am a super host for my own accommodation and always make sure to review guests once they leave and are very lucky to get reviews in return. However, I am finding it frustratingly difficult to get review from fellow hosts for me as a guest! I have stayed at some lovely places around Europe over the last 12 months and as a host myself, always go well out of my way to leave the accommodation I am staying in spotless when I leave. But, I have only had the courtesy of one review from all of the places that I have stayed in. 

The review process is an integral part of the two-way process and as a traveller too, I really would like to build up some reviews myself. My guess is that some of the hosts don't feel obliged to do a review as they know they will receive my guest review on their profile after a certain time anyway. 

Are there any penalties, as a host, for not providing a review within the allotted time? It seems to me that this is something we should all be fully signed up to do and ,if the host isn't prepared to fulfil this obligation, then they shouldn't have the advantage of receiving a guest review (although I appreciate that this may not always be positive). I am pretty sure if I left the accommodation badly, they would be pretty quick to leave a review!

I am feeling very disappointed by this. Just wondered if Airbnb are considering any way of trying to ensure that this process is fulfilled by both parties but particularly the hosts who are reaping the benefit of renting out accommodation on the Airbnb platform. 

Thanks for any input on this!

[Linda-And-Richard0]

@Clare22In my case, I find the opposite to be true.  Of the many guests I have hosted, the few that have failed to leave a review have been Airbnb hosts. As a guest, all the hosts I have stayed with have been quick to leave a review.   The review a host leaves for a guest is a much simpler process than the review a guest leaves for a host.  Reviews are important no matter which  side of the fence you are on.

[Gordon0]

I'll mention in my own review of a stay if the host is a serial non-reviewer, @Clare22. It's laziness. 

[Anonymous]

@Clare22  Hosts are encouraged to review guests, but it's not mandatory. A penalty seems pretty extreme.

But you already have enough positive eviews on your profile to satisfy any host considering your request. Having more wouldn't make any real difference, unless they're negative. 

[Clare22]

Thank you Andrew for your feedback. I actually do think that it should be mandatory for a host to review. The whole principal of reviewing is surely to have a system that supports both parties in making a decision on whether a host or guest can be trusted. It is irrelevant whether I have enough reviews myself but think that 1 review out of 5 stays with hosts is pretty poor. 

[Susan17]

@Clare22 

Unfortunately, rightly or wrongly, a great many hosts (and guests) have now reached the conclusion that the Airbnb review system has become so utterly corrupted with false, retaliatory, extorted and incentivised reviews, that it no longer gives any reliable indication whatsoever as to whether a host or guest can be trusted. Which is probably one of the main reasons why so many refuse to participate in it anymore. 

[Clare22]

That's a real shame @Susan17. I thought that this was the case years ago when the reviews would pop up and be seen before the other party had done one. But I had thought that it was much better now that you have to review without any prior knowledge of the other parties comments. And by not doing a review yourself, you may still end up with a positive or negative review from the other party.

If there is a big a problem as you think, it's about time Airbnb looked at this a bit more closely and tried to find a solution to it maybe?

[Tony-And-Una0]

Hi Clare

I think the issue is that hosts have found guests more and more picky and demanding. If things do not meet 100% to their, often unrealistic,  expectations they mark you down. We had a recent guests who knocked stars of us for not supplying a baby blanket for  the travel cot we provided.  They said everything else was perfect.

Given how fearful hosts are of receiving less than perfect reviews, some feel  it's better not to initiate the review process in the first place.

[Tony-And-Una0]

But clearly if the guests has written a review, it should always be reciprocated.

[Helen3]

That's interesting @Clare22 

What do the hosts say when you ask them whether they would be able to help you build up your reviews on Airbnb?

Are they reviewing other guests?

[Clare22]

Thanks for responding @Helen3 

I did send my last host a gentle 'the 14 days is nearly up for a review, will you have time?' but didn't want to be pushy about it, nor did I expand on the fact that I had already done a positive review. He did say he would do one if he had time but nothing materialised.

I'm not sure how you see if he is doing reviews for other guests. He certainly had plenty of reviews himself and of course, my really good review popped up for him after the 2 week period anyway. I think he just doesn't feel he has any need to return the courtesy. which seems the case for many hosts I have stayed with. 

A real shame.

[Sarah977]

@Clare22  The way you can see if a host has a history of not leaving reviews for their guests is either to download the "Air Review" extension (just Google it), which will then show you all the reviews and review responses in one place, or the slow way is to look at the reviews from guests who left a review for the host, click on the guets's profile photo, which will take you to that guest's profile page and reviews. Then scroll down to see if that host left a review for the guest. It's a tedious process- Air Review makes it easy.

[Clare22]

Thank you @Sarah977  That's good to know and very helpful. 

[Ann783]

This seems like something that could be handled with a  little communication. If you know you have been a great guest - why not ask the host to post a review? I've used Airbnb quite a bit, but didn't realize that hosts were given the option to review me. In retrospect, I would have advocated for a review. I review all guests - but made an exception once. The guest followed most house rules but became upset when I wouldn't extend her stay. She left me no review - which in the end I was fine with.