I'd be interested in hearing other hosts' views on whether Airbnb's review system is balanced fairly between guests and hosts.
For context, we have been Airbnb Superhosts for over eight years and operate 12 large serviced apartments with an Airbnb/hotel hybrid model.
I fully support guests leaving honest reviews, including negative ones. I have no issue with subjective opinions about décor, style, location, value or personal preferences.
My concern is with factual allegations that can significantly impact a host's ratings and reputation.
For example, a guest can claim:
- The AC was broken
- The property was dirty
- There was a bad smell
- There were cockroaches
- The shower didn't work
- The listing was inaccurate
- etc, etc
These are statements of fact, not opinion.
Yet a guest can remain silent throughout their stay, never report the issue, never provide photos or videos, and then up to 14 days after checkout leave a review containing these allegations. The host is given no opportunity to investigate or fix the problem during the stay.
As hosts, Airbnb expects us to respond quickly and resolve issues when they arise. Shouldn't guests also be expected to report significant issues during their stay and provide evidence where reasonably possible?
My concern is that a single low review can have a disproportionate impact. A host could receive nine 5-star reviews, then one 3-star review containing unreported allegations, and suddenly their rating drops from 5.0 to 4.8.
I'm not suggesting guests should be prevented from leaving negative reviews. I'm simply asking whether Airbnb should require guests to report and document significant factual issues during their stay, so hosts have a reasonable opportunity to address them before those issues become part of a permanent review.
Do other hosts think the review system is fair to all parties in its current form?
