Advice about 5-star ratings, superhost status, setting expectations for an older house

Shanna5
Level 3
Tucson, AZ

Advice about 5-star ratings, superhost status, setting expectations for an older house

I have been trying to achieve and maintain 80% 5-star reviews to be able to get super host status on our house. Have been a host for just over 4 months.  I was at 80% but my place just got a 4-star review,  so now it will probably only be at best 79% for the next assement.  Since one of my next guests is staying 3 weeks! 

 

I have no idea why she left that rating,  she also gave me 5 stars for everything except a 4-star review for cleanliness. Ironically she was one of the guests who was less clean than most.. Putting lots of trash in the recycling bin, leaving a chair from the dining room in the bathroom!  Also she cleaned out all of the snacks and drinks and the full assortment of specialty teas I provide my guests..  (A first time for that after hosting 27 stays!)  Of course I left her a 5 star review anyway.. Cause I tend to be the kind of person who does that...

 

I try to go the extra mile.. I provide coffee, tea, oatmeal, popcorn, granola bars and an assortment of other snacks, wrapped chocolates, and sometimes wine for guests who book for a longer stay.  I also provide sodas and bottled water, and fresh fruit, as well as a fully stocked kitchen with new dishes, and cuisinart pots and pans, netflix and dvds, games, children's toys, original art and art photos on walls! I have local guidebooks and maps and an extensive list of restaurants and recommendations. I even provide usb phone chargers, and extra outlets. 

 

I meet guests and give them a tour and leave our personal cell phone numbers, and a printed house manual, which asks people to please call for any issue big or small.

 

I have new beds with memory foam pads, and all brand-new premium cotton sheets and comforters.   The house is cleaned for 4 to 6 hours between each visit..  sweeping, mopping, shining everything. 

 

I think the issue may be  that this is an older house which is in the process of being fixed up. So, there are still some items, such as the bathtub which are worn.  so we spend 20 minutes cleaning the tub, but it still has some spots which are porous and worn!  The kitchen floor is also  worn.. so despite scrubbing it... It will not look perfect, likewise some of the mirrors. 

 

I mention in my description that I have priced the property a bit lower than most others in the neigborhood because it is being fixed up... But still I think that some of the 4 star reviews are due to the fact that a house with older fixtures will not sparkle as much as a new one.  

 

Also, I tend to accept  everyone as guests. I notice that 3 of the 5 non 5 star reviews I have received came from people who were brand-new or almost brand new to airbnb.   

 

I'm considering leaving a suggestion questionnaire which lists some improvements we are planning to make over the next 6 months, and lets people rank them, or make other suggestions for improvements. 

Or  should I be more selective of my guests, and not take ones who have not stayed on airbnb before? 

 

I'm also thinking of explaining the rating system to them in my house manual.. I also plan to ask anyone who leaves a 4 star rating what I could do to improve.  I also wanted to check. Is it true that airbnb suspends people if their rating is at 4.5?

 

 

I'm amazed if this is true. I have had an occupancy rate of about 85-90% - I have to block out days from getting rented just so I can do deep cleaning, and some fixups...   so it looks like I'm making a lot of money for airbnb. and I have been working nonstop to improve my guests experience as much as possible.   In general they seem quite happy.  I talked to a friend recently who mostly books on vrbo.. and I wonder if their system is less stressful.  She doesnt have any of these issues. She doesnt even meet her guests. 

 

Or perhaps I should turn off instant book, and send them the list of the things which are not yet "perfect" and get them to read that before booking. 

 

The other crazy thing is that I have upgraded so many things, such as premium egyptian cotton towels, new cookware, new grill, newly refurbished goldfish pond with waterfall, etc. and no one mentions these things... 

 

I wish that instead of the current rating system, airbnb actually had a more detailed system helped us know what specific things led a guest to give a less than 5 star rating...  What is the point of the rating system, if we are left in the dark, and can't attempt to improve the problem.

 

11 Replies 11
Scott80
Level 10
Honolulu, HI

@Shanna5 AirBnB does prompt the guest for a reason if they give less than 5-stars. I think the short answer is that there is no silver bullet if the house is old, worn and in need of renovation it is unlikely to receive 5-stars. You just have to decide if it is worth pouring money into it to chase imaginary points on the internet. I just replaced my bathtub and it was a $5,000 item including parts and labor for the tub and surround. 

 

You can put in your description the date that the house was built and when it was last renovated. You can also provide pictures and description that accurately describes the space without puffery, but also without excessive depreciation but as others have pointed out on this board, no matter what you do you are always going to get some people that expect the Ritz-Carlton at Motel 6 prices and because AirBnB is trying to build market share, it is going to attract more and more people used to hotel standards (soft refresh every five years, full remodel every ten years) standards.

Thanks  for your reply Scott! I do feature prominently the year the house was built, and that we are doing improvements on an ongoing basis. I have already put thousands of dollars in over the last few months. I just added some language to make this even more obvious.

 

We actually are in the process of renovating this house over the next few years before we sell it, during times we block it out with no bookings. I genuinely want to know what updates the guests are most interested in seeing, and it frustrates me that airbnb does not assist in this process.   If they required the guest to mention why they rank something in their experience less than 5 stars it would assist the property owner in improving the experience for the next guest. If the guest mentions why, do we receive the information?

 

I would love to do the renovations in order of importance for the guests, so I guess I have to make a separate questionnaire I leave for my guests. 

 

Still would love to know if they will drop me from airbnb if I get 4.5 stars!

@Shanna5 I don't think Airbnb drops hosts who fell below 4.5 star as I see many listings with 4 stars (even 3 in some cases) and they are still active.

 

I think you are doing a lot for what I was reading, all the extra things you provide. I do believe people do have a difficult time giving 5 stars for an older property because you are right, it 's difficult to make an old bathtub look sparkly. There are hosts who post that they get 4 star for cleanliness because their antiques actually look antique 🙂

 

Also, unfortunately, guests (especially brand new Airbnb guests) want a 5 star hotel experience for cheap. That is just what a lot of hosts are complaining about. I had a guest leaving a very good review and giving me 4 star because she was new to Airbnb and had no idea 4 star actually means you are underpreforming. I would definitely advise you to gently educate your guests on the star system, not just in your guest book (most of my guests don't even read my listing, can you imagine how many people would open a guest book?) but in person or in the Airbnb chat.

Thanks for the advice Monika!  I am definitely going to make up a short printed questionnaire which explains the star rating system, and thanks guests for making comments on my questionnaire.  Then I can mention it to them when I give my check-in house tour. 

 

I spent many hours making up my guest guidebook with restaurant, shopping and activity recommendations, and I have it printed out in a folder... And actually many of my guests do read it, and it has been a popular thing. I also have my house manual printed out on a clipboard, and I hand it to the guests when they check in,  They definitely read it for the wifi password 🙂 So maybe I will put a bullet point right before the wifi which mentions the questionnaire, and explains how much I really do want suggestions!

 

I am also going to try listing on VRBO also, and see if I get better quality guests that way.  I hear that you may get older guests, with more experience traveling and staying in guest houses as opposed to hotels. 

@Shanna5 Sorry, will just mention it, please use the @ feature when you answer someone here on the community board otherwise they'll not receive your answer.

 

Putting the note on your printout before the wifi password would be a very neat trick! I think it's a great idea!

 

Please let me know about VRBO, I've heard that the quality of the guests is better, however, I've also read it somewhere that their expectations are quite high ... so I really don't know what to believe. I'm looking forward to hear from you 🙂

Hi Monika

 

How would you advise "gently educating your guests" about the rating system? I have seen several suggestions.

We've corresponded before and you seem pretty well-informed -- and helpful!

 

Thanks

Thank you @Rich35 for the compliment, I had/have great teachers here on the CC 🙂

 

I sent out a short chat message before my guests leave thanking them for staying with us and asking for a review. I tell them Airbnb's 5 star system isn't equivalent to the hotel 5 star system and anything less than 5 star means they've encountered problems during their stay. In that case I ask them to give me suggestions how we could improve. I have to keep it short and simple as I host short term guests and I honestly don't think they'd read a long, detailed explanation (that some other hosts are using). 

Hope this helps!

@Shanna5We have superhost status, and are in love with restored older homes (and offer them to guests). Some practical suggestions:

 

1. Hire a professional cleaning service periodically for a deep clean (or for regular cleanings). When you live in a space, its easy to become "blind" to small issues building up. This means walls, windows, mouldings, light switches, cabinets, inside kitchen cupboards, furniture polished, etc.

2. Historic/worn tubs can be refinished (brand new surface applied) in place for $400-700.

3. The tub is a great example. If there is an element of your space that you want to restore, that is so worn that it "appears" dirty when it isn't, prioritize that. It might be a floor with wear spots or tile with different grout colors. Almost any historic space can be truly clean, but if the "wear" comes across as "dirty," guests won't distinguish that. You don't have to commit architectural sins like painting all of your original woodwork white, but giving it a good wash and condition once a year will pay off!

4. Get advice from friends and family that you trust to speak the truth about what comes across as less-than-clean.

 

Good luck, and I'm sure you'll be a superhost soon!

 

@John-and-Heather0

Thanks for the advice!  I did have one friend come by and give advice about what stuck out to her as needing attention. I will definitely do that again with one of my most picky friends.   I do have a professional cleaner come by about 2-3x a month, but this is just for a 4-hour between guests turn around, and not much time for deep cleaning.  I will definitely get a professional cleaning service in during my next break for a full deep cleaning.    I don't live in this house.. But I spend so much time here, that I probably am blind to some things!  

 

I will look into the refinishing to see which type of refinishing is most durable!! Let me know if you have an idea of this.

Thanks again!

Wendy-and-Frank0
Level 10
Stonington, CT

@Shanna5, First off, do NOT prepare questionnaires for people asking them to tell YOU what you should do first in your house.  Do not prepare documentation explaining how Air BNB ratings works.  That is a no-no, a turnoff, and it will not serve you well.

 

I looked at your photos.

 

Get a steam cleaner.  You can pick up a McCulloch for less than $150 and it will make that grout in your bathroom look brand new.

 

People don't care about your snacks or your fish or your two toaster ovens.  Get rid of those photos and hone in the "vintage" qualities of your house.

 

You have a lot of shelves and knick knacks.  They are magnets for dust.  People probably don't care about your tub or your floor but they're notice dust on all those horizontal surfaces.

 

Reglazing a tub doesn't cost a lot.  Replacing the fixtures on your tub costs less.  I don't think the tub is the issue.

 

Use words like vintage, stop lighting dark corners, and get a steam cleaner.

 

Aside from that, don't sweat the small stuff.  As for the dropping of your listing, they don't drop you completely but they will suspend you for a few days.  Not sure at what level they do that but my dear friend in Atlanta got suspended because his "location" was in the hood and people gave him three stars consistently even though everything else about his listing was stellar.

 

Good luck, and if you plan to sell, don't over-improve as you may never recover your costs.  Outdoor ponds are expensive (I know.... I have two) and they are lousy for resale.

 

Bathrooms, kitchens are your money makers in real estate.  Everything else is poofy and worthless.

@Wendy-and-Frank0  Thanks for the advice! I appreciate your taking the time to look over my listing!  Some of my photos are old unfortunately.... I have been so booked up, that I havent had a chance to get in to do more photos, during quick turnarounds. but I must do so!!

 

I do have a steam cleaner already! I steam clean the floors and the couch 1x a month and re-wax, I have steamed the bathroom, but I will try it again more intensively.  I also dust the shelves 1x a week.. There are definitely a some books and a few knick knacks I would take off the shelves, good advice!  However I have had a number of guests use the chess, cards, DVDs,  and childrens toys and games    

I also recently updated the shower, faucet (and am in the process of replacing the bathroom vanity and sink- with a combination of my own labor and an inexpensive handyman!)  - I will try the steam cleaner on the grout again, but it seems like something is wrong with the grout... It may need to be resealed.

 

The house already had the pond, and it was in bad shape... So instead of just filling it in, I have turned it into an asset with my own labor. I got some donated plants from friends who have ponds, - I made it into a "natural pond" with a bog filter and  figured out how to make a solar water pump, so I'm not paying for electricity..  So far cost has been about $200-$300, so not bad, since there is no ongoing maintenance cost other than water..

 

Yay! My most recent guest, yesterday, mentioned loving the pond!! so maybe not an asset for sales, but hopefully it will be something which improves enjoyment for some guests. I think its so hot in Tucson, that a little water feature is nice in the summer. 

 

I'm trying to figure out whether reglazing the tub is a treatment which would last well... 

 

Thanks again.