@Mindy115 Reviews are meant to be honest. They aren't for the purpose of being nice to everyone, they are to give an accurate picture of the experience you had. Guests have no qualms about pointing out negatives in their reviews- hosts shouldn't either.
If you leave a 5*review for a guest who ignored your house rules, left a big mess behind, and/or communicated poorly, you certainly aren't being kind to other hosts.
So what's more important, to warn other hosts about a bad guest, or to refrain from mentioning that the guest left a filthy kitchen full of dirty dishes and a stovetop swimming in grease, when in fact, they did?
Stating facts isn't being unkind. People have control over their behavior, and if they don't show respect, why should they get a good review?
Sometimes you can balance it- maybe the guest answered all your messages promptly, checked in and out on time, and was pleasant in communication, but ignored a house rule to please remove street shoes at the door, and tracked mud all over the carpets. Speak to the positive as well as the negative. And there's no need to list all the gritty details. Lines like "Extensive cleaning time was required" tells other hosts what they need to know.
And please make sure not to leave lowered stars but a nice written review. Hosts who don't use Instant Book are not shown guests'star ratings- we rely on the written reviews, so keep them in line with the star rating.
