Do you worry about booking a new listing with no reviews?

[Leo62]

I have searched and cannot seem to discover what kind of vetting process Airbnb uses to make sure the places they offer are legit.  I can piece together a general idea. They seem to have a traveller guarantee as long as you contact them within 24 hours after supposed check in, and it looks like Airbnb keeps the money until after the booking is complete in case a refund is in order, so I would imagine that it is hard to get scammed by a fake listing.  

Typically, I would steer towards places with great reviews, but I am seeing a trend of new places being listed cheaply; I imagine it is to compete with places that have 50 reviews; the cheaper rent will attract people who will then build up reviews which will then allow the host to command more rent.  

But it is still worrisome to book a new place like that.  Anyone else share this concern?  Is it something to worry about?  My thinking is that if there is a decent guarantee, and it is a rare occurence to have a problem with new listings, then it would be a great strategy to book the new listings at reduced rates.  

[Tim-and-Holly0]

@Leo62:

You raise some interesting points. Over the past year or so Airbnb has had a lot of publicity and the number of rentals available has drastically increased. In my city the number has practically doubled in the last couple of years to over 1,300. Every listing has one thing in common- they all had no reviews when they started.

Hosts go through the same vetting process that a guest goes through. They must provide various id's. Airbnb does not verify the house listing, however. What is written and depicted is soley the responsibility of the host. Airbnb relies on the review process to weed out the listings that are inaccurate.

All that to say this, yes, there is some adventure in choosing a listing with no reviews, but there are also some things to watch for.

1. Is the price completely out of line with similar properties in the area? If it is simply too good to be true then it probably is bad.

2. If the host indicates that they want to message outside the Airbnb platform (ie personal email) then you should not book that property.

3. Similarly, a host asking for payment outside the Airbnb platform is violating Airbnb terms of service and is also probably not legitimate.

4. The pictures should also match the listing's description. Are the amenities in the description also shown in the pictures?

5. Is there a good picture of the host with a well-written profile paragraph?

6. Does the host have some written recommendations on their profile page?

7. You can always message the host with any questions or comments prior to booking. Don't book if  you become uncomfortable during the message exchange.

8. You can contact Airbnb directly if you arrive at the listing and it is not as described. Airbnb has the option of moving you to another host. Airbnb does not pay the host when you pay for your reservation. Instead, they wait until early morning of the day after check-in to send the payment. This allows you time to contact Airbnb and let them know of a problem prior to the host receiving a payment.

As I said, there is some adventure in trying new things. Untested hosts may not be for everyone. If you are their first guest then you should be understanding if it is not a perfect stay.  I remember our first guest. He arrived and then the AC developed a problem so it took all night to get the apartment cool. The guest was understanding- it was his first Airbnb too! He has since stayed at several more.

Be prepared to provide constructive suggestions to help the host improve. Be kind when you complete your review.

Well, Leo, are you ready for some adveture?

[Leo62]

Thanks for the in depth reply.  Your thoughts fall in to line with mine, especially about watching things that look shady or hosts who may want to work outside the site. I do like your suggestion about working with new hosts as they come on board.  I noticed that some do not put up enough pictures or leave out pertinant details. (pictures of the view, or a map to local public transportaion are invaluable) 

I do tend to avoid the 'to good to be true' while remaining in the realm of possibility. The last one I booked was on the border between the two. Great local, great view, and 20% cheaper than the others, but as I said I believed they were competing with well-proven hosts.  

It makes sense that Airbnb get's ID, that's good to know, and the communication idea is a great tip.  The person I booked with replied within minutes. That certainly helps.

Again, Thanks for the reassurances.  Have a great day.

[Lizzie]

Great overview @Tim-and-Holly0, I love that you have broken this down into tips on things to keep an eye out for. I am sure this will be helpful to lots of guests. 

Thanks for sharing this. 🙂

[Brandon271]

Wait, you CAN contact hosts before booking anything? Am I just not seeing this option?

[Νίκος3]

Yes, it is just kinda hidden in plain sight. Look under the description I think

[Nigel112]

Very definitely, you just hit the contact host button, scroll down and you get into a correspondence with them. I always ask first time people to explain the situation, why there are no reviews etc, and say a bit about themselves, just to explain that they are a real person and that the apartment is real. Sometimes it's listed on another site and just not yet on Airbnb. I've only actually stayed in a new place rarely, but that was a terrifically good experience, and we definitely got the place at a bargain first-timer rate.

[Isabel735]

Yes, airbnb will ask you to select dates but just that; you don't need to book it. 

[Olivine0]

Thanks a lot for this tips,the host hasnt confirmed my booking and i am also wondering why there is no review yet.atleast I paid thru credit card and an assurance that they will not get the payment until the next morning.

[Hilary-And-Ed0]

I would not worry about booking a new property.  I would suggest you communicate with the host prior to booking, however.  Every listing starts with no reviews.  When I started, I was asked all kinds of questions (well, I still am). I would expect this.  People can get a fairly good idea of a lot about the host with some simple communication - do they respond quickly, are they forthcoming with information about the property, neighborhood, etc? If you get prompt, informative replies I would not worry too much.  Most hosts, new or experienced will do a fine job, just like most guests.

[Sarah1678]

Can I just say that this is very helpful and what I searched for, I have booked somehwere with one review and am anxious, i.e. could that review be a friend helping them out? etc. This has been useful and inculded information I didnt know such as the air bnb policy of holding back the money until after the traveller as checked in. Thanks for the discussion. Sarah

[Joy235]

Did it work out with the one review? I"m anxious about the one I'm thinking about booking.  

[Tracy322]

Thank you for your reply Tim & Holly, my husband and I are new to using Airbnb and have booked a rental home with a group in the next 6 months.  We booked a house at the time had no reviews and now that someone has stayed there the 1st review is not a good one, it states that the house is not what is depicted in the photos.  Kinda worried about our trip now!  

[Logan34]

 This is my first time using Airbnb. I was planning a surprise trip for my wife to New York for New Year’s Eve. This would be our first time to the city. I didn’t use many filters and was overwhelmed by the amount of properties. But they were cheap compared to a hotel in Manhattan. I felt more comfortable staying in a place by ourselves versus renting a bedroom out so so I did select entire property as a filter. Then I stumble across a beautiful place hosted by Nikki in the flat iron district. It did not have any reviews like the others but I noticed it was new to the site just a month prior. So I read the cancellation policy which had a full refund if cancelled after 48 hrs. So I saved it and ended up booking the next morning. After booking I messaged the host asking if we could drop our baggage off early since we were flying out early in the morning and didn’t want to miss a day in the city. She never responded so I tried again the next day. I then tried to call and still no answer. After about 3 days she finally replies that I am not allowed any guest in the condo with me and that I would only have access to the place when she was not working which implied to me it is not an entire condo but sharing a place with her and whomever else she indicated lives there. So I cancelled and requestta full refund. After talking with the Airbnb agent he said he would ask her for her side. All I can say is this is will likely be my last time using Airbnb if I can’t get it resolved. Has anyone else had this problem?

[Alexandre471]

Hi, Im going to Belgium next month and have booked a place in Brussels and Brugge.

My concern is, the homes, isnot a new homes in airbnb, but do not have any review.

What happens if I arrive on the place and cant get in? the host gone or does not make contact?

Ill receive my money back?