Absolutely agree, @John784 . There is no consistency between how Airbnb present the star ratings to guests and how they portray the ratings to hosts. A 4-star rating is "very good," and yet we are punished for receiving them. Unless they can somehow get all parties involved on the same page about precisely what those numbers mean, they are meaningless garbage data.
I also agree that there should be greater clarity about "hosting standards" on both sides of the equation, as this vague notion seems to be particularly problematic for hosts offering low-cost/budget listings. There will aways be people who forget to scale their expectations to our offering and price rather than measure them against 5-star resorts.
Airbnb should certainly take measures to ensure hosts (especially new and untested ones) are providing everything they advertise, but arbitrary star ratings don't supply the data necessary to verify this. Rather, a quick questionnaire to a sample of guests would have far more value. Something like:
"Did the host provide all the amenities advertised in the listing?" (Accuracy)
"Were you provided with clean linens and sanitary facilities?" (Cleanliness)
"Did your host uphold your agreed check-in procedure?" (Check-in)
"Was the property located in the place it appears in the listing?" (Location)
"Was there a contact available at all times to address your questions and needs?" (Communication)
"Would you recommend this property?" (Overall)
(I would nix Value altogether, as if the guest doesn't find the price acceptable they shouldn't book the place to begin with)
If considered objectively, all of these criteria are better addressed with yes/no questions than star ratings.