Guest Expectations.

[David2385]

I host a large two bedroom, two bathroom apartment located on the water. It was built in the 1980's and the kitchen and bathrooms are original. The lounge, beds and TV are all very large and very comfortable and the apartment is priced very keenly. In short, it's excellent value for money!
The problem I have is that guests seem to confuse 'old' with 'unclean'. The place is so clean it's almost sterile! There is no point in updating the kitchen and bathrooms as, although original, they are still in very good condition. I often miss getting a five star rating because guests give me 4.9 for cleanliness, and despite giving the apartment five stars in all the other listed areas, they rate the apartment as four stars overall! It's completely incongruous, and I'm going to really struggle in the next review period to maintain my Superhost status. I feel guests need to be educated on fair expectations, and so forth.

[Gillian19]

@David2385 I think you are going to be fighting an uphill battle. I get the same for my cottage from some guests - cottage was clean but old (and I even have a new kitchen and bathroom!). Followed by a 4* overall rating. At the end of the day, the rating system doesn't work for anything that's not brand spanking new. but it's what we're stuck with. If they stopped threatening to remove listings that fail to get an average 4.7* it wouldn't bother me in the slightest. In the meantime I shall continue to seek out other sites so that I have less reliance on the flakiness of Airbnb's guest reviews.

[Gordon0]

@David2385 And here was me thinking that this was a thread on all things Charles Dickens. One of the problems with random capitalisation 🙂 

[Fred13]

@Gillian19 Excellent post. There is no contest between a place that inherently gives the illusion of cleanliness already by vistue of being new (and usually bright), with one that is 'older', even if both are equally clean. As of tomorrow, I am devoding 4 days to my 'original' island house just to bring it to the same 'new level' of a new cabana done most recently butmore 'modern' in style, for that very reason.

[Sarah977]

@David2385   I remember reading a post here awhile back from a host who had a historic house in New Orleans filled with original one-of-a-kind antique furniture. She had scores of fantastic reviews saying what a great host she was and how her house was so amazing- like a museum of local history. Then she had a couple of guests who said the furniture was "old and worn". They were clueless millenials who obviously think if it doesn't look like everything came from Ikea, it should be replaced.

[Krys0]

I am beyond frustrated with 4 star ratings because guests dont read. My listing couldn't be more clear. Rustic. Old. Vintage. Small cabin in woods on lake. I describe it as a renovated treehouse. Yet, guests complain about the lack of amenities that are clearly not listed...about the old appliances...about Cypress needles that the breeze blows in when you open the back deck door from the lake.... a cobweb in the rafters of the screened in boathouse at the end of a 50' dock....and the rainwater from a morning shower that wet the seats in the canoe! Oh..the latest expected fresh towels each day!!!