New trend. Why are Hosts not leaving reviews?

Alex1404
Level 4
Honolulu, HI

New trend. Why are Hosts not leaving reviews?

I've been using Airbnb a lot recently and always leave a review for the host and the place. I've noticed a new trend when hosts are not leaving reviews at all. Hosts message me and say that the place is left sparkling clean and thank me for your stay, but never leave any reviews.

 

I thought it was a vital part of the Airbnb experience because it helps with future rentals.  In my opinion, there should be a stricter policy in place for hosts violating the rules of reviewing. Is Airbnb doing anything to motivate or follow up with hosts that are not habitually leaving any reviews?  

143 Replies 143
Teemu7
Level 2
Espoo, Finland

Aand you can't know the truth unless you reflect with the other person, and not let some anonymous stranger vote.

https://abnb.me/71CFDARN07 Entireflatwithbicycles In Pori Finland

I have tested all theories, if I complain about something during my stay to the host I never get a review. 

So even if there's a problem I always tell them through private message that I'm going to leave 5 stars, it was great etc. Then I always get a review.

So based on my own study I can assure you that the main reason isn't laziness but rather reputation protection. 

Gordon0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

One swallow does not a summer make, @Mj70, despite what your study of one might tell you. 

Kathleen10
Level 1
North Bend, OR

There are no "rules" for reviewing guests. And I don't appreciate being told I MUST review my guests. I ask if a review is important to them. If not, I do not review. And after several years of hosting four units, I have enough reviews that I do not really care if I am reviewed or not.

Rebecca1495
Level 1
Lawrence, MA

I know this thread is old but I came looking for this exact topic.  I checked out of my Airbnb 07/09 and 2 days away from the 14 days.  I left my host both a public and private review. It was a new Airbnb so publicly I left them a great review and privately I told them where areas of improvement were needed.  I have little Faith at this point they will be leaving me one which is disappointing. So my suggestion would be that if the host fails to review a guest an automated generic review is left for guest that is positive.  OR payment to host is withheld till a review is done.  That will ensure it’s done 100% of the time.   

This type of business is heavily reliant on reviews.  There needs to be more done to enforce this.  

@Rebecca1495 and when it's the other way around?

It is more common for the host not to leave a review to the host, which influences both the ranking and the status of superhost.

The day before my guests leave, I always ask them not to forget to comment, and I leave a review on their profile the next day, hoping that when they hear the Airbnb notification, they will remember to do it, but lately my guests are not leaving comments.

 

@Rebecca1495  I always leave reviews for my guests and I know they are important for new to Airbnb guests who need to build reviews. 

 

But withhold payment to hosts unless they leave a review? Certainly not.  You really think you should be able to stay somewhere for say 2 weeks, and the host not get paid for your stay until after you leave? Do you fly somewhere and the airline only gets paid after you've taken your flight? Do you get to stay in ahotel and the hotel only gets paid after you leave? 

 

And you may be unaware, but some hosts have had guests who trashed their homes and live locally and are scary- the hosts fear some sort of retribution if they leave an honest review for those people.

 

And what would be the punishment for guests who fail to leave reviews for their hosts? You think it would be fair for a host to have possibly thousands of dollars withheld and guests have no repercussions for not writing reviews? 

How would you like a couple thousand dollars charged to your credit card, only to be returned if you wrote a review?

Hosts do not need Air mandating "thou shalt review every guest or else".  As a guest, you do not see the other side of what Air often does to hosts. 

Air already does many things, at our expense (violating cancellation policies, not compensating for damages, forcing them to accept service animals, will not remove reviews with outright lies or when guests throw a party, etc). 

You are one of the good guests, so be happy with that.  

Soontaree0
Level 2
Melbourne, FL

I decided not to leave reviews for the guests anymore due to the threatening email I received from Airbnb when I get guest who left me a four-star which dropped my rating down to a 4.5; so then Airbnb threatens to remove my listing. I found this email threat discouraging insulting and impersonal.

 Is it true after one 4 star review it takes five 5 stars to bring your rating back up to where it was before the four-star?

@Soontaree0  Not leaving reviews for your guests doesn't prevent them from leaving a review for you. All reviews get published, regardless of whether both parties leave a review or not. 

 

Ignore the threatening message from Airbnb. As you say, it is impersonal, so don't take it personally. It's computer generated and there are plenty of listings with lower ratings than 4.5.

 

"Is it true after one 4 star review it takes five 5 stars to bring your rating back up to where it was before the four-star?"

 

No. It depends on how many reviews you have. It's straight math. 

 

   # of 5* reviews x 5

+ # of 4* reviews x 4

divided by the total number of reviews gives you your average rating.

 

 

Yes, I understand it’s easy enough to ignore corporate bullying. I just have a bad habit of trying to find ways to stand up, and point out what seems to me would serve their business model better. Ending the practice of sending out discouraging irresponsible emails worldwide as such. 
 The star review system as implemented is inaccurate on so many levels leading to discrepancies and proven to be inherently flawed. The obvious result is host frustration and upset.

 I don’t believe this serves the purpose it was designed for unless the frustration and upsets outweigh the need for making public whatever data they are collecting to use in marketing.

A simple solution would be to allow the written reviews to be visible and keep the star rating stay there to use for their logarithm hidden. 

I'm a host and think it's odd if a host does not leave a review. I almost always give straight five stars unless they were really awful (unusual, most guests are great). On two occasions the not-so-great guests got an honest review - that the space wasn't a good match for them. As a host this is our private and much loved property. We take a great leap of faith by allowing total strangers to stay on site so if they are not nice I will definitely post about it... and if they are great (I think I review about 98% of guests) and let folks know they were terrific guests.

Dara132
Level 1
Waipori Falls, New Zealand

I agree Alex. My husband and I frequently use Airbnb and we are amazing guests (not to brag but the place is always cleaner than we arrive and we are always respectful and very quiet) and the last two hosts have not left us a review. After the first host not leaving a review I reached out to Airbnb to query it, but that proved fruitless. And now with the most recent stay also not leaving a review I am quite miffed. I always leave amazing reviews for our hosts, and almost never mention things that should be fixed or improved in their places. Knowing what I know now I will think twice before leaving a review if this is just the new norm for hosts. We know these hosts are doing very well financially off their guests, but now they are too busy to reciprocate a review. May as well just stay in a hotel like the old days if this is what it's come to.

Helen427
Level 10
Auckland, New Zealand

@Alex1404 

 

Have you and others considered that maybe some Hosts, just like Guests, don't leave reviews because of Data Protection / Privacy Regulation legislation and the Right to be Forgotten?

 

I find European users, and those who have been subjected to unlawful behaviours tend to be more alert to these Rights and tend not to leave Reviews in general terms and not because they are too lazy or what some may deem to be non compliant for want of better expression.