Ratings are getting lower

[Elin1]

I've been renting out my family's summerhouse in Sweden for three summers now. The last two summers I have gotten nothing but 5 star reviews, but this one I've gotten two 4 star and even one 3 star. I don't really understand what is happening, I'm doing everything the same way I always have and have spent weeks improving and fixing things before the summer season, including several hours writing a guide about the house (it's an old house with a lot of history) and the local area. The last review (3 stars) hardly gave me any feedback, besides complaining about the steep stairs (that I clearly mention in the ad and I also provide guests with two safety gates) and about it being very hot during the nights (july was the hottest in swedish history and they didn't mention this issue to me during their stay, if they had I of course would have helped them). Their public review only had one sentence ("it's like living in a museum") but 3 star rating (lower than the average of individual ratings for cleanliness etc.) which makes it hard for me to defend myself to future guests. But this did however result in an average 4.3 star rating (although it still says 4.7 when I look at my page?) and me getting an email from airbnb saying that I am close to being in the bottom 10% out of listings globally. 

The most common complain is the location (4.3 star average), I think guests would prefer it to be more secluded but it is in the middle of a small town which I also write in my ad - I don't feel like there is anything else I can do about it?

I'm sorry for all the parentheses and overall ranting, I just felt like I needed to ventilate with other hosts as I feel really deflated and unmotivated since I have been putting in so much hard work into this.

[Aurora62]

Hi Elin,

don't worry, probably you're doing everything just fine. unfortunately there are 2 processes going on:

1- airbnb is established as mainstream by now, which means everybody is using it. while before the (experienced) users knew how airbnb works, newbies now are the main guests and use hotel standards for giving ratings (while 5* on airbnb should only mean "everything was as described")

2- the new review system is skewed towards giving, on average, lower reviews. one of the first questions is whether their stay went as expected, better or worse. while a perfect listing should in fact give exact expectations to the guest, this is now seen as worse (3*) than providing a (much) better stay than expected (5*). you can learn more about this here: https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/The-quot-new-quot-host-review-form-for-guests-to-rate-ho...

the problem about the location is as old as airbnb ratings - you get "punished" for not being secluded enough, others for being not central enough etc.

it all boils down to not knowing how the review system works.

[Elin1]

Thank you so much for your reply!! I had no idea about this new system, but it really explains A LOT. 

[Letti0]

@Elin1  Yeap and you will get fewer reviews as it's a real pain in the neck process now. 3* as expected. 4* a bit better than expected and finally 5* much better than expected. You can not keep your SuperHost status with this kind of reviewing system, which I believe is the intent on AirBnB's part to weed out the over flowing SuperHosts and bring the number that qualify way down, so it's a special thing to be one. This puts a much bigger expectation on superhosts, the guests will expect much more from them than they will get from a non-Superhost. Bad for hosts all the way around. 

[Elin1]

@Letti0 I absolutely agree! Personally, I have given up on being a superhost - there aren't any tourists in my area except for the summer months which means I only get bookings during june-august, so I barely get 10 reviews/year as it is. Seeing as I don't have that many reviews, these last two 4* and one 3* really affected my overall rating as well. What bothers me is that I got an email from airbnb saying that I risk getting my listing paused because of my ratings dropping - why am I being punished when the guests that are using the new review system are saying that everything was as expected at the least, but for the most part even better or much better than expected? Also, previous years I have had nothing but 5* ratings and great reviews. It doesn't make any sense to me.

[Josie51]

I am noticing guests being very manipulative. I have been doing this Airbrb for almost 3 years now and I am experiencing a lot of stress with it. My last 2 guests were from other countries where negotiation  is the thing to do. Both of them wanted to pay cash or else. They wanted discounts when my rate per day was already very low..like $14/day.....

Both of them treated me badly. My last client was from India and wanted to pay cash and I said no. Other things happened also in the room. He thought my place was a brothel and wanted a massage. When I told him no cash he left my place without telling me and left my keys behind. Then he wanted a refund and I said no. He even went in my room and took my passport. I figured it out and said I would go to the police and then he gave it back to me.

Then he said he would give a bad review. Well I wrote a bad review about him and I reported him to Airbrb. I think it is important that we report guests. When people report guests then they will stop doing this bull**bleep**!

My other client wanted to pay cash also but I had him sign a rental agreement which forced him to pay online. He also was trying to get Asylum status in Canada and was putting pressure on me  a lot.

 When I go to an Airbrb I do not act like that and manipulate people. I pay online and write nice reviews because I know the hard work that goes into being a Host.

[Emma196]

I've also noticed my reviews slide.  I was a superhost for a while but not anymore.  I think the point about airbnb going mainstream is very valid.  When I started it was genuine traveller types who were used to staying in people's homes.  Now it is pure bred tourist types who want five star hotel accommodation at hostel rates.  I have actually put in the description now that I provide clean, quiet and comfortable facilities but am not a five star hotel!  I think this may be my last year though.  My financial situation has changed so am not longer in need of the cash and I'm tired of the tourist types.  It is a shame because I really enjoyed meeting people and hearing about their travels.  

[Karina-Каринa0]

Hejsan Erin,

Sorry to hear that. It could also be bad luck: if you have only ten guest per year, it could be that this summer you got somehow different kind of guests.

My advice is: fix your listing NAME. I am divorced, having been a stay-at-home-mum for 12 years I am at dire straits after the divorce. Cannot find o´work so I started having bed&breakfast guests. It took me a long time to get the listing name right. People came with wrong expectations. Now I think I have it right.

But also, you always have guests who are not happy. Look at my ratings! Mostly good, but some awful ones. You just cannot please everyone...

Och vänliga hälsningar från Helsingfors 🙂

[Ros48]

I have been letting properties on the Côte d'Azur in France for 25 years. I know what cleints expect and that has always been supplied. Never in the super luxury market for Cannes Festival stars but for families and management level people. My properties are Provençal, extremely comfortable, immaculately clean and with back-up in case of emergency. They are the same standard as my own home which I let.

So getting 5 star ratings overall, I miss out on superhôte rating, not that that will change much, by some extremely badly behaved clients last summer who basically destroyed the villa.during their three week stay. I actually asked them to leave and they gave the villa and me a 2 star rating instead of the normal 5. This plummeted my ratings.

I think ratings should be attributed to individual properties so that it can differentiate between bad clients who can destroy a gener

[Gabi37]

@Ros48 

its a pity that you didn't leave a review for the guests who destroyed your villa to warn other hosts.

Why?

[Mike1034]

@Gabi37 @Ros48 I agree with Gabi. It is always good to review the guests who have stayed because it really helps other hosts when they make decision to accept a booking request. It also helps to stop those very few guests who abuse hosts from using Airbnb to book.