A guest left a review that is very damaging and flled with lies. How can this be removed?

[Franco237]

I have hosted on Airbnb for over a decade, and my 83-plus reviews have consistently given me 5-stars. I am proud to be a Superhost.   Many former guests are still friends today and return often. Recently, I had a terrible experience with a guest who, I believe, is mentally unstable.  She made a report to Airbnb after she left that her safety was violated, that I entered her place regularly when she was gone, and that I harassed and insulted her in numerous ways. I was truly shocked because I had met her only twice, and my only interactions were over the messages on the platform.  Her messages were very off-putting and rude, but I tried to be professional.  Airbnb shut down my listing, and it took a week for them to investigate and restore it. Obviously they found her claims unsubstantiated. They never explained what the charges were until I saw her heinous review.  All the things she said are fabricated lies. They are defamatory and damaging.  I have asked them to remove her review, and they said they are reviewing it.  I am very anxious that they might not remove it. Is there a danger of that? I would appreciate any insight into this that can be offered.  I appreciate any help you can provide.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Franco237 I can see no reason why the review would be removed. Airbnb doesn't attempt to determine what is true and what is not. I can see this would be a thankless task for them. You may get lucky but if not then you comment to her review and your other reviews should see this one ignored.

[Franco237]

According to my search results the guidelines, Airbnb generally does not allow reviews containing lies, libel, or defamatory content to remain public. However, the process for removing such reviews but can be complex:

1. Airbnb's review policy prohibits biased, manipulated, or coerced reviews. Reviews must be based on genuine experiences and follow Airbnb's Content Policy

If a review violates Airbnb's policies, it may be removed. However, Airbnb takes review removal seriously and only does so when there's a clear policy violation[3].

4. Guests or hosts can report reviews that violate policies by contacting Airbnb support[3][4].

5. In some cases, threatening legal action for libel or defamation may prompt removal of false reviews, though this is not guaranteed[4].

6. It's important to note that opinions and subjective statements are generally protected and may not be considered defamatory[5].

7. Taking photos before leaving a property and documenting experiences can help support claims against false reviews[4].

If faced with a potentially false or libelous review, the best course of action is to report it to Airbnb, provide evidence if available, and consider posting a response to present your side of the story.

[Paula]

Hello @Franco237, thank you for sharing this in our community.

Have you been able to contact the support team to get their advice on this situation? What did they say?

Please keep us posted.

[Franco237]

For weeks now, all I get is a response saying they are "investigating."  - It's always from a different person.  I will pursue this to the bitter end!