A few weeks ago, I hosted a guest who stayed at my property for just one night. Communication was great, and the guest was very responsive. During our conversation, they asked if they could check in early. I politely explained that an early check-in was not possible because our previous guest was checking out at 11 am, and we needed adequate time to properly clean and prepare the home for their 3 pm arrival. The guest responded saying it was no problem and mentioned they would visit a local beach and arrive later than 3 p.m. They checked in, stayed the night, and left the next day at 11 a.m. without issues.
A few days later, I received a notification that the guest had left a review. She gave the a 3-star rating. In her written comments, she mentioned that the house was very nice, clean, and well-organized—but also criticized me for not being “flexible,” specifically saying I did not allow early check-in even though she had driven four hours. She ended the review by saying that everything was fine in the end.
It was clear to me that she penalized the listing solely because I did not accommodate her personal request—something that was neither promised nor feasible. This felt retaliatory, and I explained to Airbnb.
Here’s the most frustrating part: I contacted Airbnb and explained the situation. They told me there was a new “process” for review disputes, and I agreed to follow it. I submitted the request as instructed. Two days later, I received an email stating, “The guest review will not be removed.” I was shocked. The Airbnb representative I had spoken with earlier had even said the review seemed unfair and acknowledged that everything about the stay was fine except for the denied early check-in.
I called again and spoke to another representative who also empathized with my situation and agreed that it appeared retaliatory. I explained that I am not OBLIGATED (We are not as hosts) to grant early check-in, especially when the home still needs to be cleaned. The representative agreed but said she could not override the decision—I would need to submit the request again, which I did. This time, I carefully explained how the review violated Airbnb’s policies.
A few days later, I received the same email: the review would not be removed. I called once again and voiced my frustration. Why does Airbnb allow guests to leave clearly retaliatory reviews when hosts are simply following standard policies? The person I spoke to agreed and transferred me to her supervisor. The supervisor reviewed the case and acknowledged that I was not required to allow early check-in and that the review appeared to be in retaliation. However, she said I could not speak with the team that made the final decision. I asked how is fair to us as hosts. These reviews affect our listings and livelihoods, yet we do not even get a chance to speak to those who review and approve our cases.
She then explained Airbnb’s narrow definition of “retaliation,” which, in my opinion, unfairly favors the guest. In the end, Airbnb sided with the guest—even though they admitted everything else about the stay was fine—and allowed her to leave a poor rating simply because I followed normal hosting practices.
The Consequences:
Since that review, multiple people who have reached out about booking my property have asked upfront whether I allow early check-in. It is clear this one review is having a negative impact on my listing. It is incredibly frustrating that Airbnb allows this kind of behavior while leaving hosts to deal with the consequences.
This experience has shown me how little support hosts actually receive. We are the ones providing the homes and keeping the platform running, yet in situations like this, we are left unprotected. This was unfair to me, and it could just as easily happen to any host.
HERE IS THE MESSAGE I INCLUDED ON MY SECOND REQUEST TO AIRBNB:
As I mentioned in my first request, [GUEST] review penalizes me for not accommodating a personal request that was neither promised nor feasible, which is a retaliatory act. Her written comments confirm the stay met expectations ("everything was great in the end"), yet her star rating was lowered strictly because I could not adjust my standard check-in policy to her travel schedule. Also, her issue with the check-in flexibility was not due to any fault, delay, or misinformation on my part. The check-in time was clearly communicated and based on cleaning needs between reservations. Her disappointment with the policy does not reflect a problem with the stay itself, and therefore should not be part of a formal review. Lastly and most IMPORTANTLY, by rating my listing poorly for something UNRELATED to the actual accommodation or service quality, the review unfairly damages my reputation. Please check my prior reviews and ratings. I always try to accommodate early arrivals when possible, but in this case, the timeline simply did not allow it. [GUEST] was notified in advance and acknowledged this clearly. PLEASE HELP!!
