Hello Airbnb Community,
I am reaching out to share my experience as a host who has been severely impacted by a retaliatory and false review left by a recent guest, which violates multiple Airbnb policies. I have tried to resolve this matter through the usual support channels and even involved my attorney, but unfortunately, I have not received the fair support expected. I am posting here in hopes that the community can offer advice and that Airbnb leadership may take notice.
Background of the Situation:
Recently, I hosted a guest who caused considerable damage to my property. When I informed the guest of the damages, they left a retaliatory review filled with false accusations, including:
- False Theft Accusation: The guest falsely accused my long-time employee, who has worked with me for years, of stealing a personal item. This accusation is completely baseless and lacks any evidence.
- Manipulated Claims about Services: The review mentioned a water outage lasting for two days, inflated charges for additional services, and other complaints that were fabricated and far from reality.
- Retaliation: The review was left immediately after I mentioned the damages they caused. It was clearly intended to damage my reputation and manipulate the Airbnb system to avoid accountability.
Violation of Airbnb’s Review Policy:
According to Airbnb’s own Review Policy, reviews should be:
- Impartial: The review from this guest is a clear act of retaliation for enforcing basic house rules and mentioning property damage.
- Accurate and Relevant: The accusations in the review are entirely false and are not relevant to a genuine guest experience.
- Non-Coercive: The guest’s accusations and the timing of the review were clearly aimed at coercing me into backing down from the property damage claims.
This review has caused significant emotional distress and threatens my reputation as a responsible host. I have already provided Airbnb with extensive evidence, including photos, videos, and text messages, that clearly refute the guest’s claims. Additionally, I sent a formal legal notice with my attorney's assistance, but Airbnb has yet to respond meaningfully or remove the review.
Request for Support and Resolution:
I am seeking the removal of this review, as it directly violates Airbnb’s guidelines. The failure to moderate this content and address such serious accusations damages not only my reputation but also the trust within the Airbnb community.
I understand that reviews are intended to provide transparency, but allowing false and retaliatory statements to remain online without investigating the facts goes against the principles of fair hosting. I urge Airbnb to reconsider its handling of cases like mine and provide hosts with the support needed to protect their reputation.
Has anyone in the host community encountered a similar experience? Any advice on escalating this further within Airbnb would be deeply appreciated. I believe this situation speaks to a broader issue that many hosts face and hope we can work together to bring about positive change.
Thank you for reading and for any guidance you may have.
Warm regards,
Fabiana
