Do you leave a review for all your guests?

[Paula]

Hello hosts 😊

Reviews are one of the most discussed topics in the community because of their impact and how important they are for both guests and hosts.

That’s why I’d like to ask you: Do you leave a review for every single one of your guests? If so, how long after check-out do you usually write it?

I invite you to share a memorable review in the comments so we can celebrate the art of hosting together.

Greetings to all! 🌟

[Maryann316]

Yes, I always leave a review for my guests. I do it as timely as possible, as soon as I get a prompt. I want my guests to know how much I appreciate them. Find positive things to say, even when things are not all positive.  It's  about building a stronger connection as well, so that they will chose to return. 

[Marsha307]

I’ve been hosting a suite in my home for four years and always leave a review. Because I interact personally with each guest, I think it’s a courtesy, especially since we’re expecting them to review their host! I try to be kind and gracious in my reviews, which is usually very easy since I have so many wonderful guests. If there is a concern (rare), I try to be very discreet, so as not to embarrass my guests, since they know other hosts may read their review in the future. I must say, my guests have been very kind and positive in the reviews, which is

always an encouragement to me.

[Rich4387]

We do for almost all guests. Our only exception is we don't write bad reviews for guests that we would not rent to in the future. 

[Hubert--J0]

Great policy @Rich4387 ! 

[Cristina4114]

I’m pretty new in Airbnb and I’ve being leaving reviews to all our guests except for 2 of the latest ones who have left the house in bad conditions and they didn’t  follow the rules of the house.

i wanted to write a review for the Airbnb community to help other hosts to decide if they would like to host these guests, but I’m concerned bcs if I write a bad review they can write a bad review of me too when I haven’t done anything wrong. Also my husband is worry because these guests looked a bit weird and they have our address and they could come back and damage the property. 

[Rose2615]

I know exactly what you’re saying. I don’t leave bad reviews because of that very reason,  they could retaliate and leave a bad review out of spite. But I do feel some responsibility for letting others know about them. My situation so far has not been people who leave a mess but leaving with my stuff. 

[Ruth1463]

They won't see your review until they leave their own review, so there is no risk of them retaliating.

[Fio1498]

Can they not edit their review once they have seen yours?

[Hubert--J0]

Nope @Fio1498 , cannot be done after hitting submit. 

[Ågot0]

Hei 🙂 

Ja skriver anmeldelse, uten unntak. Vi har vært heldige med alle gjestene våre så langt! 

[ManiKu0]

Hi Paula, I honestly feel like I have slowly lost faith in both the review system and sometimes even in people’s honesty. I am hosting in India, and it is a very unique market where many guests now see Airbnb as a cheaper alternative to hotels and motels. Because of this, some guests have started misusing the platform in ways that are emotionally exhausting for hosts.

For example:

1. Guests say only 2 people will arrive, but 4–5 people show up at midnight and take advantage of self check-in freedom.

2. After receiving check-in details, they stop answering calls or messages.

3. They start arguing when asked for all guests’ IDs, even though it is required under local government rules.

4. They intentionally overstay the next day, ignore calls/messages, and keep the cleaning staff waiting for hours.

5. They leave ACs, geysers, and electricity running continuously, along with broken glasses and piles of dirty cooking utensils.

What hurts the most is that such guests may still leave retaliatory negative reviews, and hosts often struggle to get those reviews removed even with proper evidence. Many Indian hosts now feel afraid to file AirCover claims or complaints because they know there is a high chance of receiving a damaging review afterward.

Managing 5+ listings means situations like these happen repeatedly, and over time it affects a host mentally. When I started hosting, I used to leave very compassionate and understanding reviews for guests. But after facing repeated retaliatory reviews despite trying to be respectful and fair, I honestly started losing faith in the review system itself.

[Jenny2256]

When we first started hosting I absolutely left a review for every guest but now I only give guest reviews once I've been notified by Airbnb that they have given us a review.  The exception is if we've had a bad experience that we feel other hosts need to know about, then we leave a review immediately.

[Fio1498]

Last week, my answer would have been yes. This week, my answer is more nuanced. 

I used to write a guest review pretty much shortly after their check-out and property check.

However, I then thought tactically, it might be better to wait and write the review after a week or so, to encourage them to write a review to see the feedback on them - as they will receive another email from Airbnb telling them about the review and prompting to write one.

I had a couple of guests, that haven't written a review, so I didn't write one for them either, which is fair I think.

Currently, I'm also contemplating what overall rating I would give guests that were okay, but not outstanding. They were pretty good really, just in terms of cleanliness I'm inclinded to give them 4 stars as there was a stain on the tablecloth where they didn't bother with coasters and unlike other guests, they didn't hose down the bathtub to remove hair (shared bathroom). But them I'm questioning whether I'm being too harsh. Hmmm.

[Rose2615]

I don’t always leave reviews.

[Salah93]

As a host it is a must to keep a review for everyone and we should be honest about simple details like if the guest is trouble maker or he is an outstanding guest. So leaving a comment it helps the community to know what type of guest we are about to deal with