Do you write honest reviews of guests that break rules?

[Rebecca]

Hello everyone 👋

Reviews play a crucial role in shaping both the guest's and host's experiences. They not only serve as a reflection of the stay but also contribute significantly to the overall reputation and trust within the Airbnb community. For hosts, reviews may play a crucial role in influencing a guest's decision to book your listing, just as the choice to host a specific guest could be based on their past reviews and the feedback from previous hosts.

Some hosts may establish specific guidelines to ensure the comfort, safety, and satisfaction of all guests, as well as to protect their property. But what happens when a guest chooses to break those rules? 

Do you leave your guests an honest review once they've checked out? 

[Lorina14]

@Rebecca 

When I started I did a newbie mistake of rating everyone great (when sometimes a couple guests deserved 4 stars not 5) as I was afraid of retaliation that I’ve read by other hosts when they were honest. I did message people personally if there was an issue first thanking them for booking with me then suggesting if something had broken we would appreciate it if they would have let us know so we could have a heads up to address it before a same day turn over, another time it was a gentle reminder that we do have a no pet policy as we have an owner who has severe allergies and guests who are sensitive as well and we noticed an excessive amount of pet hair in the place (in the mattress covers, closet and more - more than if someone had a pet at home and hair was on their clothes that they wore here) - we had no direct evidence other than a ton of animal hair left behind. But these things were not in the public review.

I have learned from the boards that being neutral and factual if things didn’t go well is key to helping other hosts out when rating guests. Honestly there were only a couple of guests we would not like to host again and it was for issues related to being difficult/demanding guests or completely messy when leaving (we had to deep clean the kitchen hours after - I didn’t send in a claim but it was a pain to deal with; they were rated accordingly). 

It is a fine line between being honest and factual without upsetting a guest to have a potential retaliatory review for some (reference some postings here on the boards). 

Overall, we’ve had great guests that have been a pleasure to host!

[Rebecca]

Thank you so much for sharing this @Lorina14 😍 

I agree with remaining neutral and factual. Have I read somewhere that hosts have a host-to-host area where you can write more details? 

I think that as with everything, there are great people in the world, and a very small amount that bring us challenges. 

[Lorina14]

@Rebecca 

The only place I’ve seen that hosts can talk with other hosts is the community boards host circle. 

I’ve read that if you choose not to host someone again (which the guest will not know) they shouldn’t be able to book your space again. 

Most hosts I’ve read on the boards here err on the factual cautious side of the guest did not follow the house rules. Or perhaps the guest may be better suited to staying at a hotel rather than an Airbnb. Which is honest yet doesn’t give fuel for the guest to then retaliate against. It varies depending on the host.

I have had a couple of guests who had bad reviews from a previous host and was a bit worried about their upcoming stay but they turned out to be great guests - communicative, respectful, quiet, and followed house rules. So I don’t know if it was because of a guest that was staying with them or if it was an isolated incidence between the host and guest.

[Patricia2526]

Hello @Rebecca 

Yes, I leave an honest review for guests who break the rules, but professionally and factually. I Focus on specific behaviors rather than personal judgments. It helps other hosts make informed decisions.