Guests experience/review is based on pre booking requirements

[Michelle819]

I sent this to Airbnb because a guest gave a bad review based on our pre booking requirements m. They booked and then left a review based on our pre booking requirements not stay.

airbnb states that that is an experience.

booking requirements are part of the experience of staying!

they won't remove the review.

Airbnb will not remove reviews which is based on a hosts booking requirements 

Subject: Formal Request to Remove Retaliatory Guest Review - Violation of Airbnb Reviews Policy

Dear Airbnb Support Team,

I am writing to formally request the immediate removal of a guest review that violates Airbnb’s Reviews Policy, specifically the prohibition against retaliatory and biased 

ISSUE SUMMARY:

The guest in question initially refused to comply with my clearly stated ID verification requirements, which are part of my house rules and booking policies. These requirements were:

• Clearly displayed in my listing description

• Communicated during the booking process

• Established for the safety and security of my property and other guests

Despite eventually complying with these requirements, the guest left a negative review that appears to be in direct retaliation for my enforcement of this legitimate booking rule.

POLICY VIOLATION:

This review violates Airbnb’s Reviews Policy which explicitly states that guests should not write biased or inauthentic reviews as retaliation against a host who enforces a policy or rule. According to Airbnb’s protections, hosts can dispute retaliatory reviews when guests have violated or refused to comply with house rules.

The review in question is not a fair representation of the guest’s actual stay experience, but rather retaliation for my reasonable enforcement of insurance-mandated safety policies that protect all parties involved.

The fact that Airbnb itself intervened to support my ID requirements and authorized me to cancel without penalty makes this retaliatory review particularly inappropriate.

Despite having the right to cancel, I acted in good faith to accommodate the guest and prevent hardship for them. This review punishes me for both enforcing necessary rules AND for showing flexibility and compassion.

As a responsible host, I cannot compromise on requirements that are conditions of my insurance coverage and mortgage obligations, yet I tried to balance these obligations with consideration for the guest’s circumstances.

REQUEST:

I respectfully request that Airbnb review this case and remove the guest’s review as it violates your Reviews Policy. Given that Airbnb already intervened to support my ID verification requirement and authorized penalty-free cancellation due to the guest’s non-compliance, allowing this retaliatory review to remain sends a contradictory message and undermines hosts who maintain legitimate safety and security standards while also trying to be accommodating to guests.

This situation is particularly egregious because I went above and beyond by allowing the booking to continue when I had every right to cancel. Permitting this retaliatory review effectively punishes hosts for showing good faith and flexibility.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

[Emiel1]

@Michelle819 

I wanted to look at the listing and the review, but no listing and no reviews are attached to your profile (?)

[Michelle819]

Public review • * 3

The property was OK but I want future guests to be aware of an unusual requirement. Before check-in the host demanded a full, unobstructed photo of my driver's license (front and back).

I've stayed at 47 Airbnb's and have never having to give this level of personal information. Michelle claimed her

"homeowner's insurance" requires it doesn't match any experience l've had, nor does it align with standard insurance practices. Homeowner and short-term rental policies generally insure the property, not the identity details of the guest, so the justification felt questionable at best.

Airbnb ultimately told us that this was a host-specific rule buried in the listing, and we would need to comply to avoid cancellation. The stay itself was OK, the lead-up process felt unnecessarily intrusive and far outside normal Airbnb standards.

Travelers who value privacy should carefully review details before booking to avoid requirements well beyond what most guests would reasonably anticipate

Hello,

this is what the guest wrote.

We temporarily have removed our home,The Parsonage Fort Myers from Airbnb. Right now, we are on VRBO and Furnished Finders.

Airbnb refuses to remove the reviews which is and informed us it is the experience of the guest, therefore, the review remains.

we pointed out that "experiences" does not include pre booking rules!

every day, I ring Airbnb and demand they remove the review.
I really am shocked that any pre booking requirement, is up for a guest review.

I'll paste our booking requirements in a minute or two.

Please, be aware hosts pre booking requirements are now part of Airbnbs guest reviews.

[Ania-and-Greg0]

Airbnb doesnt give a turd about hosts: see my post for their double secret memo on review removal, quite distant from what they actually post in public to make hosts believe there are protections, as there are none.

you should be protected from the guest's bad review due to upholding of your policy (hidden memo point #4), but their AI is too stupid to process even their hidden policies apparently.

I hope you succeed. Im going to have to hire a lawyer and go after them through mediation, and hopefully recover damages to my reputation and business (already have proof that the retaliatory review over upholding policy caused at least two cancellations)

i hope more and more hosts learn how to take airbnb though a mediation wringer and win so that their POS stock halves in value, because their stock is all they care about nowadays:

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Support-with-your-bookings/FUTURE-HOSTS-BEWARE-airbnb-allows-gue...

[Michelle819]

This is our booking requirements which guests agree to when they book.

Arrive between 4:00 PM - Flexible

Leave before 11:00 AM

Additional rules

Must be 25 and older to book. ID must be sent within 24 hours after booking-Our homeowners insurance requires a copy of the booking guest ID.

Guest also understands that Fort Myers, FL is located in a tropical climate, and that insects, rodents and lizards flourish in this environment.

Although Owner will use their best efforts to hold to a minimum your interaction with these pests during your stay, Guest understands that any contact by Guest with such a pest within or outside the unit does not constitute a breach of this Agreement or give Guest any right to any refund or rental adjustment.

Airbnb does not allow parties.

Quiet time 10pm-8am. Pool rules must be followed.

EVENTS are under a separate contract and fee structure.

Please, contact us for further information.

Guests acknowledges that The Parsonage is not located at the beach or near Naples, FL, and is located in downtown Fort Myers which is a busy area where there is noise.

＞

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[Joan2709]

@Michelle819 

You said the guest "eventually" agreed to your ID requirement. That is a red flag. He already expressed reluctance and that would have been enough for me. It may have been best to offer a full refund if they went ahead and cancelled. If you were using request to book, I would have declined the request due to their reluctance to provide the ID. 

[Wendy-May0]

@Michelle819 

Hi Michelle, I understand this is incredibly frustrating, especially when your ID requirements are in place for essential safety and insurance reasons.

The reality for all hosts is that reviews relating to the booking process (including ID verification, minimum stays, or fees) are very difficult to have removed. Airbnb Support often maintains that the entire booking process is part of the guest's "experience."

Since the removal request was denied, your entire focus now needs to be on damage control for future guests. Your only effective tool is your public response:

Your Best Strategy: A Factual Response

Your reply must be calm, factual, and professional. The goal is to provide context to every future guest who reads that negative review.

1. State the Facts: Briefly and factually mention the review's content was solely about the booking requirement, not the stay itself.

2. State the Reason: Confirm that the ID check is non-negotiable and essential for safety and compliance.

3. Maintain Professionalism: Your calm tone proves to future guests that you are a responsible host and that the guest was unreasonable.

By using your response in this way, you frame yourself as a safe, professional host who enforces fair rules.

I hope this helps you move past the review quickly.