If I write a review and the guest does not, will mine ever be made public?

[Rosemary287]

I understand that both host and guest have 14 days to leave a review and neither will be made public until both have been completed.

My question is, if I write a review and the guest does not, will mine ever be made public? I\

[Sarah977 · Accepted solution]

@Rosemary287  All reviews are published, regardless of whether both parties left reviews. If only one, it will appear after 14 days. If both, they will appear as soon as both are submitted.

[Rosemary287]

Thank you, Sarah. I've recently had a couple "not so great"  guests that I would not host again. As a host I always look at previous reviews before accepting a request. I assumed this would be the case, otherwise it would be a huge loophole for bad guests, Right??

[Sarah977]

@Rosemary287  Right. Unfortunately, I have read posts here in the past where hosts, even ones who aren't new to Airbnb, have the incorrect notion that if they don't review a guest who they are sure will leave a bad review, that they can avoid the bad review by not reviewing themselves, which isn't true.

Another useful thing you can do beyond reading guests' reviews is to click on the profile photo of the host who reviewed them. This takes you to that host's profile page, where you can scroll down to see what sort of review the guest left for past hosts. If they are a serial complainer, you probably don't want their booking.

[Joel935]

Rosemary I had a similar situation and wanted other hosts to know. And my review was not posted under that person name after the 14 days.   I would like to know what to do if the review is not posted. How do we help other hosts

[Val76]

Maybe so but are you aware that a guest can request a review be removed.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Val76 Both hosts and guests can ask for reviews to be removed if they break the Airbnb rules or if they are asking for their own review to be removed.

[Val76]

So why bother giving an honest review if it can be removed?

[Helen744]

@Val176 Reviews can be removed for particular reasons but mainly because they are not relevant to the actual stay but are personal or mention illegal activities or name people or expose personal things that are not relevant to how they behaved in the house . A person acting  afraid of dogs is not relevant to how they behaved in the house unless they actually hurt your dogs or asked for them to be removed and if they choose ,despite being unfamilar ,to stay at a house with a dog ,then maybe they have reasons to do so. I am sure you do not expect them to look after your dogs. H

[Colleen426]

If I give a bad review.....when does the guest see it?  I've read things that say people complained that they got a bad review.....even though justified.  Should I wait the fourteen days before reviewing them? Can they read my review before they review?  My second booking was a disaster.  

[Lawrene0]

Reviews are double-blind, @Colleen426 , meaning the guest cannot read your review before submitting their own. If they go beyond the 14 days without reviewing you, they will see it, but will be unable to submit their own at that point. This works both ways. You cannot see a guest's review until you submit yours, or until the 14 days are up, whichever comes first. 

I sometimes wait until the "last minute" to write a guest review if they broke rules and I suspect that getting the notification will remind them to write something that is proactively retaliatory. 

Don't think of it as a bad review. Think of it as an honest review. Please do write it. You are part of a host community, and surely you don't want your fellow hosts to have to put up with whatever it was you put up with.

[Jamie786]

Hi Colleen, great response as I had a similar question regarding how & when to review a potentially bad guest.  I was hoping for a different answer but understand.  I just had a guest leave my home completely filthy.  My cleaning fee is $45 and I was charged $105.  I don't plan on asking for the money because when I even charged an additional $30 to a previous guest I got a 3 star review for a stray cat out of my control.  My biggest issue is that these people were clearly smoking marijuana in our home and left the baggies.  Medical Marijuana isn't packaged that way and secondly no smoking of any kind including vaping is allowed in our home, they left greasy dirty dishes, bloody handtowels, blood on closet door, greasy dirty dishes, the stove top was a greasy mess and they covered the smoke detector with tinfoil.  They were quiet in every other aspect but lived like slobs for two weeks.  Not sure how to review them as their initial review was amazing which is what I also look for. IF anyone has guidance it's much appreciated.  Just curious if this should be reported directly to Airbnb or if it even makes a difference.

[Andy2843]

Hey hope you’re getting over your experience, how did you review them, I’m in the uk and had my first 3 bookings that were fantastic 4th sounds a lot like yours. I’ve read some posts and come to the conclusion that I should definitely write the review but maybe wait until the final minute of the 14 th day so they can’t review badly back. While I’m new to this I definitely did not expect the place to be a absolute bomb site when I returned. Dirty dishes blood on carpets totally no attempt to clean it , ribina stains all over the sofa floors stained , crumbs excessively everywhere , bins not even emptied but over flowing to the point where you would need to empty them.  Dirty people I guess. Also my fault entirely they had no prev reviews. I basically accepted the booking based on a few questions about their trip which sounded positive. My mistake from that point. Has put me off booking any more no reviews . I’m Interested in how you got on with your review if you’ve got a minute Andy 

[Val76]

I hosted a couple that apparently didn't read or look at pictures that I have 2 small poodles.  When they arrived the wife was afraid and slammed her body against the wall with her hands up like she was being arrested. The poodles are 6 and 7 lbs 12 and 13 years old.  In their review I SUGGESTED they not stay at a home where pets will make her uncomfortable but said they were good guests. Nothing bad was said about them.  He contacted support and requested my review be taken off.  No wonder I never see bad reviews if they can ask that a review can be removed.  The only way to resolve was to remove it and ask the guest why.  I did that and the guest never answered.   They joined in 2016 and only has 1 review now I know why.  Not fair to a host wanting to tell the truth about a guest.

[Colleen426]

Thank you Lawrene0