Loop Hole For Guests Reviews

[The-Ridge2]

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to share our recent experience in case it helps others navigating similar issues with guest reviews and house rule breaches.

We had a guest stay who clearly violated our strict no-smoking rule. As a result, they were charged an additional cleaning fee along with leaving the property a complete mess, which they didn’t dispute. Despite reaching out to Airbnb support (and escalating it to a senior team member), we've been told the review cannot be removed.

The reason? While the guest breached house rules, the language used in their review doesn’t violate Airbnb’s review policy. Because they didn’t specifically mention the smoking incident or include prohibited language, the review is considered compliant and will remain on our listing.

It’s incredibly frustrating. Essentially, it seems that guests can now breach rules, avoid mentioning the incident directly in their review, and still have their feedback stand while we, as hosts, are left to deal with the damage.

We have remaining bookings, so we can’t take our listing offline just yet. But this has definitely made us question whether it’s worth continuing. Moving forward, there’s a real risk that guests can ignore house rules without consequence, and we as hosts have little recourse except covering the cost and potentially taking a hit to our reputation.

Hope this post helps anyone else dealing with similarly unfair reviews. You're not alone!

[Joan2709]

@The-Ridge2 

Yes...sadly Airbnb has created this environment with their new, AI driven, review dispute process. Guests will almost always retaliate when held accountable for breaking house rules and when damage claims are processed for addl cleaning and other damages. Hosts have asked Airbnb to change the deadline for filing a damage claim to 15days (instead of 14days), or automatically remove a review when a damage claim is made and awarded - to no avail.

As a consequence, we suggest Hosts not let on to guests that damage was found after their stay and a damage claim will be filed. Quietly gather all your evidence and wait for the guest to either leave a review, or wait until right before the 14day cutoff and leave your honest review and file your damage claim. Otherwise, you will be facing the same scenario - revenge reviews from a guest that Airbnb will not remove, despite violations of their policies and clearly as revenge for a damage claim. 

[Marie8425]

@The-Ridge2 @Joan2709 

Just the peanut gallery two cents, but I disagree that applying a fine is holding anyone accountable.  Yes, I have had my unfair 2 stars but I think my last one was the beginning of 2024.  Nothing is a perfect answer, sorry.  Many see your significant fine for smoking and think I will chance getting caught so they might send me a bill later.

If you have a rule you have a rule.  Some you may fine some you mat evict.

If aI as the Host don't respect that my rules are important not about a monetary fine, then how do I expect my customers to respect?

[Elegant-Homes-Retreat0]

Hi @The-Ridge2,

Thank you for sharing your experience — and I’m so sorry you had to go through that. Unfortunately, you're not alone in this. Many hosts have faced similar situations where guests blatantly break house rules, and yet, the review system protects the guest, not the host.

It’s incredibly disheartening to hear that even with undisputed damage and a support-confirmed policy violation, Airbnb still chooses to leave the review up simply because the guest didn’t directly mention the incident in their review. That’s a loophole that really needs to be addressed.

@Joan2709’s point is spot on — the AI-driven review dispute process is impersonal, inflexible, and rarely favors the host, even in clear-cut cases. And as you noted, when guests realize they can retaliate with a negative review (as long as it's worded neutrally), it becomes a tool for revenge rather than feedback.

Moving forward, many hosts (myself included) now:

Avoid tipping off the guest about damage claims during or right after their stay

Wait to leave our review until the very end of the 14-day window

File the damage claim discreetly after the guest has left theirs (or ideally, not reviewed at all)

This doesn't solve the problem, but it does help avoid revenge reviews. That said, the real solution lies with Airbnb — they need to build a fairer and more nuanced review policy that considers the full context of a reservation, not just whether a few keywords appear in a guest’s message.

You’re doing the right thing by documenting your case and sharing here. I know it doesn’t undo the impact, but it helps others feel seen and better prepared.

Stay strong — and thank you again for being a voice for hosts who are facing the same unfair treatment.