Hi Fellow hosts,
I’d really appreciate some help or clarity here — I believe a guest has intentionally misused the review system, and the current resolution feels inconsistent with Airbnb’s own Review Policy.
Timeline of Events:
1. First Booking: 16th May
• Our checkout instructions clearly ask guests to dispose of trash using the poly bags we provide.
• After checkout, we found the guest left trash without using bags, making cleaning difficult.
• I reached out politely, asking if they had forgotten to take it. The guest admitted it and apologised in the chat.
• I did not escalate the matter, issue penalties, or argue further — we let it go.
2. Second Booking same guest : 22nd May
• The guest returned for a second stay. Didn´t compaint anything on the booking, the stay was alright and then checkedout.
The guest then after the second booking left a 2 star review using the review for the 22nd May booking, When I read it, I talked to the guest about it using the message thread from 22nd May booking. In the review the guest mentioned bad things about us and saying that our checkout policy is very strict, We were passive aggressive when they forgot to take the thrash out, he also mentioned that, he wanted to cancel the 22nd May booking but it was too late.
I raised a removal on this review that it is retaliatory in nature, since the guest never complaint about cleanliness etc during the stay, but when I checked with them about the forgotten thrash, and tried to point out our checkout policy the guest felt upset about it and in retaliation he down rated our listing. This review was removed by Airbnb. Then the guest asked for a refund, I politely declined the request.
Then he used the review option from the 16th May booking, which was previous booking, where he used better words, but rated us 3 stars, again reflecting the same behaviour.
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What’s Wrong Now:
After the second review (22nd May) was removed, the guest went back and left a new negative review under the first booking (16th May) — again referencing their experience with our trash policy and tone.
Yet now, Airbnb support tells me:
- These were “two separate bookings” and the 16th May review will not be removed
- They claim they didn’t see anything retaliatory in the chat.
- But this makes no sense because:
- • The first review was already removed, proving retaliation.
- • The second review (22nd May) that was removed was written after the incident that happened on 16th May.
- • The actual issue happened during the 16th May booking.
When I asked the Airbnb support they have no answer on it apart from "Our decision is final and we won´t be able to remove the review", they say that they didn´t find anything in the Chat for 16th May booking, but there was mentioned of removing the Thrash by me on that chat, but nothing else. They are considering these as 2 booking, although it was the same guest who booked it.
Airbnb’s Review Policy Says:
“Reviews may not be provided or withheld in exchange for something of value… They also may not be used as an attempt to mislead or deceive Airbnb or another person. For example, guests should not write biased or inauthentic reviews as a form of retaliation against a host who enforces a policy or rule.”
That’s exactly what’s happened here. I enforced a basic checkout rule. The guest didn’t like it, apologised, and later punished me in reviews — twice. Airbnb removed the review from one booking (22nd), but is now letting the earlier booking (16th) stay, despite it being clearly retaliatory and based on the same incident.
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Thanks in advance to anyone who can help, I am just trying to understand here. I am not able to reach to any AirBnB support channels anymore.
Khushaan
