Should I give negative feedback?

[Catherine468]

Hi all, newbie here seeking advice as I'm not sure about the protocol for giving negative feedback.

I had two guests stay for one night. Their visit was arranged by a regular airbnb user who arranges accommodation for people he is working with in the education sector. He has a five star rating.

The guests left the apartment in good condition, apart from not flushing the toilet, so that I could smell urine in the bathroom. 

Not a huge deal. What I am more concerned about is that they left a bedroom window ajar, so the window was left open for a few nights as I was out of town. They closed and locked all the other windows so must have forgotten. My flat is on the top floor and that window is pretty much out of reach. However, I was concerned that neighbours would notice the window and realise the property was unoccupied for a few days. 

Any negative feedback will reflect not on the guests but on the man organising their stays, and I'm wondering if it is fair to leave negative feedback?

What would you do? And thanks for reading. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Catherine468 leave honest feedback - That's all you can do. I don't think a top flor open window is personally a big deal unless it was wide open and letting in the rain. By describing what they did then other hosts can decide if they care or not.

[Catherine468]

Thanks for your reply. I was just wondering whether to leave the person who organised the trip a five or four star rating.

Cheers

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Catherine468 unlike with hosts the  guest score is an average of all the categories rounded to 1 decimal place. As a result leaving 4 or 5 stars in one category makes little difference.

One of my key determinants, rightly or wrongly, is whether I would want the guest back again. Generally for small issues the answer is yes.

[Helen3]

Accepting third party bookings is against Airbnb's T&Cs @Catherine468 

if you get an inquiry like this going forward you should ask them to book through Airbnb at Work or not accept the booking as Airbnb won't necessarily help if you have problems with guests or allow claims for damage against their guarantee . 

[Catherine468]

Thanks so much, I didn't know about this. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Catherine468 I am not sure if @Helen3 is strictly correct. Guests booking for a 3rd party is not allowed by Airbnb but a host accepting a 3rd party booking may well be allowed - not least because those hosts with remote check in may never actually know it was a 3rd party booking.

[Catherine468]

Thanks for this info. However. I am concerned that I would not be covered by airbnb's insurance should anything go wrong after accepting a 3rd party booking. So much so that I declined another 3rd party booking request. The individual just got his guest / client to join airbnb and book instead. Not without its risks either but at least then I am covered! 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Catherine468 Totally understand. It is not at all clear if hosts are covered for 3rd party guests. We allow children to book for their parents as the site is too hard for some older people to use (especially the verification bit). We do not allow parents to book for children

[Catherine468]

Ah yes, of course, older people might have difficulty with booking themselves on the website, so their adult children would have to do it - thanks for flagging this up to me. I will be sure to keep an eye out for it! 

[Fiona256]

Don't rely on any so-called insurance cover from Airbnb. You need to have your own.

[Patricia2526]

Hello @Catherine468 

Maintain a professional tone and avoid becoming overly emotional when leaving reviews. Your review should be informative and helpful for other hosts. If the guest had any shortcomings or areas where they could improve, phrase your  feedback in a constructive manner. Suggest areas for improvement without being overly negative or confrontational. Respect the privacy of the guest and do not disclose any personal information that could violate their privacy.

It's important to provide honest and accurate review to help other hosts make informed decisions.

[Fred13]

In a nutshell, in hosting it is best not to feel compelled to 'swing at every pitch', leaving a window ajar is a minor issue specially when it is not in the bottom floor.  The neighbor or who made the booking is irrelevant. I think I can think of some flaw even in all my best guests, but I choose not to.