Unfair & Damaging Review – Need Advice on Removal

[Stephanie3467]

Hi fellow hosts,

I need advice on dealing with an unfair and extremely damaging review that Airbnb refuses to remove. I’ve been a host for 10 years, but this is a new property (less than a year old) that I’ve worked hard to establish. I take great pride in providing a clean, welcoming home for my guests and maintaining high standards.

Recently, a guest left a 1-star review claiming my home smelled like human and animal urine—an accusation that is not only damaging but completely untrue. What’s mind-boggling is that this guest stayed the full 8-night duration without a single complaint. The only time he communicated with me was on the first day, when he asked for the laundry key and later when he locked himself out. Beyond that, he was silent. If my home was truly as awful as he described, why wouldn’t he reach out? Why not request to leave early instead of staying the entire time?

To emphasize my point, the guest who checked in immediately after him left a 5-star review stating the home was super clean—and this was before his 1-star review was even posted. Clearly, his claims were inconsistent with my property and my hosting standards.

Had he reached out to me, I would have immediately sent my cleaners to address any concerns. I have always worked with guests to ensure their stay is comfortable. Instead, he chose not to communicate and waited until the last possible moment to leave this damaging review.

I feel like Airbnb doesn’t want to help and doesn’t understand that a claim this severe can damage future bookings. Anyone who reads his review will not want to book with me. His review is so extreme that it’s shocking he stayed the full 8 nights. On top of that, he gave me a 5-star rating for communication, yet never communicated these supposed issues. If he had real concerns, he had every opportunity to reach out—just like he did when he locked himself out.

Has anyone successfully escalated a situation like this? How do I get Airbnb to take this seriously? I’d truly appreciate any advice on what to do next.

Thank you!

[Joan2709]

@Stephanie3467 

Just curious, what kind of previous reviews did this guest have? What kind of review did you gie him? If you gave him a 5-star review, then I would contact Airbnb and ask them to remove your 5-star review (you are permitted to remove your own review).

Request to Remove Your Own Review

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/3582

He does complain about "neighbors that don't control their animals" so perhaps this was in retaliation for that? Did you file any damage claims against this guest for damage to the home? If not, then I'm doubtful you will be able to get this review removed. It doesn't appear to violate any of Airbnb's policies and what he says is his opinion.

The best you can do at this point is to post a short, non-emotional and factual public reply to this guest's review and state that at no time did this guest complain about cleanliness during his stay or smells, or you of course would have immediately addressed them and that the guest stayed for 8days and never communicated any issues. I would also say you take great pride in providing the highest standards of cleanliness for guests as evidenced by your all your previous 5-star reviews. 

Responding to a Review

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/32

There is a new dispute review procedure you can try, but unless this review fits any of the categories mentioned, it probably won't be removed as it is the guest's opinion:

Review Disputes
https://www.airbnb.com/resolution/review_dispute/intro