Out of date reviews

[Gaby117]

I'm looking at booking a loft in Manhattan but the only reviews associated are from 2016. Should I be concerned?

[Sarah977]

@Gaby117  It's possible that the host decided not to host for some reason for the last couple years and hasn't had any guests during that time. Why not message the host and tell him you're curious about why the reviews only go that far? I've done that with guests who had had long-time Airbnb accounts, but either didn't have any reviews, or only one or two. The answers were quite innocent- one had joined when she was planning to travel, but her travel plans had fallen through. The other said she'd actually stayed at about 5 places over the years, but the hosts hadn't left reviews for her. Both guests turned out to be great people.

If you get some response which sounds "off" to you, just move on to looking for another listing.

[Ann72]

@Gaby117 I would be concerned mostly because Airbnb isn't legal in many buildings in New York.  It's possible the host has asked that guests NOT review so as to keep a low profile and not get busted for operating an illegal rental.  I've suggested to friends looking at Airbnbs in New York that if they book a long way out, the place might not be operational when they get here, since buildings and the city are really cracking down.  There's really no way to know if a New York Airbnb is legal or not without contacting the building management.  And since you can't get the exact address before you book, that would be hard to do.  Airbnbs are completely legal in host-owned buildings, houses, and the like.