Your Airbnb is spotless, well-maintained, and loaded with great amenities. But like most hosts, you still get the occasional bad review.
The truth is that you can’t avoid bad reviews entirely. Whether a visitor is nitpicking over details or the experience didn’t match expectations, even Airbnb superhosts get some negative feedback.
While you can’t prevent every bad review, you can soften the blow. You can even use them to show guests you’re responsive, professional, and committed to improving if you respond well.
Want to make bad Airbnb reviews work for you? Let us show you how the Airbnb review process works, what causes guests to leave negative feedback, and how best to respond. Plus, learn some tips on how to reduce the risk of bad reviews and maintain a good reputation over time.
How the Airbnb review process works
Airbnb’s review policy is built on a 14-day window after check-out, during which both host and guest can leave feedback. Once both parties respond or that time has lapsed, the reviews go public.
Positive reviews are crucial because even a 0.1 increase in your Airbnb rating can attract more bookings and boost your income. A recent AirDNA report shows some Airbnb hosts have seen up to $200 more in monthly revenue.
The four types of Airbnb reviews
Here are the different Airbnb guest reviews you need to manage:
- Private reviews: Guests send you suggestions privately, usually by email or through Airbnb messaging. These don’t appear publicly, but they can be gold for fine-tuning your guest experience.
- Public reviews: Written feedback visible to anyone browsing your listing. Your public response will also be visible here.
- Ratings: Guests score your property on a scale from one to five in categories like cleanliness, accuracy, and location, plus an overall rating.
- Cancellation reviews: If you cancel a booking, Airbnb posts an automatic review noting the cancellation. You can’t remove it, but you can add an explanation.
Top reasons guests leave bad reviews
Understanding why guests leave negative feedback is the first step to preventing it. Here are the most common triggers:
- Unsafe neighborhood: Perceptions of rental property security vary, so a neighborhood that seems safe to you may unsettle guests. Other residents leaving the front door to the apartment block open is a common concern.
- Cleanliness issues: Unclean properties make it appear as though you don’t manage your business properly or value guests. In really bad cases, dirty Airbnb properties have made the global news.
- Loud noises: Traffic, construction, or noisy neighbors can make it difficult for guests to relax on their holiday.
- Check-in issues: A confusing or delayed check-in process gives guests a bad impression and sets a negative tone for the trip that’s hard to recover from.
- Host interaction issues: Guests may feel stressed if you don’t reply promptly, leave confusing instructions, or have an abrupt tone.
- Mismatched expectations: If your listing description or photos oversell the property, guests may feel disappointed or misled.
Read our article on the most common reasons for negative vacation rental reviews for a deeper look at what triggers them.
How to handle different types of negative Airbnb reviews
Got a negative Airbnb review? What you should do next depends on the specific scenario you find yourself in.
If the review violates Airbnb policy
Airbnb’s content policy states that they will remove unfair, dishonest, and illegal reviews from the platform. This covers retaliatory reviews, extortion, harassment, and discrimination.
If you believe a review violates policy, go to your profile, find it, and click the flag icon to report it. Be ready to provide evidence, such as messages, screenshots, or photos of the property.
If the review is unfair but within policy
Guests may exaggerate a bad experience. In these cases, Airbnb is unlikely to remove the review, but you can leave a calm, constructive public response to minimize the damage. Future guests will see your professionalism, even if the comments are unreasonable.
Reply within 24 hours when possible. It’s best practice, and a 90% response rate is also one of the Airbnb Superhost criteria.
If you receive a fair and honest review
Sometimes Airbnb hosts make mistakes that impact the guest’s stay. Engage with their feedback, acknowledge their frustration, and look for ways to improve your processes.
If you think they’d be receptive, a small gesture like a partial refund or a discount on a future stay may make guests feel less angry.
Download it now for free:
How to respond to an angry guest
We all make mistakes. Once in a while, that means a guest can get angry. Follow this step-by-step guide to defuse a tense situation and still get a 5-star review.
The VAST Method: 5 Steps to writing responses to bad Airbnb reviews
If you receive a justifiably negative review, a message can prove you’ve taken the feedback seriously. One structure for crafting replies is the VAST method:
- Validate: Acknowledge their feedback and state that their response is fair.
- Apologize: Own the issue without explaining it away.
- Sympathize: Relate to their disappointment.
- Thank: Show appreciation for their comments and highlight positives from their stay.
The more details you include in your reply, the more it signals to future guests that you take feedback seriously and aim to improve.
Here’s an example message you can use as inspiration for your own:
| “Thank you for sharing your thoughts. It was lovely to share the South Coast with you, and I’m sorry the trip didn’t meet your expectations.
I understand how frustrating it must have been to arrive and find the check-in process confusing, and I sincerely apologize for the delay. I know how previous vacation time is, and I regret that this disrupted the start of your trip. We’ve already updated our instructions and added clearer signage to avoid this happening again. To show you our appreciation, we’d love to host you again and would like to offer you a 25% discount on a future visit.” |
How to prevent bad Airbnb reviews
While you can’t avoid or remove every bad review, you can limit the amount you receive. Here are some proven strategies for getting fewer ratings under 3 stars.
Price your Airbnb properties fairly
Strike a careful balance between offering a competitive rate and trying to generate a profit. Nothing fuels negative reviews faster than guests feeling they overpaid for what they received. Plus, guests are more likely to forgive small issues and mistakes when they feel they got a good bargain on a stay.
Use dynamic pricing tools to automatically find optimal rates. These tools set amounts based on market and competitor data to ensure you’re never overcharging.
Build a positive connection before arrival
Send your guests personalized messages before and during their stay. They’re less likely to leave negative reviews when they’ve engaged with the host.
Property managers may struggle to write individual messages to every guest. Instead, you can use an automated messaging system like Hostfully’s to develop templates for different touchpoints. The software can pull guest details, use them to populate messages, and schedule them for good moments.
Show guests how to make the most of your short-term rental
Guests may leave lackluster reviews because they simply didn’t know how to enjoy everything the property offered. Perhaps they didn’t realize how easy it was to access the nearby beach or never figured out how to work the TV remote.
Provide clear instructions for appliances, Wi-Fi, and amenities so nothing feels confusing or unusable. You can include videos if you feel certain property features are complex. Go beyond the basics by suggesting nearby restaurants, attractions, or experiences that match your typical guest profile.
Digital guidebooks make it easy to package this information in one place, giving guests confidence and helping them maximize their stay. All you have to do is send them a text message link ahead of their stay.
Be accessible and responsive during the stay
Even the best-prepared property will run into occasional problems, like broken appliances or leaking roofs, but these won’t necessarily result in a bad review. What matters is how quickly and effectively you respond.
Address complaints as soon as they arise, whether that means dispatching maintenance pronto or offering a goodwill gesture like a gift card. Prompt, professional responses often turn potential negative reviews into positive ones about your attentiveness.
Centralizing communication through a property management system (PMS) like Hostfully lets you track and reply to guest inquiries in one place. This makes sure you see messages immediately and nothing slips through the cracks.
Use smart tech to reduce friction
Technology can prevent many issues that frustrate guests. By automating these common pain points, you minimize the chances of complaints about access, disturbances, or discomfort.
- Smart locks: Give easy access to the property so visitors don’t have to mess around with lock boxes or wait for you to arrive.
- Noise monitoring: Get alerts to disturbances like parties and arguments before they escalate.
- Smart lights: Let guests switch on the lights and adjust brightness using voice commands so there’s no stumbling around in a dark, unfamiliar place.
- Energy management: Set the temperature at a comfortable level for when guests arrive.
You can explore Hostfully’s range of over 200 smart devices and their software here.
Time your review strategically
Airbnb’s double-blind review system gives both parties 14 days to leave feedback. If you expect a negative review, wait to submit yours and nudge guests to leave theirs.
Giving people a few days to cool off often results in a calmer, less emotional response. While this won’t erase serious complaints, it can reduce the sting of harsh wording. Just remember to post before the 14-day deadline to ensure your perspective is included alongside the guest’s review.
Long-term reputation recovery strategies after bad Airbnb reviews
Recent poor reviews lower your rating and deter potential guests. Having strategies in place to deal with them can mitigate the damage and make sure they’re quickly outnumbered by good reviews.
Here are some quick tips you can try:
- Continuously update Airbnb listings to match reality
- Respond to negative feedback with the action you plan to take
- Fix recurring issues that come up in reviews
- Schedule prompts through Hostfully for happy guests to leave feedback
- Try multi-channel distribution to generate more positive reviews elsewhere
- Use analytics tools to identify trends in negative feedback to see what hidden factors may be causing issues
How Hostfully PMS turns bad reviews into growth opportunities
Bad reviews happen to every host. The key is how you respond and use the negative feedback to address issues and maintain a professional brand.
Platforms like the Hostfully PMS make review management easier with the following features:
- No code website builder: Get guests excited while setting realistic expectations
- Digital guidebook: Show everyone how to make the most of your property
- Unified inbox: Never miss another guest query or concern
- Message automation and templates: Send fast responses before frustration builds
- Smart devices: Remove the stress and friction from stays
- Task and turnover management: Automate schedules, easily monitor teams, and keep properties spotless
With a software like Hostfully PMS in place, you can spend less time firefighting and more time creating great guest experiences that generate the kind of reviews you want future guests to see.
FAQs about bad Airbnb reviews
When and how are Airbnb reviews posted?
Airbnb publishes reviews once both the host and guest have submitted theirs, or automatically after 14 days. Neither party can see the other’s comments until both reviews are live to encourage honest feedback. These include star ratings and written comments, which become a permanent part of your listing’s profile.
Can I get a bad review removed from Airbnb?
Yes, you can get a bad review removed from Airbnb if it breaches Airbnb’s policy. Disagreeing with a guest’s opinion isn’t enough. Examples of reviews that breach Airbnb policy include anything containing discriminatory language, threats, spam, personal information, or attempts at extortion.
Do I have to respond to every Airbnb review?
No, you don’t have to respond to every Airbnb review, but it’s good practice. Replies show professionalism, responsiveness, and a willingness to improve in the case of negative feedback. Even brief thank-yous for positive feedback can help you maintain a lasting relationship with past visitors and make a good impression on potential guests.
Is delaying my Airbnb review a good strategy?
Delaying your review is a good strategy in certain circumstances. If you had a bad guest and had to reinforce house rules, you may wish to see if they’re going to retaliate before you leave your own feedback. In most other cases, it’s best to leave guest reviews promptly.
