As an Airbnb host, there are few things more terrifying than the thought of someone leaving a negative review. (Ok, someone destroying the place or getting hurt on my property are both more terrifying than a negative review, but you know what I mean!) I’ve worked tirelessly to create a space that’s warm, welcoming, and perfect for guests.
I received almost 100 five-star reviews in a row, and then, BAM! I got the notification that a guest left a 3-star review. It feels unfair, and it can be downright devastating. But I didn’t accept that the review was going to remain on my profile. I knew Airbnb had a policy that allows for reviews to be removed – under certain circumstance – so I dug in and started learning about that policy. Read more about the Airbnb Review Policy here.
There is no guarantee that you can get a negative review removed. There are, however, steps you can take to determine if your review qualifies for removal. I created a video where I walk through exactly what I did to have a 3-star review removed from my listing. I don’t go into all of the details about the review in this blog, but I do talk about it in the video. You can watch below. I will also walk through the steps in this post.
Are bad reviews inevitable?
We all want that flawless five-star reputation, but the truth is, negative reviews will likely happen. My husband likes to remind me that it is inevitable—guests have different standards and expectations, and sometimes that leads to less-than-stellar feedback. It’s important to remember that reviews reflect individual opinions and experiences, and those don’t always line up with our own expectations. Guests are allowed to have an opinion about your place and express that opinion through their review. However, if a review violates the Airbnb review policy, you may be able to get it removed. We all want to be perfect when it comes to guest reviews – and I’m going to keep trying – but one bad review shouldn’t derail everything you have worked so hard to build.
Steps to take if you suspect or receive a poor review.
Keep all communication on the Airbnb App
I cannot emphasize this point enough. The best way to protect yourself against issues with a guest is to keep all the communication on the Airbnb platform. This makes it possible for Airbnb support to look directly at all communication and make decisions based on that. The guest that left a 3-star review claimed that we did not provide the door code at the time we said we would on the listing. Since we kept everything in the Airbnb app, support was able to go back and look through the messages and see the exact time that we provided the code. No need for debate – the information was right there and available to support.
Reach out to Airbnb support as soon as you suspect a problem
Immediately after the guest contacted me saying he didn’t get the code on time, I reached out to Airbnb support. I explained the issue, confirmed that they could see where I provided the code, and opened a case attached to that booking. This created a paper trail connected to that booking. Once I got the negative review, I went back to the message I received from Airbnb with the case number and replied to it with the new information. Airbnb Support could then see everything related to the case in one message.
Avoid replying publicly to the review or interacting with guest
I don’t know if this part of the process makes a difference but it is what I chose to do. I did not respond publicly or privately to the negative review. I didn’t want to do anything that would close the case or have a negative impact on the Airbnb’s decision. It was so hard to resist the urge to respond – especially when future guests could see the review. It felt like the right thing to do at the time. The good news is that the review started getting buried almost immediately as we received more 5-star reviews.
Find the part of the review policy you believe has been violated
Take some time to look through the Airbnb review policy before you send a message to contest the review. Find the area of the policy that applies to your review and point that out in your message or phone call to Airbnb support. If the review violates more than one part of the policy, point that out as well. Use the same language in your message as you see in the policy. This makes it easier for Airbnb support to connect the dots and see how the review violates the policy.
Be persistent
If you get a no from Airbnb support about removing the review, don’t give up yet! If you truly believe that your review qualifies for removal, escalate the case and ask to talk to someone else. If your interactions have all be through the app, you can switch it up and call support.
What happens if I cannot get the review removed?
There may come a time when you try everything and still cannot get a negative review removed. This is a reality that many hosts face. Here’s my advice – put your energy toward serving your current and future guests. You tried to get the review removed and could not – that sucks! The good news is that over time, the bad review will go further and further down the list as you continue to stack up 5-star reviews. Between the time I received the 3-star review and heard back from Airbnb, I got two more 5-start reviews. So, within a few days the review was already moving down the list.
What can you learn from a negative review?
Try not to feel too discouraged about a bad review. Ask yourself if there is something you can learn from the review. Can you change something at your property in order to provide a better experience for guests? Do you need to improve communication or update your listing? As hosts, we need to be open to learning from reviews and guest feedback. Being open to learning from a negative review can ultimately make you a better host and allow you to provide a better experience for guests.
I hope the steps outlined above will help you in your efforts to have a negative review removed. Please reach out with any questions and join our email list by signing up below. It’s the best way to stay up to date on everything we have to offer.
I’m rooting for you!
-Darisse