How seriously should I take negative AirBnB reviews?
September 20, 2023 5:06 AM
My extended family is looking to book a house over Christmas via AirBnB. One property that would otherwise be perfect has two very negative reviews from guests (among about 20 otherwise positive, short, anodyne reviews.) I don't have a lot of experience with AirBnB; should I treat these as "red flags AVOID AVOID" or as "there's no pleasing some people"?
One of the negative reviews complained extensively about the cleanliness of the place. The other mentioned a "horrible smell" and said that the security cameras "made them feel watched". Both of these reviews are from the last few months; the earliest review on this property is about a year old.
The host did reply to both of these reviews on AirBnB. For the first, he claimed that the guest was the one who left a mess & brought unauthorized pets to the rental, and that the guest "threatened to leave a bad review" when the host complained to AirBnB. For the second, he said that the guests broke house rules (unregistered people present) and that the guests made up this claim of odors to get a refund.
I don't use AirBnB a lot and I'm not sure how seriously I should take these reviews. My gut instinct is to "avoid the drama" and look for another space; and that since AirBnB reviews are often over-inflated, a negative review means that something really went wrong with these stays. But this property would otherwise be perfect in terms of location and size, and there aren't any other equivalent properties that match it for the dates we're interested in.
What should I be thinking about in trying to make this decision?
One of the negative reviews complained extensively about the cleanliness of the place. The other mentioned a "horrible smell" and said that the security cameras "made them feel watched". Both of these reviews are from the last few months; the earliest review on this property is about a year old.
The host did reply to both of these reviews on AirBnB. For the first, he claimed that the guest was the one who left a mess & brought unauthorized pets to the rental, and that the guest "threatened to leave a bad review" when the host complained to AirBnB. For the second, he said that the guests broke house rules (unregistered people present) and that the guests made up this claim of odors to get a refund.
I don't use AirBnB a lot and I'm not sure how seriously I should take these reviews. My gut instinct is to "avoid the drama" and look for another space; and that since AirBnB reviews are often over-inflated, a negative review means that something really went wrong with these stays. But this property would otherwise be perfect in terms of location and size, and there aren't any other equivalent properties that match it for the dates we're interested in.
What should I be thinking about in trying to make this decision?
The comment about the security cameras is so silly and subjective that I would discount the smell part of that person's comment, too.
Regarding the cleanliness one, how much would it bother you if you got there and had to do a thorough cleaning before you could enjoy the space. (Alternatively, how tolerant are you of dirt? I'm very dirt-tolerant.)
I would go for it, if I were you.
posted by gideonfrog at 5:13 AM on September 20, 2023
Regarding the cleanliness one, how much would it bother you if you got there and had to do a thorough cleaning before you could enjoy the space. (Alternatively, how tolerant are you of dirt? I'm very dirt-tolerant.)
I would go for it, if I were you.
posted by gideonfrog at 5:13 AM on September 20, 2023
It's trickier these days because AirBNB hosts can also leave you a bad review if you leave them a bad review which can impact your ability to rent AirBNBs in the future. So I tend to think twice before leaving a negative review, and would only really do so for especially egregious situations.
Both those negative comments seem pretty minor though so I wouldn't necessarily be deterred by them. You said "short" and "anodyne" about the positive reviews though which feels a bit damning with faint praise - ideally I want to see reviews that are extremely positive to feel good about booking a place. But it's hard to say without reading through the reviews myself/
posted by peacheater at 5:16 AM on September 20, 2023
Both those negative comments seem pretty minor though so I wouldn't necessarily be deterred by them. You said "short" and "anodyne" about the positive reviews though which feels a bit damning with faint praise - ideally I want to see reviews that are extremely positive to feel good about booking a place. But it's hard to say without reading through the reviews myself/
posted by peacheater at 5:16 AM on September 20, 2023
It reads to me like the drama in each case was the renter trying to save face for their own behavior. The owner responded in a matter of fact way. Read the house rules, and if you can abide by them, (often things like no pets -it helps people with allergies, use the trash cans) go for it! If it’s more than your family can deliver on (some people are compulsive smokers) that would be the criteria for a pass. The owner has decent boundaries is my read.
posted by childofTethys at 5:23 AM on September 20, 2023
posted by childofTethys at 5:23 AM on September 20, 2023
As a counterpoint, aggressive responses to bad reviews often make me think badly of the business owner. I assume that's not always fair, but without being able to know what actually happened, I take it as a sign of the owner's overall approach, especially when they accuse the reviewers of things.
posted by trig at 5:34 AM on September 20, 2023
posted by trig at 5:34 AM on September 20, 2023
I would consider that if 10% of reviews are negative then that's enough to dissuade me from staying there. Further, if the other 18 reviews are glib and predate the 2 bad reviews, I'd consider them to be shills.
posted by dobbs at 5:58 AM on September 20, 2023
posted by dobbs at 5:58 AM on September 20, 2023
I have used Airbnb a lot, and my personal experience is that places with bad reviews on Airbnb are bad. At this point I will not stay at a place with multiple bad reviews, no matter how nice the pictures, and especially if the host is arguing with people publicly. Any time I've deviated from this rule I have for sure regretted it.
My theory is that, because a review on Airbnb is linked to your real name and directed at someone you've likely met or at least spoken to, the incentive to be polite is high. So people who will break with social convention to make a complaint are usually quite aggrieved.
posted by Mender at 6:05 AM on September 20, 2023
My theory is that, because a review on Airbnb is linked to your real name and directed at someone you've likely met or at least spoken to, the incentive to be polite is high. So people who will break with social convention to make a complaint are usually quite aggrieved.
posted by Mender at 6:05 AM on September 20, 2023
We rented a vacation place from some folks we know, we were happy with the condition and left it clean at the end of our stay. A maid did additional cleaning after we left before the property was turned over to the next renters, who threw a fit over a couple of handprints on a window, then proceeded to leave dirty diapers throughout the place and let their dog urinate in multiple places. My point is just that some renters have extremely warped perceptions of how things should be and what their responsibilities as renters /human beings are.
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 6:06 AM on September 20, 2023
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 6:06 AM on September 20, 2023
It's hard to say. There are people who leave bad reviews freely and/or vindictively; there are also people who will leave that kind of useless positive review 99% of the time and if they leave a negative review it really means something. (I've seen Reddit threads, for example, where people share about egregious issues but say outright that they won't leave a negative review so as not to ding the owner's ratings, which is not where my loyalties lie, but I digress.) I am in agreement with trig's comment about being wary of the nature of responses to reviews: did the owner address the substance of the complaints, or just gripe about the character of the guests? If you click on their profile to see if they own other properties, reading the reviews for those might also give you helpful information.
There are bad guests, but also nightmare hosts- I actually have some questions about the owner and specifically about this security camera thing. Does it seem reasonable to you based on the setup of the property that the host would just happen to see these unauthorized pets and unregistered people, or would this require unusually aggressive monitoring of security feeds? The latter would be a big enough red flag for me to avoid the property. Hypervigilant/paranoid hosts are often more trouble than they're worth.
posted by wormtales at 6:06 AM on September 20, 2023
There are bad guests, but also nightmare hosts- I actually have some questions about the owner and specifically about this security camera thing. Does it seem reasonable to you based on the setup of the property that the host would just happen to see these unauthorized pets and unregistered people, or would this require unusually aggressive monitoring of security feeds? The latter would be a big enough red flag for me to avoid the property. Hypervigilant/paranoid hosts are often more trouble than they're worth.
posted by wormtales at 6:06 AM on September 20, 2023
My #1 suggestion would be to click on the pictures of the negative reviewer and see the reviews that hosts have left of them (or guests, if they host an airbnb themselves). If they tend to get frequent negative reviews as either a host or a guest that's a pretty good sign that it's an issue with the reviewer.
I would also look at the rating in this case, both the overall and especially broken down categories. If the rating is close to perfect I'd probably be ok with it, otherwise you probably have a bunch of people leaving lower ratings in certain categories who didn't feel comfortable reflect that in text.
If I'm still on the fence I would pass, I think Mender captures my concern well.
posted by true at 6:09 AM on September 20, 2023
I would also look at the rating in this case, both the overall and especially broken down categories. If the rating is close to perfect I'd probably be ok with it, otherwise you probably have a bunch of people leaving lower ratings in certain categories who didn't feel comfortable reflect that in text.
If I'm still on the fence I would pass, I think Mender captures my concern well.
posted by true at 6:09 AM on September 20, 2023
I've done a lot of work in the vacation/short-term rental industry (working with individual hosts a lot of the time) and I would consider those reviews to be at least yellow flags, especially when combined with the rest of the reviews being short and anodyne, which I read as lukewarm. Flag gets closer to red with the defensive responses from the host.
My rule of thumb is to look for Airbnb reviews that seem almost over-the-top enthusiastic, because of the review inflation thing you mentioned. If I see "Good stay, nice rental" or another brief sentiment like that, I assume it was just okay, or potentially kinda crappy.
There's also something to be said for the idea of "like attracts like." I swear it's an energy thing. I've worked with probably a thousand Airbnb hosts, and good hosts almost always have amazing guests (with maybe one bad apple every two years, at most). The demanding, defensive, aggressive hosts constantly complain about bad guests.
In short, if you have other attractive options, I'd go with your gut and choose one of those!
posted by gold bridges at 6:09 AM on September 20, 2023
My rule of thumb is to look for Airbnb reviews that seem almost over-the-top enthusiastic, because of the review inflation thing you mentioned. If I see "Good stay, nice rental" or another brief sentiment like that, I assume it was just okay, or potentially kinda crappy.
There's also something to be said for the idea of "like attracts like." I swear it's an energy thing. I've worked with probably a thousand Airbnb hosts, and good hosts almost always have amazing guests (with maybe one bad apple every two years, at most). The demanding, defensive, aggressive hosts constantly complain about bad guests.
In short, if you have other attractive options, I'd go with your gut and choose one of those!
posted by gold bridges at 6:09 AM on September 20, 2023
I've booked at places with one or two negative reviews, but the negatives didn't worry me too much and were balanced out by lots of detailed positive reviews that emphasized the qualities I wanted. That and guests tend to rate high because it isn't a hotel, so anything negative on an AirBnb is a red flag.
Personally I'd pass on anything that mentioned a "horrible smell." Why take the chance?
posted by kingdead at 6:28 AM on September 20, 2023
Personally I'd pass on anything that mentioned a "horrible smell." Why take the chance?
posted by kingdead at 6:28 AM on September 20, 2023
I tend take bad reviews at face value, removing the emotion. so for this place I would assume that for those rentals, it may have been dirty, that the owner has security cameras, and that there may be a bad smell. It's also possibly true that the renters were messy, brought a pet, and had too many tenants, but that's all kind of beside the point. Would I want to rent the place if I arrived at these negative reviews were true?
Sometimes the answer is yes. We once rented a hostel through Airbnb with many negative reviews with the bottom line of "this is a hostel." Like "people came into our shared room at all hours. We had to wait for the bathroom. All the parking spots were taken."
posted by muddgirl at 6:39 AM on September 20, 2023
Sometimes the answer is yes. We once rented a hostel through Airbnb with many negative reviews with the bottom line of "this is a hostel." Like "people came into our shared room at all hours. We had to wait for the bathroom. All the parking spots were taken."
posted by muddgirl at 6:39 AM on September 20, 2023
AirBNB hosts can also leave you a bad review if you leave them a bad review
That is not how it works. Hosts cannot see the guests reviews, even the star rating, until after they publish their own review. So no, bad guest reviews are not retaliation for bad host reviews.
As a host, I have had several people lie about cleanliness hoping for a discount. Fortunately I have my cleaners photograph everything so these complaints don't result in refunds but people are spiteful. I encourage you to take reviews with a grain of salt, but keep in mind that they may be legit as well. I've stayed at places with great reviews that were filthy or didn't match the pictures, and places with no or some bad reviews that were fine.
posted by ananci at 8:25 AM on September 20, 2023
That is not how it works. Hosts cannot see the guests reviews, even the star rating, until after they publish their own review. So no, bad guest reviews are not retaliation for bad host reviews.
As a host, I have had several people lie about cleanliness hoping for a discount. Fortunately I have my cleaners photograph everything so these complaints don't result in refunds but people are spiteful. I encourage you to take reviews with a grain of salt, but keep in mind that they may be legit as well. I've stayed at places with great reviews that were filthy or didn't match the pictures, and places with no or some bad reviews that were fine.
posted by ananci at 8:25 AM on September 20, 2023
I do a lot of AirBnBs, and my experience exactly matches Mender’s above. I would pass on this.
posted by susiswimmer at 8:40 AM on September 20, 2023
posted by susiswimmer at 8:40 AM on September 20, 2023
Among people who use airbnb a lot, these would be flags but not necessarily dealbreakers. If hosts respond to negative reviews and are nasty, that's a hard no. If it's a short stay where not being perfectly clean would be suboptimal but not a challenge, I'd be less concerned.
Some people are weird about cleanliness, sometimes things go wrong with cleaning, and as long as the host doesn't respond poorly I'll consider it, but it probably would not be my first choice if there were other options.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:52 AM on September 20, 2023
Some people are weird about cleanliness, sometimes things go wrong with cleaning, and as long as the host doesn't respond poorly I'll consider it, but it probably would not be my first choice if there were other options.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:52 AM on September 20, 2023
“/My #1 suggestion would be to click on the pictures of the negative reviewer and see the reviews that hosts have left of them (or guests, if they host an airbnb themselves). “
I would also do this. Some people are weird about things for sure, but I would be more worried about the host’s combative reaction than about the substance of the comments. If you can find a comparable place, it might be worth skipping the possibility for drama.
posted by rpfields at 9:06 AM on September 20, 2023
I would also do this. Some people are weird about things for sure, but I would be more worried about the host’s combative reaction than about the substance of the comments. If you can find a comparable place, it might be worth skipping the possibility for drama.
posted by rpfields at 9:06 AM on September 20, 2023
I meant to say - among people who are frequent users, there is something of an understanding that you don't criticize something unless it's BAD. But we also know that airbnb support will do jack shit for you if you don't report it instantly, like as soon as you are through the door, and trying to blackmail hosts with a bad review is a losing game mostly.
But occasional-weekenders don't know that, and think this approach will work, or have no idea/concern it may affect their ability to book in the future. So looking at their profile is one way to try to figure out the lay of the land.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:11 AM on September 20, 2023
But occasional-weekenders don't know that, and think this approach will work, or have no idea/concern it may affect their ability to book in the future. So looking at their profile is one way to try to figure out the lay of the land.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:11 AM on September 20, 2023
Airbnb managers can be pretty ruthless with renters about the importance of five star reviews. I stayed somewhere that also had two negative reviews with similar responses from the owner, and I had just the worst time there. The place was filthy, full of orb spiders, and not as advertised. But from the moment I checked in until the moment I left, the host was essentially harassing me by messaging me through Airbnb repeatedly (multiple times a day) telling me how important it was that I give her five stars and that this business was her livelihood. She lived 400 miles away and had clearly just bought up some property, expecting it to be passive income. I didn't leave any review at all -- I knew that she would say something goofy about me in response if I did and I needed to be done with her -- and I will never stay in an Airbnb that has even a hint of negativity in the reviews after that awful experience.
posted by twelve cent archie at 9:17 AM on September 20, 2023
posted by twelve cent archie at 9:17 AM on September 20, 2023
2 bad reviews in the last couple months and only 20 total from the last year is a really bad ratio. It sounds like, for whatever reason, the place is not quite up to par. Most AirBnbs that are well established (have a cleaning and entry system, responsive hosts, nice enough place) will get a good number of specific, positive vacation reviews, and just a handful of mediocre/bad reviews.
So all things considered, I'd avoid it. However, you did say that the place would be perfect for you - would it still be perfect if it did smell and was a little dirty? Asking seriously - if its nearby something you are visiting, or its within a price range you need to be - then maybe its worth risking that. But I'd take the critiques as really possibilities and decide based on that.
posted by RajahKing at 9:29 AM on September 20, 2023
So all things considered, I'd avoid it. However, you did say that the place would be perfect for you - would it still be perfect if it did smell and was a little dirty? Asking seriously - if its nearby something you are visiting, or its within a price range you need to be - then maybe its worth risking that. But I'd take the critiques as really possibilities and decide based on that.
posted by RajahKing at 9:29 AM on September 20, 2023
It's trickier these days because AirBNB hosts can also leave you a bad review if you leave them a bad review which can impact your ability to rent AirBNBs in the future. So I tend to think twice before leaving a negative review, and would only really do so for especially egregious situations.
Neither the guest nor the host can see the other’s review until either both have posted or two weeks has elapsed.
One clue that guests are leaving vengeful reviews is when they complain about something that isn’t offered when the description and/or photos make this obvious. These folks then up the outrage ante by complaining about something that AirBnB can’t verify, like cleanliness, smells, etc.. Examples from my own listing include bitching about how there’s no dishwasher, the TV is too small, and even that their unleashed dog got a snoot full of porcupine quills. Sometimes it’s part of an effort to get reimbursed, though post-purchase regret about overspending has decreased now that AirBnB shows the full price including taxes, the company’s rake and cleaning fees.
posted by carmicha at 9:37 AM on September 20, 2023
Neither the guest nor the host can see the other’s review until either both have posted or two weeks has elapsed.
One clue that guests are leaving vengeful reviews is when they complain about something that isn’t offered when the description and/or photos make this obvious. These folks then up the outrage ante by complaining about something that AirBnB can’t verify, like cleanliness, smells, etc.. Examples from my own listing include bitching about how there’s no dishwasher, the TV is too small, and even that their unleashed dog got a snoot full of porcupine quills. Sometimes it’s part of an effort to get reimbursed, though post-purchase regret about overspending has decreased now that AirBnB shows the full price including taxes, the company’s rake and cleaning fees.
posted by carmicha at 9:37 AM on September 20, 2023
Regarding the cleanliness one, how much would it bother you if you got there and had to do a thorough cleaning before you could enjoy the space.
Wait, what? You're suggesting it might be normal that an Airbnb guest would have to perform a "thorough cleaning" of a property upon arrival? I'd view it as unacceptable if any place I rented (hotel, Airbnb, what have you) was not clean upon arrival.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 9:44 AM on September 20, 2023
Wait, what? You're suggesting it might be normal that an Airbnb guest would have to perform a "thorough cleaning" of a property upon arrival? I'd view it as unacceptable if any place I rented (hotel, Airbnb, what have you) was not clean upon arrival.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 9:44 AM on September 20, 2023
I have a friend who keeps a classic BnB in town. It's a beautiful older house and he goes to great efforts to keep it clean and to offer a good breakfast. All but a very few of his reviews are positive but every so often he'll get someone who just cannot be pleased. It's frustrating for him to have any negative reviews, especially when he finds them unfair, but it doesn't mean the place is bad. I think you're safe to assume something like this has happened and that the place is fine.
posted by zadcat at 9:45 AM on September 20, 2023
posted by zadcat at 9:45 AM on September 20, 2023
Recency is important. If reviews are good and then the most recent ones are bad? Absolutely not. A lot of hosts are on their best behavior at first and then lose steam to keep things nice. I - as a guest - am also under the impression that hosts can turn me down for being rated poorly and that I should only leave positive reviews because of that. Whether that’s true (see comments above) it does mean that I only leave a negative review if things are truly egregious. If the positive reviews are very bland, I assume the airbnb is probably not quite as advertised but was not life threatening or anything.
I would also be raising my eyebrows at the host saying they had unapproved people there. That means they’re actively watching those security cameras. That may be relevant if you want to have people over for lunch or dinner around the holidays.
Personally, I would steer clear. If the negative reviews were mixed in and not just the most recent ones, I would be more willing to take a chance.
posted by Bottlecap at 10:49 AM on September 20, 2023
I would also be raising my eyebrows at the host saying they had unapproved people there. That means they’re actively watching those security cameras. That may be relevant if you want to have people over for lunch or dinner around the holidays.
Personally, I would steer clear. If the negative reviews were mixed in and not just the most recent ones, I would be more willing to take a chance.
posted by Bottlecap at 10:49 AM on September 20, 2023
I agree that avoiding this place would probably be best. So much good advice above! Most people don't leave a scathing review, even if the place is pretty bad, and there's a way to respond that's respectful and polite. A friend of mine had an Airbnb hostel for a few years: yes, there are absolutely bad guests BUT there are usually way more reviews than 20, and a professional host -- or someone aspiring to being great -- will respond with grace. There is a lot of support for hosts on Airbnb so they could have reported the guests during the visit itself, asked for reinforcement, etc. Chances are that you'd have an OK experience BUT is that a risk you want to take for a big extended family gathering over Christmas?
posted by smorgasbord at 2:50 PM on September 20, 2023
posted by smorgasbord at 2:50 PM on September 20, 2023
Those are some pretty aggressive host responses. If anything should be 'anodyne', it should be host responses. Something like 'sorry we didn't meet our usual standards' or 'sorry about the cameras, we do mention them explicitly in the listing but i totally get that your experience may have been different than what you expected'. I'd be more concerned about that than the negative reviews.
posted by sid at 2:59 PM on September 20, 2023
posted by sid at 2:59 PM on September 20, 2023
Also, just want to add that there's really no right answer and that reading these reviews is akin to reading tea leaves. I've had poor experiences at very well reviewed airbnbs and good experiences at places with less than stellar reviews.
posted by sid at 3:17 PM on September 20, 2023
posted by sid at 3:17 PM on September 20, 2023
I'd ignore the responses from the host to bad reviews or possibly consider them red flags. The way that AirBnB works is that the host and guest write reviews simultaneously (you can't see the other one before both post) but once a review is up, the host can write a response.
The response can be anything. It can be true, it can be false, it can be gibberish, etc and there's no recourse by the guest. So some hosts just write something to make the guest sound bad and unreasonable, hoping that people like you will discount the bad reviews.
For example, I recently stayed at an AirBnB that wasn't great. I left the only bad review I've ever left on the platform and the host left an aggressive response painting me as a bad guest (demanded early check-in, brought a dog and left a mess, etc). Some were provably false -- eg AirBnB could easily see when I checked in from my messages with the host. Others were more of a "he said she said" variety. Nevertheless, when I complained all that AirBnB offered to do is to take down both my review and the host's response.
Looking back at it, every single bad review that property had included a host response explaining why the guest was horrible and unreasonable. I'm guessing they were hoping the guest would choose to have both their bad review and response taken down (eliminating a bad review) or make potential customers think the reviewer was nuts. But going forward, I'll take multiple complaints about guests in responses as at least a yellow flag on the host.
posted by bsdfish at 5:49 AM on September 21, 2023
The response can be anything. It can be true, it can be false, it can be gibberish, etc and there's no recourse by the guest. So some hosts just write something to make the guest sound bad and unreasonable, hoping that people like you will discount the bad reviews.
For example, I recently stayed at an AirBnB that wasn't great. I left the only bad review I've ever left on the platform and the host left an aggressive response painting me as a bad guest (demanded early check-in, brought a dog and left a mess, etc). Some were provably false -- eg AirBnB could easily see when I checked in from my messages with the host. Others were more of a "he said she said" variety. Nevertheless, when I complained all that AirBnB offered to do is to take down both my review and the host's response.
Looking back at it, every single bad review that property had included a host response explaining why the guest was horrible and unreasonable. I'm guessing they were hoping the guest would choose to have both their bad review and response taken down (eliminating a bad review) or make potential customers think the reviewer was nuts. But going forward, I'll take multiple complaints about guests in responses as at least a yellow flag on the host.
posted by bsdfish at 5:49 AM on September 21, 2023
I don’t know how Airbub reviews work, but on some sites they let you look at *other* reviews from the same user. In that case it’s usually pretty clear whether the person leaving a bad review is unreasonable or not. I usually assume that the first N good reviews for anything are fraudulent, so any bad reviews would steer me away.
Let us know what the place is like if you decide to try it.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 9:43 PM on September 23, 2023
Let us know what the place is like if you decide to try it.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 9:43 PM on September 23, 2023
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by sandmanwv at 5:12 AM on September 20, 2023