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Have you ever wondered why your Airbnb host didn’t leave you a review? I am a seasoned Airbnb host and an Airbnb user myself, and today, I want to share a handful of reasons why your hosts may not be leaving you Airbnb guest reviews.
According to the book The Airbnb Story, the review process has been a fundamental part of the Airbnb experience since the beginning. And while the process is not perfect, it does serve it’s purpose to help promote trust and confidence in the platform.
It’s very unique! Most other businesses do not have the opportunity to review a customer.
Could you imagine if hotels left you a public review after each of your stays? Or if Target left feedback after you visited the store, letting you know how to improve your behavior on your next shopping trip?
Airbnb Guest Reviews
However, some Airbnb hosts don’t always make use of their ability to leave Airbnb guest reviews. And, if you’ve ever wondered why some Airbnb hosts don’t leave reviews for their guests, you’re not alone.
Today, I want to spill the beans and tell you the most likely reason. I have hosted thousands of guests at our condos on 30A and left reviews for most of them. Yet, sometimes, I hold back. Let me tell you why!
Check-Out: My Airbnb Host Follow-Up Message
But first, I want to share one line of text that I send as part of my message after an Airbnb guest checks out, and I wish them a safe trip home. I always ask them to message me once they have locked up. Then, I use that opportunity to thank them and read the room before the review window opens.
“I hope you enjoyed your visit and wish you a safe trip home today. It was a pleasure hosting you, and I will make sure to leave you a great review!”
This short message is usually paired with a few other lines based on their stay and any feedback they give me. By adding these two sentences, I reassure the guest that I intend to leave them a good review. Even if they are a cruddy guest, I add this sentence.
Some reply and say something along the lines of “Likewise, we will leave you a great review too” or “It was 5 stars all the way.” These comments let me know as a host that they are leaving happy!
Other times, guests don’t reply at all. In a few instances, I have had Airbnb guests who didn’t respond to a single message before, during and after their stay. This is always so bizarre. Regardless of the reason, when a guest doesn’t reply to this message or give me some indication they are happy, it leaves me wondering if they didn’t enjoy their stay. In that case, I brace myself for a possible less-than-perfect review.
Nonetheless, I am pointing out that message because I will reference it throughout this blog post!
READ: Don’t Ghost Your Host: How To Be A Great Airbnb Guest
4 Reasons A Host Doesn’t Leave Airbnb Guest Reviews
We’d all like to think they just got busy and forgot. Honestly, that’s probably not why your host didn’t leave you a review. It’s the last thing that would stop me from leaving one. Therefore, I will list my rationale for not leaving an Airbnb guest review in order of how often it happens to me!
I must acknowledge that not every host is as detail-oriented or critical as I am. But, I am an Airbnb Superhost and have a 4.98 overall rating with thousands of stays under my belt. So, it’s working for me!
Airbnb Review Process
Here is a quick overview of how the Airbnb review process works:
CHECK-OUT: Around 4 pm, the review window opens up for both the host and guest to leave reviews.
DAY 1 through 13: Both parties can leave reviews, but the reviews aren’t public during this period until the other one does.
Day 14: The review becomes public and appears on your profile/listing, regardless of whether the other party left a review.
So, are Airbnb guest reviews public? Yes, always after 14 days, sometimes sooner, if the host leaves an Airbnb review.
#1 You Didn’t Leave Your Host An Airbnb Review
Let’s face it: not every Airbnb stay is a whirlwind of excitement or a disaster waiting to happen. Some fall into the neutral zone where everything goes smoothly, and there’s little to report. Maybe it was hard to read the guest’s tone through messages, and your cleaners didn’t report any issues. Regardless of the reason, the host is left wondering how it really went.
In these cases, hosts might choose not to leave a review simply because there’s nothing particularly noteworthy to say. And if the guest isn’t writing a review on Airbnb, maybe the host shouldn’t leave Airbnb reviews of guests either.
This is the main reason I don’t leave a review. As an Airbnb host, I have gotten into the habit of not leaving a guest review until they leave me a host review.
Why? I simply don’t want to open myself up to a less than 5-star review.
If I leave a review, the guest gets a message telling them that they have 14 days from check-out to leave me a review and see what it says. Sometimes, curiosity gets them, and they leave a review just to see what you said about them.
Neutral guests may leave neutral Airbnb reviews. And while I know I am missing out on some 5-star reviews, I don’t want to open Pandora’s box and make the first move.
#2 The Host Thinks You’re Unhappy & Is Waiting Out The 14 Days
These situations are the source of most of my Airbnb hosting anxiety. I am sure other Airbnb hosts agree! Here, a little strategy comes into play, especially for hosts who host frequent short stays.
In reason #1, neither left a review, and both went on with their lives.
Here, let’s assume the Airbnb guest left a review right away. If I feel like they are happy, I leave mine right away, too. Both post and are hopefully 5-star Airbnb reviews.
On the other hand, if a guest leaves their Airbnb host review right away and I feel like it may be less than 5 stars, I generally choose not to leave a review.
Why? Well, not leaving an Airbnb guest review ensures that the review won’t be posted on my listing for 14 days. Over that period, I likely have 2 or 3 other guests. Assuming they are happy and we both leave good reviews, I can bury the less-than-stellar review behind a couple of these more recent 5-star reviews.
Frankly, at the end of the day, most leave 5 stars. Some may have had issues that I addressed. Other negative experiences, such as the weather, bad neighbors, etc., may have been out of my control. I have been able to right pretty much every situation! People are at the heart of a genuine experience on Airbnb, and nobody is perfect. How you react to feedback and issues makes all of the difference.
#3 If You Don’t Have Anything Nice To Say, Don’t Say It At All
Believe it or not, some hosts are uncomfortable leaving negative feedback. Whether it’s because they’re conflict-averse or simply prefer to keep things positive, these hosts may choose to stay silent rather than write a review that could be perceived as less than stellar. It’s the old “if you don’t have anything nice to say” mantra in action.
I have to be honest here. I have never left a bad guest review, and I have had some really bad guests. However, they generally tend to be high maintenance, bad communicators, or disrespectful. Instances include staying past check-out, disregarding some house rules, and not responding to my messages. Others clearly do not read the house manual and important info I send and then inundate me with questions (that were covered) at all hours of the day and night. But these guests are just par for the course in the Airbnb community.
For these people, I don’t say anything. I prefer not to be negative and burn bridges. The funny thing is that I have had several of these guests rebook and stay with me again! Believe it or not, one lady made it through two stays (a year apart) and has never once replied to my messages. Neither of us left reviews for the other. So weird, but that’s just how it is!
If I ever find myself in a situation where someone damages my property without telling me, throws a party, etc., I will definitely leave a negative Airbnb review for them.
READ: 8 Airbnb Hosting Truths I Wish I Knew Before I Started
#4 Your Airbnb Host Got Busy
Unlike what they tell you on social media, being an Airbnb host is not passive income. There is a chance that your host just got busy and forgot.
Juggling bookings, cleaning, and ensuring a seamless guest experience can be time-consuming. Some hosts, especially those managing multiple properties or hosting as a side hustle, might skip leaving reviews simply due to a lack of time. It’s not that they didn’t appreciate the guest; they’re just caught up in the whirlwind of life.
This is my last reason because even with four Airbnb rentals on 30A, I am mindful of pending reviews. However, I see where larger rental management companies or smaller one-off hosts may forget. I did forget to leave Airbnb guest reviews a few times over the years while on a vacation.
Airbnb Guest Reviews: How To Get An Airbnb Host To Leave You A 5-Star Review
Here is a little tip! Because it is hard to read the tone of messages, you must be as straightforward as possible. If you are happy, let your Airbnb host know. Tell them how much you enjoyed their space and your stay. This will increase the chances that they will immediately leave you a 5-star Airbnb review.
Make sure to mention any Airbnb extras that you appreciated or how comfortable the Airbnb bedding was at their place!
Furthermore, after you leave your review, you can send the host a message saying, “I just left you a great review. Can you leave me a review?”. If I received this message, I would immediately leave a positive review!
How To Be A Great Airbnb Guest
Are you mind blown here? You may be a new or even seasoned Airbnb guest who has yet to think about what goes through an Airbnb host’s mind relating to reviews.
If so, you will enjoy my blog post, Don’t Ghost Your Host. It’s full of ways to be a great Airbnb guest. These tips will have hosts sitting ready to leave you a 5-star review!
Need to know what type of Airbnb review to leave? And you can always look at their listing for other review examples from guests who have stayed there. That is a great way to see Airbnb guest reviews as an example and know how to write a review on Airbnb as a guest.
Why Didn’t My Airbnb Host Leave Me A Review?
Ultimately, the world of Airbnb hosting is as diverse as the travelers it welcomes. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to why hosts don’t leave Airbnb guest reviews. It could be a combination of time constraints, a desire to keep things positive and delay/avoid negative reviews, or simply a lack of remarkable events during the stay.
So, if you ever wonder why your host stayed silent, remember that there are various reasons. And there is no harm in messaging the host and asking them! Most prefer to give candid and honest feedback via messages rather than awkward public Airbnb guest reviews.
More Travel And Airbnb Hosting Resources
We have stayed in Airbnb properties worldwide, from Paris to Rio de Janeiro. I’d love for you to check out our family travel adventures in the travel section of my blog!
Our Little Lifestyle: Travel Blog Posts
And, if you are an Airbnb host who stumbled upon this blog post, I have resources for you! My 5-Star Airbnb Hosting Guide is overflowing with free, detail-oriented Airbnb tips and strategies. This includes everything from buying guides to tax considerations. And feel free to join my new Airbnb hosting group on Facebook, too!
Our Little Lifestyle: 5-Star Airbnb Hosting Guide
Pin This Airbnb Guest Reviews Post For Later
I’m a new airbnb host and I just found your article.. I have a dilemma and I’m wondering if you’d be willing to weigh in. I had a recent guest damage a piece of furniture, but I didn’t find out until the next guest left me a bad review — the first guest had attempted to repair the broken item, poorly, and hidden the damage. I can’t exactly prove the first guest caused the damage, but I have strong suspicions. Would you leave the first guest a bad review for causing the damage and hiding it, even though I can’t prove 100% it was them? I have a couple more days left in the review window for the first guest.
That is a disappointing way to start off for sure. Did you reach out to the first guest and is it of high value? Have they left you a review yet? I guess if they had already left their review, I would reach out and ask about it. If it was expensive, I would try to get payment for it. Otherwise, if they haven’t left you a review and you haven’t reached out, or it was inexpensive, I probably wouldn’t leave one if you don’t know for certain. I am surprised your second guest left a bad review instead of reaching out to you about the broken item. That’s probably the bigger bummer for me. Maybe this is an opportunity to reach out to Airbnb and see if there is anything they can do to either get you compensated for the issue, and if there is any way they can remove the second review if the first guest acknowledges the issue. It’s a long shot, but I would always call in this situation.