Trip Report, controversy reviewing an AirBnB

We use Airbnb quite often and our reviews are always honest. If I think there is something that could be addressed, I send that in a message to the host. So far, we have never had a host act in the manner that yours did. IMO, you did the correct thing and gave an honest review. I know it is easier said than done, but try to put this hosts reaction behind you.

Everybody tells you to give a 5-star review. I bought a car while I was in Clearwater this year and the salesman told me if I did not give him a 5-star review, he might get fired! I call it "review inflation". Anything less is like saying "You suck!"

PS. Next time, see a show at the Asolo Rep, which is at the Ringling Museum grounds. A very professional theater group. I give them an uninflated 5 stars.

PPS. Did you take that place on Sunset Pont Rd?

I always try to be honest. I've done Air BNB one or two times. It's not an enjoyable experience for me... I place too much pressure on myself to try to please the owner.

I’ve also rented quite a few airbnbs and my experience is the same as mikliz97. I’m honest with my reviews and I send a personal message to the host if I feel something specific needs to be addressed. My experiences both here and in Europe have all been positive, except the place we stayed in Bayeux in 2022. I have always received a positive review. I wouldn’t sour on the platform because of one experience.

Edited to add that our Bayeux experience was due to a maintenance issue that I did make the host aware of and it should have been taken care of while we were there. It wasn’t.

Well, I'm not sure I agree. I mean, I would like the review system to be fair and objective, but in a world where grade inflation exists, if you are the only teacher who doesn't use grade inflation, then aren't you really punishing your students?

Years ago I was a manager under a district manager who was getting criticism from his bosses. So when review time came all the district managers got the lecture "not everyone is a 5. A 3 is average and is good, there should only be one 5 in the the whole organization, blah, blah, blah." My boss, wary of his criticism, didn't want to rock the boat, so he gave me a 3 and his bosses said to me "I thought you were doing well! I guess you aren't doing so well." In other words, I was punished because my boss took their words seriously. None of the other district managers did. So my review, and my bonus, were negatively affected. As were all of our team. And (jokes on him) having all his managers rated so "low" made him look bad. "Look, your employees are all getting 3s or worse. I guess you aren't such a good manager."

Do you want to be the teacher who says to their students "a 'C' is a perfectly good grade"?

I feel I have been an AirBnB member for ever. Never had this response from a host, but with 8 reviews, I can imagine they feel the pressure.
I have noticed a change in reviews over the ones posted in the early years, and definitely there has been reports about pressure for 5 star reviews 'or else'. That being said, both parties have to review before seeing how they were reviewed...and you can't go back to change them. So the threats are idle. I understand, however, that getting hassled is still threatening.
You did the correct thing to let them know the failings under separate communication rather than just on the review.
When I am looking at options, I actually search out the 4* and lower reviews to read what is being said and to see if the host responds. Hostile responses mean a host I won't use. I also may not use a place with less than 10 reviews...if for longer than a night or two.
I feel my obligation is to my fellow travelers and I write reviews accordingly. That being said, I used to rarely give 5* because for me, they really have to earn them or blow me away....but I would say so in my reviews. Now, I may give more 5* just because there is nothing for me to really complain about during the stay. As I am a budget traveler, there are few lodgings in my price range that really blow me away, so as long as they give me solid value for my price and everything works, it's more likely a 5.
Please don't let this put you off the platform. There are so many positive options out there.

We have rented on the Airbnb platform a number of times. The same thing happened to us Allan. I was chewed out by the owner for not giving 5 stars! I gave 4 stars which I thought was a perfectly fine rating. I mean 5 stars is perfect and as we all know, in life, things are rarely perfect. He was very upset with us. Overall, we prefer hotels. We will still do Airbnb, but only for a stay of 5 days or longer.

It's far from perfect. I don't know how you make it perfect. And it's not just AirBnb, it's any review of anything. I look for a 4 or higher, then read all the negative reviews, realizing many are not reasonable, but at least i know the worst that can happen. If 85% of the reviews are 4 or 5 I figure it's okay and rent the one that ticks the most boxes.

This is almost like one of those Reddit threads AITA (Am I The A**),
and the answer to that question is NO, you did nothing wrong. We are
longtime "power" users of Airbnb, and look for honest reviews.

Please don't misunderstand the intent of my post. I'm not after validation and I've already booked another for a trip to Portugal in September. With all the pressure to provide good reviews, I'm truly curious if people are giving in or are focusing their reviews in the best interest of us, the tourists/travellers.

I tend to give honest reviews on Airbnb, but I try not to be too picky. Potential hosts can read the reviews I have given before approving me for a stay. If I'm trying to book a popular property, they might easily say no, we will wait for the next guest who isn't as nitpicking.

So I don't always give positive feedback on Airbnb. But out of self-interest I also don't give negative feedback in a harsh way, nor do I nitpick little things.

I rate them with an honest assessment highly correlated to if the photos didn’t show reality. So, if there’s no kitchen counter space, but it was viewable on a photo, I wouldn’t put that down as a negative. The place could be a very budget or a very nice large home in Suncadia, Washington - either could get a “5” from me. (Similarly to small hotels in Europe where I give a lot of “5”’s.). But, if the photos and description appear that it’s spacious & clean, and you arrive to something different, then I would comment on it.

Maintenance issues do bug me. My husband has fixed minor toilet issues and other things where the evidence showed it was not being periodically well-maintained. We aren’t renting a location to need to assess it, have a maintenance person come into the home while we are there, and still give it a “5” rating. Something unexpected happens, but a water issue where we’re scrambling to use towels, call the owner and find out it’s happened before (plus water damage evidence) gets mentioned on the review.

Another time we rented a condo twice in Hawaii where the owner said during our first time there that the dishwasher was going to be replaced after we left. At our return the next year, surprise, there’s the same dishwasher and same issue!

My ballpark (nice theme, Allan!) figure for the number of reviews shown before I will rent a condo or home on these sites or anything on Booking.com is 35. It’s helped avoid surprises and apparently your review feedback experience. Any chance the Mariners will have a good season this year??

PPS. Did you take that place on Sunset Point Rd?

I'm impressed you remembered that post from a year ago. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/beyond-europe/looking-for-a-rental-for-spring-training No, we did not and my instincts were correct. Coincidentally we drove by that house several times and the abandoned gun shop next door is still abandoned. That particular intersection is not that nice and I'm glad we didn't choose that house. 2 or 3 blocks away though and the neighborhoods are nice again.

Do you soften your reviews because it's a small business or do you write it honestly with your fellow traveller at the top of your mind?

I do not soften my reviews because we fellow travelers need honesty from one another. Would I rent a place with 4 star reviews? Certainly, if it met my other criteria. I once gave 3 stars on Booking.com to a B&B that was very nice but fumbled big time on WIFI. It did not work in our room so rather than fix it, the owner told me to come to her apartment to use it when I need it. When WIFI is promised "free in all areas" I want it in my area so I can sit in bed or laze around before showering and use the service. It is essential today in travel. If I had read reviews that said this was a problem, I would have had a good think about the place before renting because it is important to us.

If it is not quiet, I say so. A few minor maintenance issues I will address in a private email to the host, unless prior reviews indicate ongoing problems that have not been addressed.

I give honest reviews, but most are 4 or 5 stars. As others have said, I don't nitpick minor things that I'm aware of ahead of time, especially if the price reflects the value. I have also sent a private message to the owner about certain things on occasion.

I DID recently have an experience where I gave a 3-star rating on a place we moved out of early. There were a number of maintenance, cleanliness, and safety issues, but the kicker was finding bugs in the bed. (NOT bedbugs, fortunately, but still....) The owner left a comment under my review saying something like, "Oh, we aren't a 5-star hotel. Enjoy your 5-star hotel next time," implying that I am extra fussy, which I most definitely am not. I was peeved, and complained to AirBnB (who had been very helpful in working with me to leave early and get a refund), and I got an apology note from the daughter claiming her mom's English wasn't that good, and she also mentioned the concern with being affected by negative reviews (as they should be, IMO). I'm still annoyed, because the mom's English was clearly good enough to use sarcasm, and her comment was not removed. However, I feel somewhat vindicated in that subsequent reviews brought up some of the same issues (minus the bugs).

However, that is the only negative experience I've had in my decades of doing vacation rentals (since before AirBnB even existed).

As others have said, I always want to see the criticisms, too. They won't necessarily dissuade me from renting the place. Sometimes, I roll my eyes at the (to me) petty things people criticize. But they do allow me to know what to expect, and to know if there is anything that would be a dealbreaker for me. Also, as someone else mentioned, the host's response can either make me decide to rent the place anyway or to skip it.

We rented a VRBO place in Madrid last year. And we've rented many such properties over time. We ALWAYS consider the reviews, and pay particularly attention to anything negative. The place we rented had one slightly down review. It said the photos didn't quite represent the property... They made it seem bigger and better than it was. Also the neighborhood was a bit down...

When we arrived, it was obvious to me that the reviewer was spot on... In the morning the owner texted to see how we were getting on and I said that the review was accurate. The owner wasn't happy and had a lot of "yeah, buts."

Our stay was fine, but I said I agreed with the earlier review in my own review. The owner blasted me in his review of me (we've only had five stars reviews as guests ourselves).

I'm told that the owners can't see our reviews until they submit theirs. Maybe so, but tough feedback is hard to receive as it is to give,.

I also try to rate and review places fairly and not be too picky. I rely on reviews to help with my decision to stay somewhere, so I want my reviews to be useful also. I love it when reviewers say more than just "Great stay" and actually add at least some detail, so I try to be that kind of reviewer. If there's no door on the bathroom, or the cooktop is actually a hot-plate, I kinda want to know that! That said, I don't expect a kitchen to be extensively equipped with everything I need to make a 5-course meal, or to offer pristine pots and pans, etc. But if the place accommodates 4 people, there should be plates, glassware and utensils for 4, you know? And they should be useable. If you have bath towels but they are stained, paper-thin and from 30 years ago - I mean, I'm not going to mention that in my review, but it won't get you a 5. I should not have to ask, on check in, for paper towels or toilet paper or towels or coffee mugs. I mean, you knew I was coming, right? So the whole host response of "Well, you didn't say anything" is baffling to me. If you say you have a hair dryer and toiletries, or a toaster, or coffee pods, or whatever, I should not have to ask for them. And if I have to ask, then that affects the rating (unless there are extenuating circumstances, i.e. toaster died, getting a new one tomorrow).

This discussion reminds me a bit of an earlier thread (more than a year ago) that I think focused more on B&Bs and small hotels. In that thread it was acknowledged that no one wants to negatively affect the livelihood of a nice owner of a small business, so punches are sometimes pulled when the physical plant is a bit substandard. That discussion has made me very aware of how often reviews of small, budget-level places gush about how wonderful the on-site person is while saying essentially nothing about the property itself. It has made me very cautious in evaluating ratings. It's great to give bonus points for a lodging whose owner/staff were especially helpful with sightseeing advice and the like, but it doesn't make up for Wi-Fi that really doesn't work unless you sit at the dining room table--and not always then--and air conditioning that exists in only one room of a multi-room apartment.

I think you did all the right things Allan.
I have rented many vacation apartments over 20 years.
Nearly all have been wonderful to great to adequate.
Two were not, and one of those was on Airbnb.
Multiple plumbing problems from broken falling-off toilet seats , overflowing shower drains, to no hot water to no water at all.
Broken elevator full of dust and dirt so not working for ages past, but still in the listing.
All of which we politely messaged the host about as they happened.
One of her responses was “ I am sick, I cannot help”.
WTF.

When we returned home I contacted Airbnb , who were most helpful and we did receive a small refund.
The listing was removed later.
That host called me in her review “a very stiff people” .

Here is my post about it:
(Sorry, I don’t know how to reduce it to just a link.)

“About our positive AirBNB experience with their office staff at headquarters…
Jump to bottom Posted by S J (Western Canada) on 04/29/23 12:37 PM
Just back from Sicily….loved it.
We had 3 rental apartments, first one in Palermo was pretty good, despite walking up five floors to reach it!
Last one on return to Palermo for the last 3 nights was beyond stellar…I can’t describe how great it was in every respect.
However, the middle one in Siracusa was a different story.
No info was given to us about the apartment on checkin with the host, who told us they were hurrying to their lunch.
Host shouted as an afterthought back up the stairs as they were running down “Don’t flush any TP, put it in a bag.”
Otherwise we would not have known.
This is is the case in all of the area, to protect the plumbing.
No hot water…we sent a message and were just told “ a plug”….eventually found the water heater and got it plugged in.
Shower in one bathroom immediately overflowed as drain blocked…by day 3 it was unusable and we had to share the second one.
Toilet seat in first BR hanging off by one bolt, I nearly fell.
Sent another message, someone came and fixed the seat but not the shower.
No info given that water there is undrinkable as it tastes like salt.
No water at all on 3rd night…another message…told it was common to go off in the area occasionally.
Elevator advertised, but not working and looked like it had been that way for a while.
No bath mat …had to use kitchen tea towels…and no plug for kitchen sink .
I did point these things out in multiple messages to the host, and in my final (polite) review.
At one point the host messaged back “I am ill, I have a fever”. ???
The host reviewed me as “A stiff people” !!
Anyway, the point of this is that I contacted Airbnb yesterday after returning home, and they were very responsive, and ended up refunding me a small amount of what I had paid.
I did not ask them for money, rather I wanted them to make sure that this host fixed all these deficiencies for future guests.
So… in the end I was very pleased with AirBnB’s prompt responses, even though I had not asked anything but to have the host be more helpful and provide the amenities listed in the actual listing for the apartment.
We all work hard for our vacation dollars, and this apartment definite did not meet what was on the listing.
So…kudos to AirBnB in the end for their excellent response to me.”

I believe it is always helpful to provide constructive criticism if something you have paid for is not up to the advertised standards.

I prefer booking.com these days, as there are more reviews, less extra charges and fees, and you can see the address instantly.

I have rented probably thirty Air BnBs or VRBOs and have heard many times that less than a five star review is seen by Air BnB as a "needs improvement" not a "pretty good".
However, I see plenty of properties that are in the 4.7 - 4.8 rating range where the host is a Superhost, so I wonder if that's even true or just a ploy to make a guest leave five stars.
I am a very close, probably obsessive reader of reviews and studier of pictures. I would not hold a lack of counterspace against a host. If the listing clearly shows a small kitchen with no counter space and I rent it anyway, then I have no grounds to complain. If the listing advertised a kitchen but didn't show a picture of it, that would be a red flag and I wouldn't rent it. If mattresses felt worn, but I could tell the property was otherwise well maintained and the hosts were good, responsive hosts who clearly tried to make a good experience for their guests, I would tell them privately about the mattresses and leave them five stars.
My personal preference would also be to rent from a host with a lot more reviews than eight, unless they have other properties and lots of good reviews there. I am aware that a with a property without many reviews, a four star review could really hurt their rating.
Knock on wood, I have never had a bad AirBnB stay. Some were good, others have been absolutely stellar, but none bad. I think only in one case have I left fewer than five stars

Here's an informative and eye opening article I found from 2018. It explains what AirBnB hosts need to do to achieve Superhost status. Quite frankly, I find it unfair to the host and the guests. A host needs to maintain a 4.8 rating to be a super host and so I understand why the host in my case was upset. But I think it's unfair to the guest to feel pressure to offer 5 stars all the time.

The problem stems from the fundamental difference in what most people
think a 5-star rating system is, and what AirBnB’s system actually is.
The vast majority of people think that a 4-star review is perfectly
appropriate; Their stay was good, they enjoyed themselves, but your
place wasn’t the Vanderbilt Suite at the Plaza. What they don’t
understand is that if a listing gets too many 4-star reviews the
AirBnB platform begins to send warnings to hosts that their listing
will be removed.

I maintain that a 4 is a perfectly good rating, but I do understand why the host does not. But I also see that I may wear out my welcome with some hosts if I stick to my guns with 4 stars for good but not great stays.

https://medium.com/@campbellandia/how-to-avoid-the-dreaded-4-star-review-a-guide-for-airbnb-hosts-cdf482d083fe

Grade inflation in schools and colleges leads to review inflation.

All the children are above average.

I started renting apartments for us in Lisbon. After an AirBnB disaster and 2 VRBO significant disappointments, I stopped using those platforms except to look at more pictures than might be on Booking.com which is my go-to option. Sometimes owners will list on all 3. No place is 100% perfect, but so far Booking.com has not steered me wrong. I've also had good luck with owners who have their own websites and/or list on smaller platforms and with "aparthotels."

Read on for my rants.

My 1st AirBnB (Athens 2014) was my last. The owners left town and their "manager" wasn't available. The TV was advertised as having lots of English channels. It had been left on a snowy Polish one instead of set to English as promised. There was no written information on how to change that and no contact for help.

The apartment had gotten 5* reviews, but the place had maintenance issues including dangerous lighting in the bathroom, a toilet tank top that didn't fit and a dilapidated balcony off the bedroom with a wooden fencing thing on the outside of the slider and a sign to not open the door. A dirty mop and mop bucket with dirty water in the bottom was left in the center hall next to the kitchen door.

The large balcony off the living area had neither the outdoor furniture nor the shade canopy listed. The slider had a note saying that those things weren't there because previous tenants had wrecked them. Made me wonder how long ago.

I left a multi-page paper critique of the place for the owners. We actually cleaned up and fixed some things ourselves. I told them how displeased I was and that I felt the listing was misleading. I also took exception to all the notes everywhere telling what not to do, but none with info on how to operate anything we might want to use, like the TV. I'm sure that my rating was 3 or less. About the only positive things I could say were that the location was good and the building was quite secure. I did say that due to our bad experience I would never rent through AirBnB again, and I haven't.

Due to 2 bad VRBO experiences, one in Lisbon (2011) and one in Bruges (2013), I'll never go through them again either. Both places got low reviews with the reasons for them.

The place in Lisbon had ants, a dirty bathroom with a sewer smell and dead bed bugs on one side of the bed. Fortunately, there was a good washer and I was able to wash the bedding in hot water and hang it out to dry on the outside lines. We found no other evidence of bed bugs and the location in the Alfama was excellent with a great view.

The Bruges apartment listing said it had a fridge-freezer, but there was no freezer. The TV was tiny and not a flat screen. When we got there we were surprised with a list of rules including that we had to clean the place before we left. It was not very clean when we got there and that's probably why. There were many delayed maintenance tasks that my husband actually did fix. Our last morning there, he did the laundry at a nearby laundromat while I cleaned. I can safely say that we left the place cleaner than we found it, except I didn't clean the pans in the oven because some previous renters had left them full of liquid grease, so I hadn't even used them. We left the bedding, towels and bath rugs piled together on the floor of the bathroom because we could tell that they weren't clean for us when we arrived. The location was convenient and overall it wasn't as bad as Athens, but no more VRBOs for us.

After those experiences I always ask about the appliances and tell the owners that I'm happy to pay for cleaning, but being expected to do it myself is a deal breaker.

This illustrates perfectly why I try to stick with Booking.com.

We live in the Age of Lies. Something to keep in mind.

Here is something going on in my adopted home town of Budapest. It has some merit but is a bit flawed, still, a good start.

The government has taken the star rating requirements for hotels and is forcing them to be applied to short term rentals. Don’t expect any 4 or 5 star short-term rentals because to earn a 4 star you need to provide daily maid service.

Early next year when this goes into full effect you will be able to distinguish between 2 and 3 star accommodations. To reach 3 stars there are requirements for CO and Smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, proper and new and clean bedding, towels, pots and pans and even a minimum number of coat hangers as well as a fairly high level or repair and cleanliness.

Each and every short-term rental must be licensed, the license number and how many stars, displayed in marketing. A sign goes by the door with the stars as well. To ensure compliance each and every short-term rental is inspected each year.

It is unfortunate that you have to do this but do a tiny bit of research and see if licensing is a requirement of where you are going and if yes, be sure you only rent legal. An easy give away is search a number of apartments and if most have license numbers in the listing but one does not, best to avoid that one. If none have license numbers in the listing, then it fair to assume they aren’t licensed in that location.

And for now, if in my town, starting next year, and the short-term rental doesnt have at least 3 stars, assume the owner didnt care enough to do the minimum for a nice experience.

I've been reading various articles and AirBnB Forums this weekend and I'm surprised by the significant disconnect regarding ratings between AirBnB and hosts, and guests and hosts. It appears I'm not the only one that had angered a host by only giving a solid 4. I get the sense that in my case and others I've read about, it's easier for the host to put their anger on the guest instead of try and take on AirBnB. Out of curiosity, I got on a chat with a live person at AirBnB, and the attitude was that the hosts can take a hike if they don't like the AirBnB 's strict ratings policies. This was after I told the chat person that I thought the policy was unfair to hosts and deceitful to guests.

Allan, I think you are correct. The system is flawed. I suspect if someone came up with a better system, AirBnb would adopt it.

And do keep in mind that in 2022 there were 393 million Airbnb bookings, so if 1% of those went bad and they complained on line that would be 3,930,000 complaints on line.

But I dont like the system either. Pretty much the same as Google uses, which isnt good either.

Unfortunately, the OP experience is why I rarely use AirBnBs. I stayed in one place in the US that was very good and allowed me to point out a few tiny things that could be improved.

However, my experience with a rented flat in Spain, where there were bedbugs, dirt and a hard to open lock was as bad as the posters. The owner called me a spoiled American-said no one ever had complained before and threatened to sue me for "defaming" his property. He even threatened to keep the money he promised to refund for the bedbug issue until a friend who speaks fluent Spanish contacted him.

Sorry but at least with hotels you can honestly asses them on Booking.com. As with all companies, their growth has pushed AirBnB to censure and edit reviews and pushed owners to "strong-arm" anyone who dares make a suggestion for improvement. Plus with most places having you do the cleaning and stripping the beds/laundry before departing-I'd rather pay a hotel to do it.

I prefer hotels too. Maybe if I am staying in one place for a week, an Airbnb, and when I take my kids cause it's so much cheaper than a hotel. But when traveling alone on typical trip, it's a hotel.

Still,

As with all companies, their growth has pushed AirBnB to censure and
edit reviews

I have heard this before and do not believe it to be the case. I've read many bad reviews on the platform.

and pushed owners to "strong-arm" anyone who dares make a
suggestion for improvement.

Some do it but I doubt with AirBnb support or encouragement. I sort of suspect you would get results if you reported them to AirBnb. But I could be wrong, with all the negative on the internet maybe someone can find something supporting this. It would be a headline if true.

Plus with most places having you do the
cleaning and stripping the beds/laundry before
departing-I'd rather
pay a hotel to do it.

Most do ask you to strip. Some do ask you do some cleaning, and I think that request is inappropriate and unnecessary. And, I am with Periscope, I'd rather the hotel do it. But, for some. The benefits of a washer/drter, cost, multiple bedrooms, the ability to save a little on food makes up for a lot.

But it's an option and the more options the better.

The benefits of a washer/drter, cost, multiple bedrooms, the ability
to save a little on food makes up for a lot.

My sample size of one is too small to determine if AirBnB is for me. We did choose it this time because there were five us staying there. The laundry was a definite benefit in the Florida humidity and we did cook at home half the time which was fine. I made great use of the propane BBQ at the house. And travelling with that many people made breakfast easier as we saved a bundle and we could eat when we felt like it; a huge benefit for me as I was up much earlier than the rest. We did strip the beds and put the garbage bins to the curb on garbage day which was no big deal. Overall we were happy, but an expectation of a 5 wouldn't have been fair to guests reading my review.

We're trying AirBnB again in the Fall in Lisbon as we're going with another couple. I think the apartment living makes more sense when travelling in a group. I doubt I'll bother leaving a review.

We started doing vacation rentals because we are a family of 5. Once the kids reached a certain age, most hotel rooms just didn't work for us anymore.

We learned there are a lot of advantages to having an apartment vs a hotel room, and we came to prefer it, especially for stays of more than 2 or 3 days. So, even once our kids were grown, we continued to do rentals.

Recently, we've started booking hotels more often, because the vacation rental scene has changed since the advent of AirBnB. It used to be mostly people renting out their own holiday home when they weren't using it.

We've still had mainly good experiences, though.

I have a very close friend who manages a number of AirBnb’s in the city where I live. I asked him if he was ever pressured by AirBnb to argue about ratings. Nope, never happened and he has owned or managed about a dozen over the last 15+ years. He said he appreciates the private complaints as it helps to be aware of actual and even perceived short comings. I also asked what he thought of the rating system. His answer was identical to the complaints in this thread. But like those here, he has no idea how to fix it. You just need to be aware of the short comings.

The perception is that there are a lot of issues. And there are real issues, but in the context of how many bookings there are a year, there don’t seem to be as many as there could be if the problem were systemic.

A lot of the problem I think stems from the fact that these are mostly amateur or part time businesses. With hotels you deal with professionals. Still with hotels there are a lot of horror stories as well. Short-term rentals are far from perfect, but they have helped to keep accommodation costs down and opened up travel for many that otherwise could not afford it.

Even the questionable rentals might have a place. In my building someone is running a flop house (not an Airbnb listing … some Asian version of AirBnb). One room with multiple beds. Apparently you rent the bed. It’s essentially a hostel. The photos look terrible, but it stays full with Asian and Indian guests who can not afford more. It is also working without a license and I have reported it. Not fair to the legal places.

All this being said, I stick to my hotels.

A lot of the problem I think stems from the fact that these are mostly
amateur or part time businesses. With hotels you deal with
professionals.

And that is precisely why I asked the original question. Since many are amateurs, do they deserve a softer rating?

All this being said, I stick to my hotels.

The last sentence from the host of the place I stayed suggested I should too. If I'm not willing to offer a 5 and have a lesser expectations, then maybe I should stick to hotels. I may lean toward professionally managed apartments in the future.

And that is precisely why I asked the original question. Since many
are amateurs, do they deserve a softer rating?

I want to say no, but my heart says, if they really are trying and seem to be good people maybe I just dont leave a review.

Until recently, I owned 2 short-term rentals. I knew I could not give it the time and expertise it deserved so I hired a managment company. They knew they had to do a good job or get bad review and loose their clients and their livelyhood (really just a mom and pop sort of business). And they did for me for 15 years. Nice to having to get involved at all but knowing the guests would be properly taken care of, again, better than I could. So when the rare ocassion comes along where i do rent one, I look for a host that has several listings. Thats a give away that its a managment company. And if the screw up I have no issue with nailing them to the wall.

I do understand the concerns - the Airbnb review system is tweaked in ways that keep reviews good and bring more money to Airbnb instead of other platforms.

I'm in an Airbnb right now, in Taaharu, south shore of Tahiti Iti. It's a little bungalow, small shipping container, newer construction from a kit. The AC is adequate but the next size up would have been optimal. The seating/dining area is all outside, so there are some bugs in the evening time, or sit on the bed. Dogs in the neighborhood bark quite a bit. The roosters start crowing at 5:45am sharp. Kitchen could use some more tools, and the bathroom gets insanely hot in the later afternoon.

It's 5 stars.

It's absolutely, absurdly beautiful here. Like take the most beautiful spots on Kauai and that's low to mid level compared to this area. The local Tahitian couple who on site manage for the owners are platinum level nice and helpful with almost no English. Walk to the beach, little restaurants, gorgeous hikes nearby, sleep like a baby at night.

I don't think five stars has to mean perfect. I could ask for more I suppose, but also I kind of can't ask for more. I'm maxed out - a vegetable peeler and air conditioning that reached the bathroom and local dogs less interested in doing their job would just flow off the top. IMO not everything needs to function with an economics-like precision - invisible hand of the tourist etc.

I'd rather be here than paying $1,000 a night at the Intercontinental; I'd rather be here than at the Intercontinental for the same price.

So yep, 5 stars.

I don't think five stars has to mean perfect.

Knowing what I do now about AirBnB, I may have left a 5 with a more detailed write up in the comments box of like and dislikes. At the time I thought a 4 was very good but not outstanding- which the place was (very good) and am still surprised that AirBnB punishes hosts that only get a 4. The problem I have with a 5 is that the truly exceptional get lumped in with the very good.

They don't punish hosts that get a 4. They question the quality and accuracy of the listing if the total score approaches a 4. It is AirBnb policing the quality of their client hosts. If you rent a 100 nights a year, that's a lot of 4's and 3's to get that low.

I thought people wanted airbnb to police their listings? Bad if you don't, bad if you do? You want to lower the threshold before they start policing, then start giving reviews of 3 and 4. I suspect Airbnb only gets involved when the total score dips below the AirBnb median score, probably only if its considerabley below and that appears to be somewhere around 4.25 becuse of the grade inflation.

The score reflects more than the flat, it reflects customer service as well. So the right manager can get a 4 out of a 5 flat if he was an ass, and that's gòod.

Did any of us travelers ever think back in the day, that one of the skills we'd all better learn was 'how to read rental reviews with a discerning eye, how to weigh BS that is either too flattering OR overly critical'?

We've stuck to VRBO, booking.com and like that. The vast majority has been a joy. Only a couple of hiccups so far.
I am done. The end.

Did any of us travelers ever think back in the day, that one of the
skills we'd all better learn was 'how to read rental reviews with a
discerning eye, how to weigh BS that is either too flattering OR
overly critical'?

Another skill is to write that review; i.e. this is what I liked, this is what I didn't like and why. If I'm told why then I can decide for myself if that's important.

I recently had a booking request rejected by an AirBnB co-host because I have left a small amount of critical feedback in otherwise overwhelmingly positive 5-star reviews of other listings. The same co-host manages several listings in the same neighborhood, and he rejected my booking requests on all of them. So I inquired as to why, and this is what he told me. He only accepts guests who write positive feedback without any critical comments. I was honestly shocked! I was basically blocked from renting in the neighborhood I was hoping to stay in.

Wow Leanne, that's remarkable. Often the very same properties also show up on other rental platforms - might you try some others? May we ask where this occurred? just curious.

Btw, we once got a negative rating as renters from a weird landlady in the Cotswolds. To this day, we have no idea what she meant after complaining to the rental agency about our 'lack of cleanliness and refusal to follow house rules'. LOL! We are borderline obsessive in both categories. Suspect that good advice for her might be 'not so much the alcohol for you'.
I am done. the spotless

He only accepts guests who write positive feedback without any
critical comments.

Was this correspondence via the chat feature in the app? That deserves to be forwarded to AirBnb. If the hosts really expect 5 star reviews then there needs to be a way to differentiate the good from the exceptional by publicly listing the good and the not so good. The ability to be honest is being taken away from the guests.

Agree. I'd report that host to AirBnB.

I haven't used AirBnB in Europe since pre pandemic. Not because of the quality of the apartment, or any unresolved issues, but because the real price advantage AirBnB offered over hotels narrowed significantly from roughly 2011 to 2019, and the added fees for an AirBnB rental, and the amount of cleaning the renter is now expected/required to do upon vacating despite the cleaning fees paid, got ridiculous.

The other change in that decade was a growing resentment that AirBnBs were taking housing stock away from locals, and resulted in some cities restricting or banning of AirBnBs, and that trend increased about mid decade. For example, the last year that AirBnB was wide open in Paris was 2016, and it was possible to get a very nice and attractively priced alternative to hotels, but that all went away, and since then we only stay in hotels in Paris.

I think that I have been incredibly lucky with my AirBnB choices thus far in Europe.
I do not stress about their rating, and haven't had any bad ratings as a renter either.

Though I DO much prefer going through the town's tourism office, and communicating directly with the owner
(I can speak German). They were inevitably cheaper without exorbitant AirBnB fees and cleaning tolls!

What is "affordable housing"?

I joined this forum to say just this: I own a vacation rental that I advertise through Airbnb, VRBO, and my own direct booking website. If I were to get half four star and half five star reviews then my account would be flagged and I would be given three months to get it above a 4.8 stars. Those are just the facts.
Hosts often lose sight of the fact that the guests do not know this. It is contrary to many, many people to assign a five to something that does not exceed your expectations. but the fact is, that is not what the rating system means with AirBnB.
I read through these comments and I was so sad that I only saw one time when this was explained. If you were going to review with stars, make sure you know what the stars actually mean. You know how you have to figure out sometimes when one is first place and five is Last Pl. or vice versa? it's like that. Know what the stars mean, because guests can absolutely ruin it for an owner of a vacation rental who is just trying to provide a wonderful place for people to stay.
I LIKE that my house is not above the top. It is comfortable. if I made it amazing, then I would have to be worrying about every mark, every minutely stained sheet, a single leaf on the back deck. We like providing a lake with kayaks and a stocked kitchen. To some people… Actually to everyone so far in six years, this is worth five stars. but I can totally see where my living room is not big enough for 15 people. If I didn't know the star system I probably would give me four stars. Maybe not. I don't know. What I do know, is the guest has the power to tank someone's investment. How wrong is that? Please think about it.

If a renter is forced to give 5-stars because everything was ok, then the system is broken. If an owner is forced to always receive five-stars in order to survive, then the system is broken. It’s star inflation, just like grade inflation.

Or maybe it’s my generation, where C was average. All the average students were not getting A based on effort.

So if the Airbnb system really does require five stars everywhere, this promotes unreliable scores and invalid reviews. A property that is truly 5.0 is competing with properties that are 3.5 but inflated to a 5. Totally unreliable.

Exactly what Bets wrote. I'm leaving a review for the benefit of future renters, not the owner. The rating system is clearly broken and untrustworthy. The renters shouldn't have to play the game that AirBnB and the owners have created.

Wow. Who said that owners had any say over this?! We hate it as well. But keeping to your "principles" is punishing the wrong people. Are you an example of what some guests think about people who are trying to do what is right when they are renting out their vacation home? Is it really "screw you" to the owners because AirBnB is messed up? Do people really think this way? I shouldn't be shocked, but I am.

Wow back at ya. You want me to lie or withhold opinions for your benefit? Explain to me how to leave an honest review then. It's not my job to fix the problem.

How about this? I give the owner 5 stars but in the comments I write, "due to the unfairness of the AirBnB ratings system I've given the owner 5 stars, however in reality , while the customer service was top notch and deserves a 5, the mattreses should be replaced and there were maintenance issues that should be addressed to bring the rating up to a honest 5."

I've never stayed at an AirBnB but to me, the top rating of 5 should mean it's jaw-dropping exceptional. 4 should mean better than average and 3 should be ok but nothing special.

I have used Airbnbs in the U.S. many times over the past 10 years, but much less so recently due to cleaning fees and Airbnb's fee (less cost effective to a solo traveler.) I give honest reviews as this is the only information a potential renter has to make a decision. Too often, I have read glowing reviews that don't also include some less than perfect realities about the unit, which I discover during my stay. It's possible that renters are afraid to be the first person to point out a flaw. I always notify the owner separately if there is an issue and also include it, politely, in my review. I also say what was great about my stay.
I am very surprised to learn about the "star" system and even less inclined to use Airbnb in the future.

Just out of interest, find somewhere that is on Airbnb and also on Booking.com and look at the reviews
Reviews and ratings on Airbnb are usually 'kinder' than on Booking.com...

Wow. Who said that owners had any say over this?! We hate it as well. But keeping to your "principles" is punishing the wrong people. Are you an example of what some guests think about people who are trying to do what is right when they are renting out their vacation home? Is it really "screw you" to the owners because AirBnB is messed up? Do people really think this way? I shouldn't be shocked, but I am.

And this right here is why I refuse to use AirBnB. The whole review system for them is broken, it is not only the review for the host, but then the host gives the guest a bad review, which then makes it hard for the guest to book (which was mentioned above). Add to that the inane "chore lists", this fee, that fee, higher incidences of charging penalties for "damages", and the list could go on.

Yes, the expectation is that an average stay is "5 stars", and even that a stay with problems is still "5 Stars", because, "hey crap happens everywhere, don't blame us"

There are plenty of better platforms for booking apartment type accommodations; I like Booking.com, much better rating system, better platform, better search and filter functions, shows actual locations, much easier for payment.

But keeping to your "principles" is punishing the wrong people. Are you an example of what some guests think about people who are trying to do what is right when they are renting out their vacation home? Is it really "screw you" to the owners because AirBnB is messed up? Do people really think this way? I shouldn't be shocked, but I am.

Yes, keeping my principles is more important than becoming part of a dishonest rating game created by a dishonest company.

No worries, though... I don't use AirBNB, so my principles do not result in a "screw you" to the owners because AirBnB is messed up because they choose to associate with a dishonest company (fixed that for you).

There are other platforms for holiday rentals, particularly in Europe, and nobody is forcing owners or renters to use AirBnB. It pays to look around anyway if you are set on renting an apartment or house, just as it pays to look around on various platforms when searching for and booking hotel rooms.

AirBnB has fallen out of favor with lots of folks in recent years, myself included. I frankly don't trust the platform, and I don't like spending my precious vacation time hunting down the absentee owner or his so-called "property manager" when things go wrong.

We (my wife and I) have stayed exclusively in hotels with 24/7 onsite management since 2018, abroad and at home. The AirBnB "experience" seems to have gone south rapidly since the start of the pandemic and doesn't seem to have gotten any better since then, just more nuisance fees and mandatory cleaning one must do before vacating (what is the cleaning fee for?), and now it is the ridiculous star rating system that renders the site worthless for renters to evaluate both apartments and management when seeking honest commentary from other renters who are afraid to post their true opinions.

Perhaps relevant to the discussion:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_purpose_of_a_system_is_what_it_does
[snip]
The purpose of a system is what it does (POSIWID) is a systems thinking heuristic coined by Stafford Beer,[1] who observed that there is "no point in claiming that the purpose of a system is to do what it constantly fails to do."[2] The term is widely used by systems theorists, and is generally invoked to counter the notion that the purpose of a system can be read from the intentions of those who design, operate, or promote it. When a system's side effects or unintended consequences reveal that its behavior is poorly understood, then the POSIWID perspective can balance political understandings of system behavior with a more straightforwardly descriptive view.

There are economic reasons for both the renters and the host behavior with the review system. Yes, individual people can "rail against the tide" but...

I have given these issues a lot of thought because I use airbnb a lot, and I would like to read and write reviews that are honest. I care a lot about certain things like loud noise (barking, machinery, etc), responsiveness of the host if there is an issue, basic cleanliness and basic functioning of what is provided in the rental. I read reviews carefully and try to decipher what the experience was really like for the reviewer. So many reviews are so glowing and some places deserve that, but I wish it was easier to find out the full picture and I would like to hear less than glowing comments when that is the experience of the reviewer. I have started not to review a place at all if I feel there is something I would like to say that I don’t want to say because I worry a future host will not like my honesty and therefore not accept me as a guest. I would like to be helpful to others and say certain things I think would be informative. I am grateful for the reviewers who are honest! I just haven’t figured out a way that I am comfortable saying what I would like to say. And I am not overly critical. Booking.com has a much more honest system it seems, but somehow I still like finding rentals on airbnb though that may change!

Yobergervilla, the rental unit(s) owner, may be surprised, but it's good information for owners to see what a segment of consumers think of the reliability of the Airbnb system and if they would like the participate when there are so many other platforms and agencies to use for renting. Given this useful information, it's up to the owners to decide which platforms they wish to use and which ones they won't use.

I'm both a long-time and frequent user of AirBnB and a host. I have really enjoyed interacting with my hosts and with my guests (mainly on the platform because I don't really like people) and have had mostly positive experiences. I also read reviews very closely and try to write my reviews in a way that is helpful to future users. If I have something negative to say, I generally ask myself whether this is likely a one-time oversight (in which case I send a private message to the host) or a feature (in which case I double check that the listing didn't warn me of this very thing and then both ding the star score and make a comment about it).
When I get a "negative" review or comment, I genuinely attempt to resolve the issue. Sometimes I resolve the issue by not getting into the situation again. For example, one review of my place pointed out that the TV is in the bedroom (which the photos clearly show), so if you want to watch TV after you put your baby down, this could present a problem. I was like, "What baby?! You can't have a baby in my place!" Turns out you can't exclude babies, but I felt the listing made clear that my place is not at all suitable for a baby. I changed a few settings and added a lot of cautionary language about this. No more babies.
When my place was new and didn't have any reviews, I offered a discount and I did ask the first few folks to keep my newness in mind and be as kind as they could in their reviews, while absolutely letting me know if anything did not meet their expectations. I would never dream of telling a guest "anything less than 5 stars is equal to 0 stars," which I have been told as a guest. I can only remember that happening one time, and I told the host I didn't appreciate being bullied. I didn't leave a review at all.
AirBnB is like the world. It's populated by loads of wonderful people, both hosts and guests, and some total assholes.