I disagree. Every review should be honest and factual. Not in “code” for other hosts to figure out—or not.
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I’m from Minnesota, so I must share some of your Canadian politeness!
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As others have said, and as we’ve all said here over the years. a host has to leave accurate reviews.
Once guests have gone, one of the next necessary jobs we must do is write an accurate, factual review. It’s simply part of hosting and if hosts do not write honest reviews, or write reviews ‘in code’ how can the system work?
Please @Margi, if you want to be a ‘kind, positive person’ you should consider being kind, positive and honest to your fellow hosts rather than guests you might never see again.
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Which is why it’s important for a host to give context to any star ratings they marked down on. If the host complains that the guests left some dirty coffee cups in the sink, you might want to pass on booking with them. If they say the guests left every dish and pot and pan in the place dirty and covered in stuck-on food and grease, that sounds like a reasonable reason to have marked them down on cleanliness.
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I agree with this, as well, @jaquo. I always appreciate when a host gives an honest review. They need to be carefully worded, and I’ve learned a lot from this forum in past years.
So… here’s my current situation - I’m just about to write a review for guests that just left.
- The organizer booked for a mix of adults - couples and singles. Our cameras show that there were also 2 young kids staying - I didn’t set up for kids because they weren’t disclosed (we have nice plastic dishes, high chair, games and books and an info package when kids are staying). Not to mention… the kids put them over our legal limit.
- They made noise well past the bylaw cutoff. I had to text and call.
- We have a “no drugs” policy - they used a blow torch to light their bong at 1:30am
- Peed off our deck
- Went in hot tub at 1am, though our cutoff is 10pm
- Left nearly 2 hours after check-out time
All of this after I allowed them to check in 2 hours early. How do I warn hosts without giving local policy-makers specific reasons for shutting down STR?
I suppose I could leave out the late noise and extra kids - which contravene bylaws. It’s only against our policies to do drugs and use the hot tub after 10pm. Also, their unapproved late departure isn’t against bylaws, nor “watering our bushes”. Those items may be enough warning to potential hosts.
I’ve honestly never heard a host ask that before. But I’m pretty sure that local policymakers don’t spend their time looking at your guests’ reviews as a means of discovering how to close an STR down.
In fact. the majority of local authorities have a perfectly good and perfectly simple computer program to discover which illegal rentals don’t have the required licenses or insurance, and who don’t pay the necessary taxes.
Really, it’s your job to make sure that your STR is run according to your local bylaws. If people make extra noise, go and tell them to stop.
If they sneak in extra kids, tell them that they can’t stay because of your local business license, STr insurance or whatever is relevant. Show the guest the pieces of paper if needs be.
But please don’t use the ‘bylaws-method’ of running your rental. If you can’t deal with your guests yourself, use a competent co-host. Then you’ll be able to give honest reviews.
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I don’t know how to evaluate the risk of a disclosure of violations of bylaws or local laws, though by reporting violations you make it less likely that guests will feel that they can flout laws and rules without accountability. So I think disclosure is helpful to the climate of STR legislation.
Possible review: Brought guests in excess of the registered number; violated noise, ‘no drug,’ and hot tub hours house rules. Without any notice or permission they left two hours after check-out time. Would not host again.
[I might omit the violation of the ‘no drugs’ policy because how do you KNOW there were drugs? Of course if you really do ‘know,’ that’s something else. I omitted the pee situation in case it violates some ‘personal’ restriction in reviews or again if you really don’t ‘know’ (are the cameras that good?). Plus you have enough without that.]
How do you know this? I concur with Jaquo that I doubt local policy makers base their decisions on reading reviews. If they look on a local host’s review page, all they are going to see are the reviews those hosts have received from guests, not the reviews the host has written for guests.
I would think that local policy makers would be looking at str restrictions based upon neighbor complaints against an str, not on the reviews a host leaves for guests.
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The disclosed video camera showed them putting it on and then using a blow torch to light it.
But how do you ‘know’ what was in the bong? Could have been tobacco. Once you make a claim like that(one you could not possibly KNOW is accurate) in a review – and others here are more knowledgeable than I – Airbnb can remove the entire review on that basis.
All you know is that they smoked something in a bong.
STR is legal for a percentage of homes, but some homeowners want them all closed down. It’s not the policymakers who are spending their time, but those retired neighbors who are keen to close down all rental homes. It was disclosed to me a few months after purchasing the property, so I’m squeaky-clean about ensuring out guests uphold the bylaws.
I agree. And I did. My point is that most guests respect our policies, and this group didn’t. How to put that in a review, knowing what I posted above.
Maybe this isn’t something that many people have to deal with, but there is a growing group over 100+ in our area who experience the sleuthing that I’ve described.
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Perhaps you’re right. It looked like a cube of hash to me, but I could be wrong.
In any case, he was obviously not of sound mind at the time, and using a blow torch with a lot of wood around.
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You, of course, are likely correct. But since it would be impossible to KNOW what it was you put your whole review at risk. You have enough about their behavior without writing anything that someone could use to impeach the credibility of the review and by which they could persuade Airbnb to remove the review.
Very few neighbours approve of what they call 'Airbnb (by which they mean short-term rentals, no matter what the lead source).
If rentals are properly run, any complaints can be refuted. By the way, several years ago I had HUGE opposition from neighbours and the HOA and had to deal with the problem.
I think it’s been an issue for many hosts.
Except for the ones you were referring to who didn’t act responsibly.
I like this. I will use it with the omission of the drugs. Thanks for your input.
I don’t really understand your concern. If it is the neighbors who are reading the reviews and trying to use them to influence local restrictions, guests who indeed were disrespectful of noise rules receiving a “These guests did not respect our quiet time rules and therefore would not be welcomed back” review would seem to reflect well upon you as a conscientious host who respects their neighbors’ right not to be disturbed by disrespectful behavior.
But do you really think your neighbors know how to cross-reference reviews or have the AirReview extension so they can read reviews of guests left by you? As I mentioned, if they just look at your listing or profile, all they can see are the reviews you have been given by guests, not the reviews you wrote.
Exactly right! And they are much more of a problem for me than the neighbors. It’s in a resort, and I do everything I can to ensure our neighbors are undisturbed. When other homes host guests, I’m very understanding, but the neighbors complain about them.
perhaps write “broke many of our house rules” and don’t go into specifics?
Oh and I can also support the notion that local residents will indeed check your reviews if they are trying to shut you down. We have an airbnb in our resi estate, nobody is happy about it. the owners bought the house last year, never lived here, and one of those corporate companies manage it. People have been stalking their profile to see if they can find a loophole to get them shut down.
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Just saw that a host had his reviews of a poor guests removed by Airbnb because he used the phrase
Better suited to a Hotel
He rang to find out why and was told that the usage triggered the removal
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I’ve always thought that phrase to be pointless. Sure, it indicates they weren’t good guests, but why? Also, it is a judgement, a matter of opinion, not any factual information.
And aside from a guest expecting a host to be available 24/7, as a hotel reception desk is, I can’t really think of poor guest behavior that would make a guest better suited to a hotel. It’s no less rude to leave a disgusting mess for hotel cleaners than in an str, if hotel guests cause a disturbance, they’ll get a visit from hotel security, they aren’t allowed to sneak extra guests or pets into their rooms, if they cause damages, the hotel will dock their credit card, and hotels don’t offer guests refunds for minor or even more irritating issues . So what would make them better suited to a hotel?
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