Good review suggestion. The host was not happy with how the place was left, it was disrespectful .
3 Likes
I agree about leaving honest reviews. However even after 6 years hosting, I have such a hard time doing itā¦ especially if they donāt live far. A few years back, I left a honest review while sincerely acknowledging the positive aspects of the guest. He took it really badly, kept messaging me, and started threatening me ā¦ he was still in town in another Airbnb. I asked Airbnb to take my review down. Since then, if a guest got his new place in the city (which happens quite often that they stay in an Airbnb while waiting for their apartment to be ready) and they were less than the 5-stars guest, I donāt write a review at all. I donāt like not being honest. I donāt. I wish no one would do that. But for safety reason, sometimes ā¦ well, thatās what I do. My Airbnb host friend gives them straight 5-stars. One of her guest became my guest: "How in the world could you give him: āGreat guest - 5-starsā ? And she went on and on telling me how difficult this guest had been. For her, it was out of compassion for him, as he was just coming out of front line military.
It is not all the time black and white.
1 Like
I always, always urge people to give honest reviews. I consider it part of our mutual responsibility to one another. Maybe if other hosts had been honest you never would have even had this terrible guest who threatened you. And same with your host āfriendā who passes the trash.
However, the threat of violence, especially in the US in recent years and the ever present threat of violence against women, is not to be taken lightly. And if you literally fear for your safety then itās a natural reaction to feel like you canāt take any action to help keep others safe if itās going to be at your own risk.
1 Like
I understand.
A few options.
-
You can give a factual review that mentions shortcomings with a qualifier that you might not caught the guest at its best and always mentioning the positives. OR, if youāre still uncomfortable,
-
Give a review, with any positives but ignoring the negatives but a review that to an experienced Host might suggest that something is amiss (like " Guest booked a three-night stay, respected our house rule limiting access to registered guests.") but then when the review process asks whether you would host them again (and it says that this will not be shared with the guest), say āNoā. That might (?) prevent them from instant booking and, if that pattern develops, might tip off Airbnb.
Maybe others have more skillful ideas.
1 Like
Threatening you with what? If itās physical violence, then I agree with oneās safety being the prime consideration, but in that case, I would notify Airbnb, and the police.
If itās just āIām going to post what a terrible host you are all over social mediaā, I would just report them to Airbnb and block them from contacting you any further.
I have read many hosts saying they were afraid of leaving an honest review due to safety, but I have never heard of any guest actually committing any physical violence, or vandalism, etc., over a bad review, which Iām sure would be widely publicized, so I think itās an irrational fear.
There are lots of online bullies, but most of them are cowards in real life. I canāt imagine anyone risking arrest over a bad review.
1 Like
It is. Hosts should always write an honest review. Your friend giving everyone five stars is nuts. Look what happened. One āfive starā guest stayed with your friend and you then hosted that same guest who was far from five stars. Airbnb just wouldnāt work for many hosts if everyone thought that way.
In six years youāve had one nutjob - youāve been lucky.
I agree with @muddy that anyone showing threatening behaviour should be reported to the police. Any crazy person can be brave on a keyboard.
3 Likes
He wrote something like: " I am going to do something. I am not taking this." Then, another time, in slightly different wording. And a third time. Thatās when I took it as a serious warning that he might very well do something ā¦ any thing.
1 Like
Many years ago I had someone online in a forum say to me something like āI know where you live, I know where you work. Iām going to come and get you and slash your face.ā
I didnāt take that seriously. People will come out with all sorts of garbage and threats online. And he didnāt find me and slash my face.
P.S. My ācrimeā had been to tell him not to be silly when heād posted that there was no such thing as a good female driver. 
I find that threatening.
If it were me I would bring that to the attention of Airbnb, and to the police.
You likely would need some phone number to contact at Airbnb where Airbnb would give the identity of the guest to the police directly. If the police approached the guest I would think that would be a deterrent since if anything happened you the guest would automatically be a suspect.
I think itās too late to do this now, as you said (boldface added):
But if this ever happens again, I would contact Airbnb and the authorities.
Meanwhile, I had just read somewhere but canāt locate it about people keeping a safety journal to document facts for legal evidence ājust in caseā. Whether those facts are documented in a journal or a calendar or something that someone trusted can access if youāre unable to do so seems to me to be a good idea.
On the other hand, if @muddy is right that this is an irrational fear then maybe the journal amplifies that fear. Or might it deflate it because āyouāve done somethingā? I donāt know.
I think it was last year, there was a period when I didnāt accept several potential guests (3 to be exact) within a short period of time (maybe a month) - because of their bad reviews. Then, I lost the āSuperHostā badge When I checked the reason why: I had too many āDecline.ā Just venting.
OMG! Well, you have a good attitude about it.
I would certainly have gone to the forum and the police on that one.
Who does this???
Thank you for your response. I appreciate it.
You donāt lose Superhost because of too many declines- acceptance rate isnāt a criteria for Superhost. So it must have been due to another Superhost criteria you didnāt meet.
I was pretty convinced that it was a youngish teen - maybe a thirteen year old. There should be a special word for computer bravado.
{Teen because no adult male in his right mind would suggest that female drivers are in any way inferior to blokes. 
)
1 Like
Yes! You are right. I just checked it. I am so glad I got this straight now. Thank you!
You didnāt like how the place was left. Just tell it how it was in your review- dispassionately .
The next host can decide if theyāre ok with their place being left in such a manner.
I think it shows the guestsā disrespect.
1 Like
You must be honest. Just state the facts. And definitely on the final review āwould not host again.ā I have only had a couple people who truly left horrible messes behind, and I felt it was important to warn other potential hosts.
2 Likes
Iāve read all of the many opinions on thisā¦and Iām aghast!
Mistakes happenā¦as far as the wet bed is concernedā¦I would just clean up and get onto the next guest.
This is a numbers gameā¦youāre always going to have the odd bad guestā¦but itās not worth agonising over!!
My best practice - which personally works for me and has helped me every time with Airbnb resolution centre claims - is to take before pictures with an app that time, date and location stamps the pictures. If you are able to work this into your pre-check in routine, it will assist you to claim for extra cleaning charges.
If upon check-out, you find the scene which you happened upon with these guests, use the same app to take āafterā pictures as evidence for your claim.
Not to be pedantic (well, yes I suppose I am ), but I have charged guests for staining my bed linens and towels with stains that do not come out with 1 normal load of washing by taking these stamped pictures and including it in my extra charge request (which the guest declined by the way when I approached them before turning to the resolution centre). I think extra cleaning time, washing powder, extra stain removal detergents, electricity are not included in most hosts fee that that charge.
Many hosts build this into their fee structure so every guest pays a little more but the whole process is streamlined. The time and aggravation of taking two time stamped videos and then emailing guests and then running through the resolution center process also has a ācost.ā
For a host such as myself, who does mostly one night stays, that would be an onerous process. I also have a max of two guests so a typical stay doesnāt consume many towels. I examine each towel for stains, pretreat, then wash. Sometimes I have to retreat or treat differently and launder again but I wait until I have an entire load. And if I have to replace one $8 towel, I can deduct that from my US income tax as well as raise my price $1 a night for all stays. Just a one dollar per night increase pays for 5 new towels, one new bathmat and one new set of pillowcases a year.