Is it clear to new Air users that they will be reviewed?

I’ve never used Air as a guest. But after reading the recent thread about the very disrespectful young girls opening a bottle of champagne and disrespecting check out, etc.- and so many other stories - I have to wonder if it is not clear to new users that they will be reviewed. I would be on my best behavior if I knew someone was going to publicly tell others what it was like dealing with me and cleaning after me.

Does Air say anything like “host will leave a review based on communication, cleanliness, etc.”

I am just so baffled.

You’d think so! But clearly not. Or is it not a concern? Ie can you delete your account and start again ?

When I’ve had super super young ones enquire, I really vet them thoroughly. One even offered to put down extra money per night as an extra deposit for her friend who was 18. While that was unnecessary, I did add to the security by $80. Turns out they were two of the sweetest girls you can imagine and left a wonderful review. I did the same for her.

Cabin, I think we have discussed my assertion that I will never use Air as a guest despite being a host for 5.5 years now. I want a good old fashioned hotel when I travel!

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KJ-- No you can’t delete your account and start over if you get bad reviews. You must be ID verified now. That is a good thing and keeps people more honest. Although bad travelers can travel on the names of good ones and still get a bad review… That was the case with the guests I had that lit a toxic mosquito coil in the room. The guy was aggro and jumpy when they first arrived but the girl was sweet. I thought to myself what is she doing with that loser? Sure enough he caused trouble and was rude upon departure, and they left the room smoky. No bad review for me although I had to slam her, due to his bad behavior.

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@cabinhost

It is absolutely clear that it works on a review system, however I rented 4 properties prior to this year, and one out of 4 so far this year who didn’t like the review system, and asked me not to.

They said it caused to much hassle, and wasn’t worth it for them. 3 out of the 5 offered to leave me a positive review if I really wanted it, but they’d rather not deal with the system at all.

So I wasn’t really familiar with the review system properly until this year. I did leave one last year, but it wasn’t enough to familiarize me with the rules around them, if that makes sense.

And to be honest, nothing but terrible experiences since I started having hosts who wanted to use the review system… I honestly had much better experiences and found properties easier to book when I had nothing but an ID verified 3 year old profile, a pic, and a short description of myself.

I think it’s also possible they use it so rarely it’s irrelevant.

A friend of mine who has also been an airbnb guest for the majority of the last year (traveling hiatus) has three reviews on her profile, one of them two years old.
She often gets asked not to either.

Trend? Maybe, maybe not. But I hope the info is useful!

edit: Oh, and my current host, who rented to me earlier this year, prefers no reviews either. Second stay, zero issues.

How are hosts approaching you about reviews? I don’t approach guests about the review system?

@cabinhost

Last year’s hosts:

“Hi, I see you have no reviews. I don’t really like the system either- it seems to not account for personal preference very well. What’s been your experience?”

Chat ensued from there, and we both mutually agreed not to leave reviews, because I didn’t care either way. But they offered to leave me a positive one if I was having trouble booking because my profile wasn’t beefed up enough!

Next: never mentioned it, I asked end of stay, they said they don’t really do it, I didn’t either. Mutually happy ending.

Next: I think they just said, don’t bother with a review. If you want one I’ll leave you one but I’d rather not. Thought it was odd, but place was great and owner nice if a bit flaky so no big deal.

Next: Longer term rental- 1-3 months generally, though they would take less if you asked- but I would stump a guess that people never read far enough. Little litmus test. They just asked me not to leave one, because they rent 1-3 people a year- one bad review messes up their page for long enough that it causes major problems. Also, long rental, so if there were any problems could we sort it out before leaving. Awesome host.

This year: Host was in his late 60’s and super nice, said he does it for kicks, had no reviews, isn’t really interested in starring everyone. And thank god he was flexible, because I’d just had surgery, and thought I would recover faster than I did. Day we were due to fly out I was just sick and in no shape. Hubby called and explained that I was sicker than planned, could we pay for pro cleaning and would he be happy with that? He was, cost me 70 bucks including him kindly mailing behind the credit card I accidentally left on the counter.

I really couldn’t have appreciated his kindness more.
I will also note, never had a complaint about any of the hosts who didn’t require reviews, had issues with all except one of the ones who did.

I guess it’s anecdotal but I hope it helps… and is from a regular cycle guest.

If I were to take a punt at the kind of guests who would create that kind of mayhem
*the ones who don’t message first
*ones who have more than 3- a much higher number of questions- they’re already concerned about their experience and it suggests inexperience with the process, which means more chance of miscommunication on each side.
*I see youth mentioned a lot here, but I don’t like buying into that one…I’m mid twenties, SO is in his thirties, and the flipside is that I won’t rent from hosts who mention a minimum 25 age limit- dealt with two possible bookings whose hosts had that condition, and quickly backed out of the idea because for me, it suggests a certain degree of… difficult, especially if combined with VERY lengthy house rules on the property page.

@konacoconutz but what if you use your passport to verify your account then your drivers license to verify another?! can you do this?

Ah gosh that sounds terrible! Leaves you with no choice but to leave a bad review

@JustShootMe.

Yeah I would agree 25 is a bit strict (we’re mid to late 20’s too) In saying that guests could lie and you wouldn’t know, as you can’t place a filter like that on your page. I’ am now a bit nervous letting under 20’s stay (we Air our spare room out in our two bed flat) due to experience!

You mentioned you backed out of the rentals that had the 25 age limit. Yes, there are probably going to be a longer list of rules, etc. I do have a high maintenance property…from a guest perspective - hardwood floors, log cabin furniture, wooden kitchen counter tops, etc. I’m out in an area where (during summer) all drink bottles, etc. need to be rinsed and put outdoors in recycling. You can’t leave this on the counter overnight or there will be gnats swarming everywhere, and hard to get rid of.

Do you know how many people don’t even know that if they drag furniture across hardwood floors, they will leave scratches all over the floor? So now there is a rule. And the wooden kitchen counters will be replaced but for now guests must be told that setting hot pans on it will leave permanent ring marks. The whole counter is marked up with people leaving drinks sitting over night, etc.

All of the log furniture needs to be redone. There are scratches all over the benches, tables, and chairs. Maybe this time a thicker finish can be put on. But I haven’t quite figured out the scratches on the kitchen benches. I don’t think people would leave keys in their back pocket, as that would be uncomfortable. I think they are picking up coolers and setting them on there, and that’s where all the scratches are coming from.

One time a young person took the hose and tried to fill up the backyard pond. Luckily, I saw this on camera. So now there is a rule not to do this and the well may go dry.

There is an indoor fireplace and I would not trust a bunch of teens or early twenty somethings to take great care to ensure the fireplace screen is always up to protect the hardwood floors from sparks flying onto the floor. No, I envision a marshmellow roast.

I had a set of guests use dish liquid soap for the dishwasher - the whole kitchen floor was flooded.

And the whole towel and make up issue (that I have now resolved because of more rules) is ridiculous. I just really cant understand why someone thinks it’s okay to use towels to remove their makeup.

The glass stove top - one person really went to town to try and remove something from the top and scratched up one of the burners really bad. My partner was able to mostly restore it, so it doesn’t look too bad now. But now there is another rule on how to take care of it.

So man guests weren’t off the property by check out time…so again another rule saying they will be charged a fee if not off of the property on time.

But all of the things I mentioned can be all ages, not just people under 25. So if older people are already doing these things, younger people are not going to take even better care of the place. I would trust one couple who was in their early twenties, vs. a group who are more likely to be partying more often. But if I did not have a list of rules the place would be a wreck…I would be replacing towels and linens like crazy - I would be contributing to the guest hotel mentality that they can treat another’s home like the Motel 6. Guests would hate that the kitchen is infested with gnats. - my reviews would reflect this, and then I wouldn’t have bookings. Last year it got really, really bad. But this year after implementing the rule, I rarely saw a gnat.

When I think back to all the many, many roommates (I had tons) that I had from 18 - 22, I would never rent to any of them. They weren’t even responsible enough to receive their full portion of the deposit back. I always got mine back, but they always managed to damage something, or didn’t properly leave the place clean at move out time and were charged.

Strange. As a guest I was reviewed many many times, and as s host also. I had about 40 guests so far and 23 reviews. No one ever asked me not to review them.

KJ… Wouldn’t most people have the same name on both passport and driver license?

Yana, me too. Never heard of a host asking for no review. Sometimes I hope they won’t but I never ask them not to!

Cabin… This is the story of my listing too… Although nowhere nearly as bad as this. Yikes! But guests kept doing things I’d never even thought of making a rule about! Putting charcoal briquettes in a gas grille and lighting them was among the most idiotic! Ruining the grille…And of course the time my Worst Guest Ever brought strangers home to party… Another new rule about that… Parties that got the neighbors disgruntled at me…Lighting mosquito coils INSIDE the house… Now they are not allowed anywhere. Candles. I used to allow them until a guest burned a hole in a tablecloth (she fessed up and left me $50 for a new cloth) When guests broke my disposal by putting pineapple pieces in it. Seriously how stupid can you be!!! So now I have a rule about liquid only down the drain… Just on and on… And I only have one room, not a whole Cabin, like you do, Cabin. PS… I don’t want too many rules …so I removed the one about the grille and just tell the guests it’s a gas grille and show them how to start it.

And that’s the thing. Some things really aren’t “rules” like your gas grille situation and garbage disposal instructions - it’s more to inform guests who aren’t used to a different home. I get the same thing with every once in a while a guest trying to cram food down the drain!

You just reminded to get a coffee canister to put under the sink in case someone tries to pour bacon grease down the kitchen sink…sigh!

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True Cabin… they aren’t Rules per se… just information about some of the studio features.

Rules are: No smoking, no additional guests, no candles and no loud parties, no water wasting. That doesn’t seem too bad.

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