Been puzzling over this…
Had a host stay with me between Christmas and new year. Mother, her parents and 3 younger children. She left me a pleasant review, but completely trashed the stars. In the 3 years I have STR this home I have had 5 stars for cleanliness in every review but hers. She left me 3 stars on this rating, 2 for value, 3 for the dreaded location. This is a prime time of year and I don’t think she liked being charged for the kids.
No mention to me about any issues. I had a look at her listing… nothing fabulous.
Envy is the only thing I can think of…
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Mental illness as well? An established host like yourself can’t be trashed by one review. I’ve realized recently that I’ve quit looking at the category stars unless a post here pushes me to look at mine. Regardless, it’s not worth worrying over, envy or not her review has no affect if you don’t let it. The opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference.
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Terrible treatment by her. Jealousy is a horrible thing to live with and an absolute waste of energy, but still I don’t pity her.
if I have a mother staying with her adult daughter I expect lower stars. Worse if they are visiting from parts foreign. Something about standards not being high enough and the daughter “should have done better”. I had a family like that for 6 days over NYE but they left after 4 nights citing the child being ill and the mother having a crook neck. Well the child did scream for 4 days. Fortunately they were on HA/Stayz so didn’t leave a review as its a new thing there. In the past I’ve been marked down for value over Xmas-Jan. I charge double and get people who have booked three months in advance. I charge $230 rather than $115/night. I suspect they are disappointed to discover that booking in September at $230 for January doesn’t mean you get a place which would cost $230 in September but $230 in January.
I’m the same. Sometimes I look months later. I recently noticed when I was checking my overall stars that in every category I got “The last 8 guests gave you 5 stars for X”. Which meant the 9th guest back must have given me 4 or less. I went back to see who it was and surprisingly it was a young guy working nearby who gave me 4 stars for everything and a rather silly review about it being a good place to be on the lam by which I think he meant there was nothing for a 30 yo single male to do. Well, apart from the obvious 
He also said I should have more Die Hard dvds rather than the 1970s Hollywood and art house ones I have. I actually bought one after than though would never watch it myself. Also some Bruce Lee Kung Fu dvds and some Bollywood musicals. Anyway it was an odd one out. Maybe he had recently been on holiday to a 5 star resort in Bali and that was his standard for 5 stars. Fair enough.
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Is she a competitor? Maybe fighting to take your guests?
I also had problems this year with Christmas booking, and read a lot on the forums other people as well.
Is it a holiday syndrome that people get nervy and unsatisfied at Christmas time?
Maybe the ones who are not home but in other peoples Airbnbs are unhappy and will take it out on the hosts?
No - 800 kilometres from me.
I now understand the reluctance to have hosts as guests. You would think there would be an understanding about the issues of hosting and running a sometimes difficult business.
New to the platform can be wannabe hotel inspectors and hosts who think they know best and want to punish you… sigh
I recently stayed in a place that is ranked, for reasons beyond my comprehension as a GREAT place and is a superhost. Man, talk about bare bones! ONE towel for each bathroom, NO facecloths, hand-towels, dishtowels, salt, pepper, oil or ANYTHING. ONE knife in the place. Wasn’t anything as described and there were long black (women’s I assume) hairs on every seat in the house and floor. I like to give hosts a LOT of leeway but this was awful. She got the rating she deserved and a long private message as to what was wrong.
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Understood - I would do the same where it falls short, but everyone else happy with no complaints and great reviews. I just feel that this was deliberate, to have a go as in, nothing was good enough. Sweet as to my face and stabbed in the back by a host…
I’m sorry this happened. I think some people just take pleasure in raining on other people’s parade. I know this but still am surprised.
I created a separate Airbnb account for when I travel so that I don’t get penalized for being a super host. Honestly, I have tempered my reviews of places because I don’t want to get a bad rep. The last place had broken fans, a/c that didn’t vent into the bedrooms, slow drains and a really gross refrigerator filled with opened condiments, milks, salad dressings, etc. The reason I booked was because of the pool but it was so gross that my family didn’t go near it. I mentioned some of the things in a private note but really would have preferred to warn future guests. Now with my new non-hosting account I can.
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I think this is it exactly.
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I think it is a combination of paying more and expecting more because everyone wants that perfect family holiday where they all sit around playing board games and drinking egg nog and no one fights and everyone gets the best room etc. I remember them well from my own childhood, having forgotten the bad bits. Well except as ammunition in family fights as in “remember that holiday in 1975 which you ruined by…”
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Reminds me of a old frenemy of mine I’ve known for (too) many years who when I said “and the view over the ocean was lovely at sunset” helpfully replied “it’s not the ocean it’s the sea”. Every time one of my guests refers to the ocean view it gives me a chuckle, I can just imagine her chiding them for no better reason that wanting to pee in someone else’s cornflakes.
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But wait…depends on area etiquette. It is not uncommon to find during peak season when there are back to back rentals if something won’t fit in the cooler and is not expired to leave it. The next guest can choose to use it or toss it. I am in my 2br condo doing maintenance. There is a partial bottle of ranch dressing and wrapped ice cream fudge bars in the freezer. Yippee fudge bars
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When I stayed I did not feel that I had the option to toss the food. And it wasn’t a bottle or two. I took up the entire inside door storage on all four shelves. Honestly I think it is gross and unhealthy to have other people’s food in the fridge. It does not give you the feeling of cleanliness. The only think that would be ok is milk or half and half.
The individually wrapped fudge bars would be ok. I leave for may guests wrapped granola bars, individual packages of oatmeal and oodle of noodles containers plus coffee, tea and cocoa and sugar and powdered creamer. (I used to leave fresh creamer but it spoiled often.)
I have an old friend who is very smart but very difficult. She is just the type that would say something like that. Or something like “you call yourself an environmentalist but you’re not familiar with the provisions of the 1958 Antarctic Treaty?” I’ve gotten used to it but most people can’t. So the other day we were Skyping and she was lamenting her lack of friends. I do feel badly for her but lots of difficult people have friends. She just can’t seem to control herself.
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They don’t realize that those moments need real prepping and pre-prepping. We’ve had guests who have asked us for a list of what appliances are at the house because they want to ensure they can cook their favorite meal. Anddddd we’ve also had guests who didn’t. Then those ones who didn’t will show up with a list of demands that were never promised and accuse you of being unprepared or ruining their holiday.
When we vacation at an Airbnb, for example: if it offers a fire place and we plan to use it a lot, we grab extra bundles of wood so that we ensure we have a good time.
seriously dont worry - I have been a host since start of 2011 - it ebbs and flows the kind of guests you have staying - you will get all sorts - usually having other hosts to stay is a joy - in my case its usually young married couples or couples that have bought thier first home and are using thier stay at airbnb and myself as part of thier market research - but I have had a few odd ones over the years - the super host who was a slippery fish - broke 400£ bed and refused to pay for it - luckiley air resoultion paid for it - some odd single people who were just fussy to a fault - but that is half the joy - you can be honest also - if your gut tells you a guest feels fussy/off/wrong just pipe up and say - truthfulness is helpful for us other hosts - cause we want to be able to refuse them - so dont hold back iether