Oh, wow. This is new info for me. That’s too bad and definitely not great for us little people.
There are some lengthy threads on the Airbnb CC about these companies like Evolve, Vacasa, etc, having dirty listings, inaccurate descriptions, practicing bait and switch, poor maintenance, bad customer service, charging cash damage deposits they refuse to return when the guests spent time making sure they left it nicely, and promising guests to refund them when there were numerous issues, only to renege. Airbnb appears to always let these so-called hosts get away with this behavior, ruling against the guests.
And I learned recently, because a host posted about it, that Airbnb has special account managers that meet in person with these big players and assist them with marketing strategies and all sorts of assistance that we real hosts never get.
Instead, they immediately suspend our listings if even a newbie guest reports an established 5* host for some bogus issue.
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Oh, wow, @muddy 
. I suppose I should not be shocked, but it is disappointing. You can tell they get shown high on the searches and have extra privileges like longer titles.
I feel I can say w/o reservation that “the little guys” take BIG pride in what we offer. It’s personal because it’s about people - for me anyway. I know some see it as just business but I see it as that and something more.
I’d never pick a cold, corporate location over a personal stay in a special place loved on by it’s host/owner. That’s one of the high value takeaways for me from being on this forum.
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One thing you might do to ‘inoculate’ yourself from unfair reviews in the future is to make sure that your listing includes the very information you’re concerned she might raise in a negative review though you can frame it in a context that put’s in an accurate but positive light.
For example, you night say that 'you’ll find here an authentic century-old home with all the charm that that implies, including some uneven floors, etc." This actually is important information. For example, we have a 90-something woman coming soon. Uneven floors are a trip hazard that is especially a reasonable concern for someone older. Anyway, I also hope you have your own short-term rental insurance.
But the point is that if you can anticipate anything negative about your house, say it first in your listing. That is only fair to guests and will take the wind out of negative reviews that site that same thing and might [?] even justify Airbnb removing the review since the complaint is about something disclosed.
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I have mentioned in the listing that the house has some “quirks” that come with century homes. There really are no trip hazards, as the first floor has been leveled, and is actually good for seniors as there is a bed and bath on the first floor. The upstairs, however, leans but the furniture is leveled, and so far, no one has mentioned it. But I like what you wrote, and may add that just to cover myself. And yes, insurance, with an STR rider!
I don’t know about an STR ‘rider.’ At least here in U.S. where I have seen an STR rider it did not provide ANY liability coverage. SO just make sure that you have real liability coverage, ideally for $1MM or more. Remember it doesn’t matter whether you’re right or wrong. Think of STR as insurance to cover legal costs to defend suit.
Remember, too, that one person’s ‘quirks’ are another person’s ‘defects.’ You’re on the right track by thinking aout what to disclose and how.
Thanks. I’ll take another look at our insurance, just to be sure.
The other thing you might do is create a ‘scheduled message’ that you send the early morning before the day of checkout. Spell out your expectations. For example (edit to suit your needs). For example, you might say " No need to ‘clean’ but please have run the dishwasher and disposal, tidy the kitchen." Say whatever your expectations are. In the beginning I emphasize what I think the best features of our unit are so that the guest might include some of them in their review if they agree (this works). This also reminds them of the checkout time and the fact that the cleaner has been scheduled discourages a request for a late checkout.
Dear short code start
[guest first name]short code end
We so hope you’ve enjoyed your stay, that you found us giving you genuine hospitality, the home super clean, the property maintained in mint condition – inside and out --, the layout open, the amenities everywhere creating a very pleasant and comfortable stay.
You needn’t do anything special to checkout. No need to strip the beds, that kind of thing. When you leave just press the RED AUGUST logo on the keypad to lock the door. Our cleaner has been scheduled to arrive at or shortly after the check-out time of 10 am.
After you’ve checked out, we hope that we’ve earned your five star review and appreciative comments, maybe even a compliment! We work hard for these, and your and our Airbnb community deserves your input.
Please also leave us a private note letting us know anything we could have done that would have made your stay more enjoyable.
We hope you’ll tell friends and family about us, and that you’ll re-book with us when you return to the area.
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Why dont you let her know during her stay there will be construction next door may be very noisy. Just to let you know what to expect it is beyond my control. If you would like to cancel I understand, otherwise see you soon!!
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Based on what you describe, I wouldn’t mind hosting this guest.
I’m on IB and I tend to accept any guest who is not high maintenance. I value superhost as there is a lot of competition in my area so I have only canceled one guest so far in over a few hundred bookings.
Often times when there is a guest who I don’t want to host because they are making unreasonable demands, I proceed to tell them about all the issues with my studio and the surrounding area. I’d be happy to host them but if my studio won’t work for them then they can cancel and I will offer them a full refund. E.g. beach nearby doesn’t have the best sand, other parts of the island have better beaches. No restaurants or bars within walking distance. Shared walls can lead to some noise issues. Water pressure in the shower is not great. There is no desk for working. Wi-fi is slow. Early check-in or late check-out is not available. The bed is a double bed and may not be comfortable for two adults. No kitchen, no washer dryer, and that can make a long trip uncomfortable. All of these are legitimate “complaints” and feedback that I have received over time from other guests.
Many of them cancel and I’m saved from hosting a demanding guest. If they still don’t cancel then I inform them about a construction project next door that will cause a lot of noise and dust. It’s running behind schedule so they are doing construction late into the night as well.
There are some who still won’t cancel on their own. Those I have to put up with.
YMMV.
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There are some who still won’t cancel on their own. Those I have to put up with.
YMMV.
I tried ALL of this before my guest who checked out today got here. Nope, came anyway after ghosting communication until the last minute.
Can’t wait to read her review…
Do you really think she will after how she behaved? I guess because of all the game playing she did….
I cannot wait for your 13 1/2 days to lapse!
I know! I got the message today that I need to review her. I know hers pinged. I would bet she’s hoping I don’t review her. She’s the type to write the “Smiling Assassin” review that puts me in a bad light and her as the martyr.
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@casailinglady I know you’re pissed off and have good reason to be. But I don’t think you need to get that detailed in a review.
What is the purpose of a review?
To let other hosts know whether this is a guest who they can accept without worry or a guest who will make their lives miserable, right?
I think you can simplify it to basics.
“Blatantly and repeatedly ignored house rules, even when reminded, crossed personal boundaries, showed no respect in shared spaces, left a mess behind them. I felt constantly manipulated by this guest, who was sweet to my face and then proceeded to do whatever she pleased. Not recommended.”
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I felt she tried really really hard to push my buttons but instead got the Viking Steely Gaze of “Are You F-ing Kidding Me?” with raised eyebrow in return.
I won’t get personal, but I will talk about the blatant, repeated breaking of the rules without sounding like the rule police.
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I realize you didn’t kowtow to her. That line was meant to be a way of getting across the idea that she considered herself a master manipulator, but because you can’t say things like that in a review, “I” statements are sometimes useful.
A review has no basis for being removed, nor can anyone object to stating how you felt.
Is this the one who smoked and blew it out a window? If so, that alone would keep me and most hosts from booking her. I can smell very well and can smell a cigarette from many feet away. I can smell when a guest has used perfume and even some body washes in my suite. If I smell cigs and didn’t see them on the front porch or out in the yard it would get mentioned.
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Yep. I kinda wish @casailinglady could just leave a review that says, “Bitch smoked inside my smoke-free home”. That would tell us everything we needed to know, but not likely to get past the review police.
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#HostReviewsGoneWild
If only! 
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Yes, she’s the same guest. Everyone for the last year since I reopened has been lovely, some even so fabulous it’s humbling.
The smoke out the window while eating in the bedroom was while she was packing to leave and she knows I know. Otherwise it would have been “I DGAF what ABB says, you’re out and I’m keeping your money.”
That’s funny.
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