Yeah, this is a tough one. I know when I first started hosting, I felt uncomfortable sometimes, but the guest was doing something that wasn’t “obviously wrong” or wasn’t listed in the house rules as being prohibited, so I felt bad leaving a review that highlighted these weird behaviors. And I wouldn’t necessarily confront the guest during the stay because I didn’t really know what to do, and maybe it was their first Airbnb so they didn’t really know the expectations of guests. I was also afraid of retaliation, either in the form of damage to my home or a bad review after. So… not great hosting practice, I know, but it’s difficult to learn how to navigate these situations without experience.
Recently I have spent a lot more time and effort vetting guests prior to accepting their reservation so I haven’t had any uncomfortable situations in a long time. But I do think the issue of inflated reviews (on both guest and host sides) is a big one. I’m not really sure what the solution is, but I hear you loud and clear.