AIBU to be less than honest about my Airbnb stay?

Why is four star considered a bad review rating as mentioned by pp? I was at an Airbnb recently where the owner basically said that a four star review was bad but I didn’t understand why.

Currently in an Airbnb which I don’t think is five star. The bed feels a bit damp, there is nowhere to hang any clothes, the microwave and TV don’t work, there is only one saucepan. However I will generally focus on the positive.

I do agree though that reviews should be honest!

Reviews are so important, how can the owners make necessary changes unless you feedback honestly.

AirBnB does have an option of “any message to the host” which is separate from the public review. I quite often use this to make a suggestion of something that would be useful or needs a bit of attention but is not a big deal enough to be worth mentioning in the actual review.

I booked a large air bnb last year, initially for a few family members, when I added more to the booking (within the capacity of the house) the hosts kept putting the fee up for each additional guest. I commented that I felt this was unfair as there was no mention in the property information. The property was not very well maintained, and the list of things the host wanted done before check out was very onerous. I ended up giving them a 4 star rating and being honest on my review anyway I got a load of abuse about it. It had very good reviews when I booked it.

Reviews are so important, how can the owners make necessary changes unless you feedback honestly.

We stayed in an AirBnB last year near to a specific event, I had chosen it because it looked fabulous and I had also left booking until 3 weeks before for various reasons. I booked even though it was eye waveringly expensive for what it was.

We arrived to no power, which was not reconnected until the following afternoon, the shower was faulty and only produced scalding hot water, it was replaced on day 3 however the thing that really annoyed me was the lack of any decent crockery sufficient to actually have a meal, we ended up having to use saucers and a random jam jar. The place looked like it had been kitted out with the surplus from a not very well equipped kitchen.

I left a very honest review afterwards and have occasionally wondered if the previously glowing reviews have since become a little more honest.

She could have blocked it and not let it out while building works were going on...

She could have let it out at a reduced rate and been transparent about the building works

She could have refunded a portion of the full price you paid to cover the fact you have to listen to building work for 10hours per day and couldnt even have a lie in on holiday!!!

We recently stayed in a lovely air bnb, no significant issues. But, I did however notice a few Ants on the kitchen counter & no bug spray to be found.

I still gave a good review but I messaged the host privately & said "FYI, ants in the kitchen, didn't bother us much, but for other guests it could be a bigger problem".

But in this specific case the building work is nearly done so it will put future bookers off for something that won't affect them, which is the opposite of helpful.

I think it would be unfair to complain when she gave you the option to tell her about it and didn't.

Maybe ask your dh or family to write the review given they had no issues - that way you're still leaving a completely honest review of your stay, just not yours.

I would probably give a 4/5. I don’t see why you shouldn’t mention the building work - yes you were told but only at a stage when it was too late to change your mind. Would-be bookers can read it and ask the owner whether it’s finished before they book. And I’d mention the smell, garden and fence too. But I’d also put in all the positives.

I would hesitate giving a bad review. I had a really bad experience after 5 years of no problems anywhere here or abroad. At this listing there were loads of things that should have been there that weren't, the key code had been changed so initially we couldn't get in. The place was extremely tired and tatty. It wasn't particularly clean either. We had some texts between us while there asking how to get in and then asking where things were (when they actually not there at all). It went on all week. At the end I gave them a personal review that was pretty bad and then one on the site which was tamed down a bit. They then came up with a load of rubbish that I'd caused a load of damage demanding money. I had to go through their complaints procedure, can't remember their name for it. I felt scammed. I refused point blank to pay and eventually Airbnb paid them through the host support insurance.

I gave a 4/5 review on Airbnb this summer, although not in the uk, and the host was furious. He wrote to me arguing it 3 times. He only stopped after I mentioned a few things I could have complained about but didn’t , and told him that 4/5 isn’t a bad review, and not to contact me again.

Luckily the second place, in a different town, was wonderful.

You can leave a public review and a private one for the host. The first time I had guests they wrote a positive public one but in the private one they mentioned that as the towels were hanging on the rails in the bathroom (rather than on the bed) they didn’t know if they were clean, and that they were vegan so did not eat the home made cake and milk left for them. Now in my mind they could have contacted me if they were uncertain about the towels (the cleaner placed them in the bathroom), and the vegan stuff was irrelevant. But at least she didn’t say ‘towels were dirty’ or something in the public review.
I get more bookings through booking.com and they have a point rating system. Occasionally I get a 7.5 for ‘staff’ which is odd as it’s a lockbox, so no staff, and I reply to messages within the hour normally and I’ve only been messaged once when they couldn’t figure out the lockbox (and those people left a 10 for staff).
If I was the host at your stay I would have mentioned the building work earlier, but they may well have been told by the owners it would be completed. As it’s not a permanent issue, I’d just tell the host privately that the noise was a bit bothersome.

Don’t leave a review. There’s no obligation

You shouldn't rent it out while this nuisance is going on. So unfair and grabby.

It sounds an absolute nightmare. I couldn't have enjoyed a holiday with builders noise all day every day.

I would literally have to close. There are normally three silage cuts a year they can be anytime between May to September. Slurry will be spread three to four times a year between End of Feb and right through to October. I never know when it’s going to happen. They came in one night at 12.30am to spread seed and I did get up put on the lights and go outside and gave the tractor driver the look of death as if to say wtf at this hour of the night and they have seemed to have got better at not coming in so late after that.

@JustGiveMeWineNowbut if this happens at a particular time of year then you could just not rent the property out? Or have a note in the description. There are ways around this.

I do airbnb a flat above my garage. There is no road noise, the place is silent 99% of the time. However when the surrounding fields are harvested the noise is insane and this can go on to after midnight. I do be dying that I will get a bad review based on this even though it is totally out of my control. I also worry about slurry spreading and bad reviews. Again I cannot control that. A 4 rating is actually bad in airbnb.

I once stayed in an Airbnb where the upstairs neighbour stomped around until 2am every night. I am very used to the everyday noises that come with flat life, but this was something else!
I mentioned it briefly in the otherwise very positive review, noting that it was obviously outside the host's control but that it did impact our stay. I'd read all the reviews before booking and nobody had mentioned any noise so hopefully I did future potential guests a favour!
I also sent a private message to the host saying it was excessive noise and they really needed to address it with the neighbour, but never heard anything back. I guess she didn't give a shit since she had our money and we'd already departed!

Mention the other negatives (damp smell, etc) but not the building work.

For me it would be the same as complaining that the weather wasn’t nice: not the host’s fault, could happen anywhere, not relevant to future stays.

The way I always see it is that reviews are a way of conveying useful information to other potential guests. I don’t think it’s useful to guests (or fair to the host, to permanently impact their score) to focus on something like a neighbour’s building work which will be entirely irrelevant in the near future because it will have ended. Fair to comment that you couldn’t use the garden because it was neglected and unfenced and that this wasn’t reflected in the listing photos - the host can then respond to the comment to indicate that this will be or has been addressed if they choose to.

I wouldn't mention the building work - it will likely be done soon and then it just looks petty. And I don't think anyone can ever do a noise review like you mentioned - I live in a VERY quiet hamlet but we sometimes get jets going over very loudly, but it's so sporadic, like walkers who sit and have a picnic outside with their dogs barking and kids shouting. Nobody could cover all eventualities.

I'd mention the garden though. If someone came with a dog (is it dog friendly?) or youngish children. the lack of a secure garden could ruin their stay.

Be as honest as you like - providing you don’t want to stay again

we stayed somewhere for a sporting event that had south facing bedrooms and very thin curtains which meant everyone woke very early (we stayed there in July). Black out blinds or curtain linings would have made such a difference.

We’d also had a problem with the heating which was resolved fairly quickly after I let the owners know.

The rest of the stay was fine. I mentioned both of these things I may review, and also talked about some good things in the house. I gave it a 4 star rating overall.

The owner was furious that I’d ‘ruined’ her 5 star status. I had another stay booked there for later in the year which she cancelled!

I don’t think there’s any point in not being honest in reviews but some owners have rose tinted glasses about their properties!