AIBU to want to be dishonest in my Airbnb review?

[queenceleste]

I just stayed in a good well priced airbnb which is within someone’s home.

The experience was fine but the owner sent different signals to the advertised offer.

I felt that the listing said one thing about shared spaces but they didn’t confirm that on arrival. My friend who stayed with me said I was making my discomfort up!

I just feel I want to give them a great review as they were really good - I just felt much more uncomfortable than usual - but we usually stay where we don’t see the owner!

I’m always loathe to give anything negative in a review. I’m interested if other people feel that same reluctance.

Just don't post a review and move on.

Ffs 🤦‍♀️ if you can’t share then why did you share.

I think sometimes people hope that in a shared space the host will perhaps not want to be in your hair and might choose to be fairly "out of the way".

In reality the host probably either enjoys social aspect of hosting, or wants the reverse of you & hopes you will keep to yourself rather than using the shared space a lot.

Then rent somewhere at a place you don’t need to share any space.

so you booked somewhere that stated it had shared space but did not like it when you had to share? i've been a host and rating means a lot, for someone to put a negative rating for something like this is awful. It was your issue, not the hosts.....unless they were invading your personal space (which it doesn't sound like it) then factual review is required here - you said positive things about it, leave it at that. You can leave feedback to the host thats not public and tell them that you think the way they describe the shared portion wasn't accurate enough and leave it at that

I recently booked over a month in a 2 bedroom apartment through AirBnb. Listed as entire apartment. When the host got in touch she said I would have access to the whole apartment except for their bedroom (so not 2 bed) and that she and her husband wouldn't be there very much (!). After much back and forth, I had the 1 bed apartment to myself for the same price as the listed 2 bed. If I'd had any other choice I would have taken it but that length in that area is like finding a needle in a haystack. And I'm still gobsmacked that the very high price I paid could have been thought reasonable for a shared space - or that anyone would want to share for over a month. So lesson learned: always confirm the details of the listing, especially surrounding presence of the host. I would never share.

I did leave a review but picked the positives. When I read reviews I look for what's missing. Did they mention cleanliness? or communication? etc. If those were good, they'd be mentioned.

eta: I always message privately about issues or suggestions for improvement that were't egregious issues. One of the few times I've left a negative review was for absence of response to messages when we had no hot water for most of our stay, no coffee maker or tv as listed, no bedding (then damp when delivered). I didn't mention the bedbugs as had left the review by the time the bites showed up.

Well it’s just that the listing said various areas were shared. But when we arrived the host didn’t actually show us the spaces in a welcoming way. They were often in some of those spaces so I immediately felt better in our room

I agree with your friend. Your discomfort sounds like it is a you problem. The advert stated the spaces were shared and therefore you would expect to find them sharing those areas. It's not really fair to give anything negative as it's not like this was unexpected.
Don't go booking accomodation that is shared again.

You picked the wrong gaff.

I think I am maybe too old to share living spaces!😆.
Then book somewhere you'll have to yourself.

You got what was advertised. The fact that you don't like it is your issue not theirs

Why would you want to be dishonest about it?

Did you think people would agree with you wanting to do that?
You're a nightmare

i damaged the curtain which was already ripped by the way, in an air BnB, still told the owner I would give him £20 and he still gave me a bad review and I gave a good one, his place wasn’t clean, hair in bathroom shower gross but cause you cannot see their review until you review them I didn’t

Why can’t you just be factual? The spaces were advertised as shared and the host did show us around but at the same time made me feel somewhat that we aren’t actually welcome in these shared spaces.i felt more comfortable to stay in my room. at the same time they didn’t say anything explicitly so perhaps I just misunderstood them.

You can still give them 5 stars. I read the comments when I book,

Duh yes YABU. That's someone's livelihood your lies are affecting. Get some therapy hun.

As an air bnb owner PLEASE don't leave a bad review for something this subjective. I just had a 4 star because "whilst you said we could ask if we wanted fresh towels bringing, I felt uncomfortable asking, maybe you could change towels or bring over fresh ones every day just in case people want them" (she stayed 4 nights and i left 6 towels for two people, plus 2 hot tub towels anyway, but if she needed more, I'd happily send them, imagine if i had rocked up every day with towels on the off chance - how annoying for a normal guest! So then it is very tricky as a host to mind read) I just think, if you're feeling awkward or uncomfortable then it's not the place for you, but the host has given exactly what was asked for and you should just book a private space next time. In your situation, if you'd been more confident but tired from travel then being toured round the whole house might have been super boring and exhausting when you just want to get to your room. If you don't say/ask its hard to interpret every individuals preference because people are very different.

You could leave 5 stars and say after some positive things "it might have been nice to have been shown around the shared spaces but that's an individual preference of mine, and otherwise I was very welcomed"

I would just avoid writing a review in these circumstances

Thank you for feedback, I appreciate it!

To clarify -

I have left a great review as our stay was great overall, she has left me a great review so that’s all good!

On reflection I genuinely think it was just me not reading her easily and feeling more in the way than we were meant to.

We needed to stay in this specific place where there are no hotels and it was affordable.

I booked it six months ago and maybe had slightly forgotten what the listing said.

I think it is her livelihood so saying anything negative in a review would have to follow actually addressing it first with the host.

I posted this because I am very loathe to say anything negative. These replies helped me think about it. I think it is hard to share living space and if I did it again I would spend sometime double checking their intentions so then I could relax rather than sort of wondering.

I will know better next time.

I honestly have no idea what you're trying to ask

What “intentions” do you think any Airbnb owner has when they tell you anywhere outside your bedroom is a shared space?
You sound quite strange, tbh.

That basically says your issue with the shared spaces was that they were shared?!

You are petty. Book a hotel next time.

you don't give much detail on shared spaces so what are you talking about?
if you were unhappy about a specific aspect say so - you can do this without being rude but alerting other potential renters - i have done this re a short bed-s suitable for short person and owner who was not able to let me in till 5 and only via her friend
just be clear

Really? Either they are providing a friendly service or they aren't, sounds to me like they are fed up of it, that's not the OPs fault.

It would be unreasonable to post a dishonest review, but a factual one would help others. I would hate this too, especially if they weren't welcoming.

You've been given good advice and examples of honest but subtly informative reviews; you also have the option, when reviewing, to send the host a private message. This is where you could (kindly) point out what you found awkward or where you feel they could improve.

Tbh, they might be so set int heir ways and happy with their level of booking that they don't give a toss, but at least you might give them food for thought.

It's good that you don't intend to knock stars off; Air's review system is weird and they see anything below 5* as poor service so listings get knocked down the algorithm's pecking order and hosts can easily lose Superhost status.

Owners rely on good reviews! Thats pretty shoddy of you if you've had a good stay.
If its been a horrible stay for whatever reason speak to the host. Air bnb platform is very much in the favour of the guest now, its really put me off using them as a host. One bad review can really ruin their business