Learn how to request the removal of a negative Airbnb review. Understand Airbnb's reviews policy, learn how to respond to negative reviews, and acquire tips to prevent bad ratings.

Hosts can’t remove negative reviews directly, but you can request Airbnb to remove them.

Airbnb will only remove reviews if they violate the Airbnb Review Policy.

If you’re unsuccessful in getting a negative review removed, consider responding to it publicly.

Your guest checked out earlier in the day, your cleaning staff have tidied up the property, and your next guests are on their way—but suddenly, you notice your previous guests left a nasty review. Negative Airbnb reviews can be a shock, but they’re a reality of hosting a short-term rental.

In some cases, reviews might feel retaliatory, or they could be downright false or inappropriate. When this happens, you have the right to dispute the review by providing evidence that it violates Airbnb’s Review Policy. While disputing a review does not guarantee its removal, it does offer a formal process to address grievances. According to Airbnb, reviews that breach their guidelines can be reported and removed upon evaluation. 

Let’s dive deeper into the specifics of whether you can delete an Airbnb review and what to do if dissatisfied guests decide to leave their mark in your reviews.

Your vacation rental may be amazing, but is it better than your competition? Connect your Airbnb listing to AirDNA to see its Booking Performance Score.

As an Airbnb host, you cannot directly delete a review left by a guest. However, Airbnb does have policies in place that allow reviews to be removed under certain conditions.

Airbnb's Review Policy specifies that hosts can request a review to be removed if it violates the platform's content guidelines. 

A review might be eligible for removal if it contains:

If a review falls into one of these categories, hosts can contact Airbnb support to request its removal. The Airbnb support team will evaluate the request and determine if the review meets the criteria for removal.

Airbnb's review system plays a crucial role in maintaining transparency and trust between hosts and guests. Guests rely heavily on reviews when deciding whether to book a stay at a certain property.

Key features of Airbnb’s review system include:

Two-way reviews: Both hosts and guests can review each other.

Anonymous feedback: Portions of reviews can be left anonymously.

14-day window: You have 14 days to leave a review after the check-out date.

Things That Violate Airbnb’s Reviews Policy

Airbnb has a detailed reviews policy to keep the feedback system fair, honest, and respectful. Make sure you understand what constitutes a violation so you can identify and report reviews that could harm your listing’s reputation or dissuade other travelers from booking. 

Here are some common types of reviews that violate Airbnb’s policy:

Airbnb strictly prohibits reviews containing offensive or abusive language, as well as discriminatory remarks. Inappropriate reviews not only breach Airbnb’s community standards but also create a hostile environment for both hosts and guests. For instance, if a review includes derogatory comments about a host’s race, gender, religion, or any other personal attribute, it can be flagged for removal. 

Hosts will be happy to know that Airbnb has standards for relevant and unbiased reviews. Guest reviews must be directly related to their stay at your property. That is, guests can’t disparage your Airbnb in their review if their bad experience was outside of your control as a host. 

Examples of a review with irrelevant content include:

Reviews that mention personal information about the host or guest, such as addresses or phone numbers. Reviews that share private or confidential information like this violate Airbnb’s larger content policy.

Reviews that discuss events or issues unrelated to the stay itself, like local weather conditions or personal disputes.

Reviews focusing on experiences with third-party services (e.g., issues with a local tour company or restaurant).

Comments on general neighborhood safety or unrelated local crime statistics.

Reviews that complain about Airbnb policies or practices instead of the specific listing. This extends to host policies or practices, too—if a guest complains about the enforcement of clearly communicated house rules, for instance, their review may be eligible for removal.

Airbnb is all about protecting the intention of reviews, which is to provide helpful feedback for future guests and hosts. Relevancy is therefore a core component of legitimate, accurate reviews. 

Airbnb's review policy also allows hosts to remove reviews from guests who are biased. Reviews can’t be written by anyone with a personal relationship to the host, such as family members or close friends. Similarly, competitors trying to harm a listing’s reputation can’t leave a review.

In some cases, reviews come to violate Airbnb’s review policy due to host involvement. As an Airbnb operator, you can’t incentivize a positive review with future discounts or free stays or discourage guests from leaving a bad review with threats or intimidation.

Identifying and removing these types of reviews helps maintain impartial feedback that is genuinely reflective of the guest’s experience.

Extortion—when a guest threatens to leave a bad review unless they receive a refund or additional perks from the host—is a serious violation of Airbnb’s review policy. 

Extortion undermines the fairness of the review system and can undermine a host’s success on Airbnb. If a guest attempts to coerce you into providing benefits in exchange for a positive review, you can report them to Airbnb. Keep any evidence of extortion and share it with the Airbnb Support team so they can remove the review and potentially enforce consequences against the guest.

How to Request for Airbnb to Remove a Review

If you receive a review that you believe violates Airbnb’s review policy, you can request its removal by following these steps:

Contact Airbnb Support: Log in to your Airbnb account and go to the Help Center. Select “Contact Us” to reach out to Airbnb support. You can choose to communicate via chat, phone, or email.

Explain the issue: Specify the review in questions and provide a detailed explanation of why it violates Airbnb’s policies.

Provide evidence: Include any relevant evidence that supports your claim and strengthens your removal request. This could be screenshots of messages or other documentation that demonstrates the review is retaliatory, for instance, or that provides proof of bias. Be concise and factual in your request, avoiding emotional language or personal attacks.

AirDNA makes hosting and investing a breeze. Every insight you need, all in one place, always up-to-date.

As frustrating as negative reviews can be, keep your cool if you receive one. Then, take the time to carefully respond to the bad review professionally and constructively. Crafting a thoughtful response can help protect your reputation and demonstrate your commitment to the guest experience. 

Take a moment to process the review before responding to avoid reacting emotionally. Begin your response by thanking the guest for their feedback, regardless of its nature, and use polite and respectful language throughout to maintain a professional tone.

As much as we’d like to remove honest reviews that reflect badly on ourselves as hosts, try to take them in stride as a learning experience. Clearly address each concern raised in the review, providing explanations or context where necessary. Apologize for any genuine shortcomings and explain the steps you’re taking to address them. Highlight any inaccuracies or misunderstandings calmly and factually to present your side of the story without sounding defensive.

“Your response to a bad review often says more about your commitment to the guest experience than the review itself.”

Negative reviews can be valuable opportunities to improve your hosting practices and create better guest experiences. Identify recurring issues mentioned in reviews and take actionable steps to resolve them. Demonstrating a proactive approach to criticism shows potential guests that their experience matters to you.

Preventing negative reviews begins with clear communication and setting the right expectations before your guest arrives. 

Here are a few tips for preventing poor reviews:

Make sure your listing is accurate: Make sure your listing accurately describes the property and provide all necessary information upfront. This is where pre-booking messages can come in handy. 

Set clear house rules: Include clear house rules and expectations both in your listing and in a guidebook in the property. 

Encourage guests to reach out during their stay: Let guests know—by Airbnb message and with notes in the property itself—that they can contact you with any questions, concerns, or problems during their stay. Address any issues promptly when they come up. 

Ask for feedback: Even before guests check out, asking them for feedback can preempt negative reviews by allowing you to address concerns immediately.

On Airbnb, guests can leave reviews about their hosts—and hosts can review guests, too. Airbnb limits guests’ and hosts’ ability to edit their reviews, however. 

If you submit your review before the other party, you can edit it at any time within the platform’s allotted 14-day window but only up until the other party completes their review. 

If both parties’ reviews have been submitted or the 14-day review period ends, the reviews can’t be edited. 

If you want to edit a review you've left, log into Airbnb, navigate to your profile, and click on “Reviews you've written.” If you miss the editing window, try contacting Airbnb Support. They might make an exception based on specific circumstances.

Removing a review on Airbnb is possible, but it requires adhering to certain policies and procedures. If you believe a review violates Airbnb's Reviews Policy, you can report it. Sometimes, you may need to accept the review as it is, especially if the evidence you provide is insufficient. 

Negative reviews are just one facet of Airbnb ratings and their varied impact on your short-term rental business. For many hosts, receiving a bad review is like an unpleasant rite of passage. Your response to a bad review often says more about your commitment to the guest experience than the review itself. Replying to negative reviews can help restore trust with future guests and protect your listing’s reputation.

Plan your STR strategy based on real booking activity and trends—plus, see how things change year over year.

Is an unfair review tanking your ratings? Learn how to get Airbnb to remove a review and what can justify their removal.

How to Get Airbnb to Remove a Review

ARTICLE SUMMARY

QUICK NAVIGATION