Hosting guests as a short-term rental host is a rewarding experience, but it comes with its own specific set of challenges. One of these is dealing with guests who don’t quite understand the concept of tidying up after themselves. Whether it’s piles of dirty dishes left in the sink or trashed rooms, handling such situations diplomatically is key. In this blog post, we’ll explore how to write a fair and constructive Airbnb review for a messy guest stay. Additionally, we’ll provide practical tips to help fellow hosts while maintaining professionalism and grace.
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Why honest reviews are important
The short-term rental industry is built on trust. Trust between hosts and guests is the only way this industry succeeds. As a result, it’s important that both hosts and guests are writing true and thoughtful reviews. For hosts, having an understanding of a prospective guest’s past behavior at a short-term rental is important for peace of mind. If other hosts have had glowing experiences with them, then a host can rest a little easier. However, if past hosts have reported some issues, it allows the host a chance to reject the booking if they don’t feel the booking is going to be a good fit for their property. All in all, the review system helps build trust between parties, and ultimately helps the industry stay credible.
Set the scene
Was the guest overall friendly and easy to talk to? Share that in your review. If they were overall pleasant, you can still share that in the review. While you may be annoyed by their cleanliness, don’t let other positive aspects of the stay go to waste. In fact, saying the guest was overall pleasant will help them when they improve their cleanliness and eventually secure additional bookings. The goal here is to be honest and improve the experience for everyone, not just be unkind.
How to address cleanliness concerns
Addressing cleanliness issues can be a little awkward. Try to be as specific as possible with the details. Perhaps it’s noting dirty dishes, stained sheets, a very messy living room filled with wrappers and crumbs. When you’re specific, it helps the reader understand what exactly the issue was rather than leaving “they were messy” up to the imagination. Details and being specific are the best approach.
Provide constructive feedback
The goal here isn’t to be mean. Rather, it’s to share exactly why the experience wasn’t great. You want other hosts to have a firm understanding of what to expect from this guest, but also be specific enough that the guest understands what behaviors need to change. If they left messy dishes on the counter, share that in the future it would be better if they put the dishes in the dishwasher as they were instructed to.
Balancing the positives and negatives
Even in challenging situations, there may be positive aspects to highlight. Balancing your negative review by mentioning any positive interactions can help soften the impact of poor feedback. This balanced approach creates a fair representation of your experience.
For example, if the guest was polite and communicated well, mention these qualities alongside your cleanliness concerns. This demonstrates your objectivity and acknowledges the guest’s positive attributes.
Balancing positives and negatives in your review provides a comprehensive view of the guest’s stay. It reassures readers that you’re providing an unbiased assessment and improves the credibility of your feedback.
Be professional yet show empathy
It’s important to stay professional in your reviews. Don’t let emotion or the heat of the moment get the best of you. That said, you can still show empathy in how you construct your review. Don’t use any derogatory language or make personal attacks. Instead, focus on the facts and describe specific behaviors or actions that led to your concerns. Be respectful at all times, yet still honest.
Why these constructive reviews are important
It’s important for guests to understand that their behavior is affecting the overall hosting experience. When a host provides kind yet honest feedback, it can help guests understand what isn’t working during their stay and hopefully help them improve their behavior.
House rules
Point back to your house rules when crafting your review. For example, if your house rules specifically said no smoking and there is evidence of smoking in the home, you can reference your house rules in your feedback. To help prevent this issue from even happening in the first place, make sure you’re sharing your house rules in all of your pre-check-in communications.
Cleaning fees
Another way to deter cleanliness issues is to set a cleaning fee. This is a specific fee set to cover the cost of cleaning. Plus, it will help reduce issues if there is a need for additional cleanings because it’s already been paid for. Of course, if the issues are large, you may need to intervene further.
Examples
When hosting on Airbnb, it’s crucial to provide candid feedback to maintain the quality and integrity of the community. As a host, sharing your experiences through reviews not only helps fellow hosts make informed decisions but also encourages guests to improve their behavior. Below are examples of bad Airbnb guest reviews left by hosts for guests who did not uphold the cleanliness standards expected during their stay. Try these Airbnb host review templates as your starting point:
- “Unfortunately, the guest left the apartment with trash littered in several rooms and dishes piled in the sink. Communication was lacking, making it difficult to resolve the issue.”
- “The guest did not follow our house rules on cleanliness. The condition of the bathroom and kitchen upon checkout was unacceptable. I hope future hosts have a different experience.”
- “Upon departure, the space was left untidy with multiple spills and stains unchecked. Despite providing clear guidelines, this needs improvement. Perhaps a greater attention to shared expectations will help in the future.”
- “The guest’s negligence regarding cleanliness was disappointing, leaving us with unexpected work to get the place ready for incoming guests. It’s essential for guests to respect the space as if it were their own.”
Final thoughts
As you can see, reviews are a two-way street in this industry. Just as a 5-star review is vital for a host, so it is for guests. That said, it’s incredibly important to be honest in your guest reviews to help uphold the integrity of the short-term rental industry.
Host Tools provides an automated, unified calendar for short-term rental hosts, allowing you to seamlessly list on all major channels. Start your free trial today!
