Airbnb Review Disputes: What a Host Can Get Removed

Only in limited circumstances. Airbnb's reviews policy removes a review that is irrelevant, fake, used to deceive, extort or pressure, written by someone affiliated with or competing with the listing, retaliatory under Airbnb's narrow definition, or in breach of its Content Policy. Disagreement with the star rating, subjective opinions and factors outside the host's control are not grounds, and Airbnb says it generally does not mediate disputes about a review's accuracy. A host asks for removal through Airbnb's own request form, and the odds are lower than on Google.

What does Airbnb's reviews policy remove?

Airbnb's policy, published as Authentic and trustworthy reviews, begins with the limit: "Reviews may only be removed from our platform in limited circumstances." It then names six:

The irrelevant category is wider than it sounds. Airbnb's examples include a review of a home that is really about "a separate service or experience provided by the same host", a guest who "never arrived for their reservation", and a guest who "chose to cancel due to circumstances unrelated to the offering they booked". When a review is removed under the policy, Airbnb says it may remove it "including any associated ratings and other content".

What does Airbnb leave up?

The everyday complaints. The policy says "A review won't be removed solely due to disagreement or dissatisfaction with the star rating," that "Many reviews contain subjective opinions about the reservation," and that "A review that mentions factors outside of a host's control doesn't necessarily violate our policy." Noise from a building site next door, a rainy week, a guest who expected more space than the listing described: none of these is a ground on its own.

Factual disputes are the hardest category of all, because Airbnb says "we generally don't mediate disputes concerning review accuracy." A host who says the bathroom was clean and a guest who says it was not are, in Airbnb's eyes, a matter for the host's public response. The policy is plain about the outcome: "If a review written about you does not violate this policy, it will remain published."

When is a review retaliatory under Airbnb's policy?

Less often than hosts assume. Airbnb treats a review as retaliatory only when "the reviewer committed a policy violation, was notified of that violation", and then left a biased review. It also says that "A review discussing the facts or legitimacy of a Resolution Center or AirCover claim" is not automatically retaliatory.

That second line matters, because the most common host complaint is a bad review after a damage claim. The timing alone does not make it retaliation. A guest who writes that the host's damage claim was unfair is discussing the claim, which the policy allows. A retaliation case needs three things in order: the guest broke a policy, the guest was told, and the review that followed is biased rather than descriptive.

What if a guest threatens a bad review?

Then the threat is the evidence. Airbnb's policy says hosts and guests may not "coordinate with, manipulate, extort, incentivize, or pressure another person", and it names the move directly: a guest may not "threaten a negative review as a means to obtain unwarranted compensation, refund, or other incentive." Keep every message inside Airbnb's own thread, where the platform can see it, and do not answer a threat with a deal.

The rule runs both ways. Reviews may not be provided or withheld "in exchange for something of value", and the policy's examples include a discount, a refund and a reciprocal positive review. A host who offers a partial refund for a better review is breaking the same rule.

How does a host submit a removal request?

Through Airbnb's own form. The policy says a review recipient can "submit a removal request for our team to review." On desktop, the steps it gives are:

1. Select Get started on the policy page.
2. Select the review.
3. Choose the reason that matches the category it breaks.
4. Provide the details, and upload any supporting documents.
5. Select Submit.

You can also contact Airbnb directly. Either way, the request should name one category and point at the proof of it: the reservation record for an irrelevant or fake review, the messages for an extortion attempt, the violation notice for retaliation. A request that argues the review is unfair asks Airbnb to mediate accuracy, which it says it generally does not do.

What should a host do when the review stays?

Respond in public, once, and calmly. Airbnb's answer to a disputed review is the host's response, and the next guest reads both. A short reply that acknowledges the stay, corrects one fact without heat and says what has changed reads better than a rebuttal:

The same principles hold on every platform, and our guide on responding while removal is pending sets out what never to say. Guests who want to change their own review can only do so for a while: Airbnb's help pages on how reviews work say "You can edit a review for a home until your review is published."

How DeleteGoogleReviews.com handles Airbnb cases

DeleteGoogleReviews.com, a San Diego based review removal service, takes an Airbnb case only when a review fits one of Airbnb's categories and the proof sits in the reservation record or the message thread. Airbnb removals succeed far less often than Google removals, so we say so at the evaluation, and we publish no success rate for Airbnb. You pay only after a review is confirmed removed, and Airbnb decides every case. The service is on our Airbnb review removal page; hosts and hotels with Google reviews to handle as well will find that side on our page for hotels and hospitality. Before you hire anyone for an Airbnb case, our guide to telling whether a removal service is legitimate is worth reading first.

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