How to Get Rid of Airbnb Reviews: Deleting a Bad Airbnb Review

Bad reviews can feel like a major setback, especially when you're a new host working hard to build your reputation. But let's face it, bad reviews happen no matter how amazing your property is or how attentive you are as a host. I personally admit that I've gotten a bad review or two from time to time.

While Airbnb's review system is designed to maintain transparency and trust, there are cases when a review isn't just negative but downright unfair. While Airbnb doesn't let hosts simply delete reviews they don't like (and for good reason), there are legitimate ways to have unfair or policy-violating reviews removed.

In this article, we'll break down how reviews work, when you can request for deletion, and share actionable tips that can help you handle unjust and bad reviews.

Understanding Airbnb Reviews

As a host, reviews are the backbone of your listing. Reviews and ratings help future guests decide if your space is right for them and build your credibility as a host. It's one of the reasons why securing 5-star reviews is the top priority of any seasoned host.

However, even the most successful hosts sometimes receive a review that doesn't accurately reflect the experience. Whether it's due to miscommunication, a mistake on the guest's part, or even retaliatory behavior, a bad review can significantly impact your occupancy rates and overall reputation.

When Can Airbnb Reviews Be Removed?

We can't control what our guests rate us or what reviews they leave. Airbnb values the transparency that its current review system provides, and for the most part, it works wonders. However, not everyone is fair when it comes to leaving reviews, which is why Airbnb still allows for the removal of some of them.

Not all negative reviews qualify for removal. Airbnb maintains strict guidelines about what constitutes a removable review. Based on my experience managing multiple properties and the Airbnb official guidelines, these are the situations where you can successfully request removal:

Reviews That Violate Content Policies

Airbnb has a full set of published guidelines regarding what a review can or cannot contain. While they advocate for transparency, they don't tolerate discrimination and other foul language. These are probably the easiest reviews to remove as they are fairly easy to prove if they violate Airbnb's content policy. Here are a few examples:

• Contain discriminatory language or hate speech
• Include personal attacks or harassment
• Reveal private information (your full name, exact property address)
• Contain explicit content
• Include spam or fraudulent claims

Retaliatory Reviews

These are perhaps the most frustrating types, as they often occur when a guest leaves a negative review, specifically because you enforced your house rules or reported them for policy violations. These are considered biased, which is why Airbnb allows for their removal.

Examples include:

1. A guest damages your property, and you ask for payment, but they refuse and leave a bad review.
2. A guest smokes in your non-smoking property (violate your house rules), you request cleaning fees, and they leave an angry review.
3. Guests throw an unauthorized party, you report it, and they retaliate with a negative review.
4. Guests damage property or overstay their reservation and leave a bad review when confronted.

These are just a few example scenarios of what can typically qualify for review removal. Of course, it won't automatically be removed, but Airbnb will launch an investigation into the issue. Just make sure you're prepared with potential evidence, like your standard house rules, guest conversation, and others to help with your case.

It can be a long and grueling process, but your documentation and evidence will definitely be crucial. Your documentation will need to demonstrate that a clear policy violation happened. It must also be clear that reporting the policy violation to Airbnb and/or the guest likely led to the retaliatory review.

Irrelevant Content

Finally, reviews containing details unrelated to the stay itself, such as commentary about a guest's personal life that has nothing to do with your property or hosting, may also qualify for removal.

In my experience, these types of reviews are a bit more uncommon, but they can still happen. A review needs to provide relevant information about the experience with a Host, guest, or stay. If it doesn't, that provides a solid ground for potential review deletion.

I've had guests leave lower-rated reviews because of a bad experience they had with one of the restaurants they ate at during their stay. This content is considered irrelevant by Airbnb and can potentially be deleted. Guests who left reviews despite not even arriving at the rental or cancelling their trip can also be removed.

How to Request Airbnb Review Removal: Step-by-Step Guide

When you spot a review that violates Airbnb's policies, act quickly. Here's a complete step-by-step guide as to what you should do:

1. Submit a review removal request via the Airbnb website.
2. Navigate to the specific review you want removed (reviews appear in reverse chronological order)
3. Select the review and initiate the removal request process
4. Choose the primary reason for removal from Airbnb's options
5. Provide detailed information about how the review violates Airbnb's policies
6. Upload supporting documentation (screenshots of messages, photos of damage, etc.)
7. Submit your request

Pro Tip: Keep all communication with guests in the Airbnb messaging system. This creates an official record that Airbnb support can easily review when investigating your claim. I've saved myself countless headaches by having message threads that clearly show guest violations before their negative reviews.

Building Your Case for Review Removal

The strength of your evidence dramatically impacts your chances of success. Not all reviews get removed. I've personally had some reviews that were lingering on the line removed, while there were others that I thought had clear policy violations not get removed. There's a fine line you need to walk here, but making the Airbnb support's job easier is what can typically help make it get removed.

For Retaliatory Reviews:

You'll need to demonstrate two things: 1) that a clear policy violation occurred, and 2) that reporting this violation likely triggered the negative review.

Documentation to Include:

1. Timestamped photos of any damage or policy violations
2. Screenshots of all relevant message exchanges
3. Records of any reimbursement requests you submitted
4. Your house rules as listed on your property page
5. Any witness statements, if applicable

One of my friend's properties received a 1-star review after he reported guests for an unauthorized party. By providing security camera footage from one of the common areas, showing more than 15 people entering the property despite a 4-person maximum, along with noise complaints from neighbors, Airbnb removed the review within 48 hours.

Pro Tip: Airbnb values transparency, so they don't take review removal lightly. Some data suggests that only about 30% of removal requests are approved, so make sure your case is solid.

What Happens After You Submit

After submitting your request, Airbnb typically responds within 48 hours with their decision. Here's what to expect:

1. If Airbnb determines the review follows their policies, it will remain on the platform
2. If they find it violates policies, they'll remove it and notify the guest
3. The guest can appeal this decision, potentially resulting in the review being reinstated

No matter the outcome, you'll have to live with it. Sometimes, you'll get lucky and have it removed, while others not so much. At the end of the day, good guests will know how to filter through reviews and weed out the unfair ones.

Wrapping Things Up

While you may not be able to outright delete a bad review at will, understanding Airbnb's policies and knowing how to navigate the review removal process can help protect your reputation.

Whether you're challenging a review that violates guidelines or strategically managing your guest feedback, remember that proactive communication and solid documentation are key. We can't control what a guest review contains, so I suggest focusing on providing exceptional experiences and addressing concerns promptly to hopefully prevent bad reviews in the first place.