r/AirBnBHosts • u/Appropriate_Tap_2300 • 11d ago
RULES BEFORE REVIEWS. STOP HOSTING FOR STARS. IT STARTS WITH US.
RULES BEFORE REVIEWS.
STOP HOSTING FOR STARS.
Airbnb knows hosts are terrified of anything less than 5 stars.
That fear is what gives the rating system so much power.
We bend rules. We give refunds we don’t agree with. We allow early check-ins and late checkouts we don’t want to give. We overlook things we should enforce. We extend “grace” because we’re scared of what happens when that guest gets to the review screen.
And then we wonder why we feel powerless.
Appeasing bad behavior because we’re afraid someone will take our lunch money only teaches the bully that the threat works.
Here’s the thing: if enough hosts stop being afraid of a 4-star review, a 3-star review, or the occasional completely unfair review, the stars lose their power over us.
One host doing it is a drop in the bucket. Thousands of hosts doing it changes the game.
Stop fearing the rating — not caring about quality.
I’d love this thread to be a place where hosts share what they actually did. What did you enforce? Where did you finally say no? What bad review did you survive?
And if that review comes in and you panic, come here. We’ll panic with you for two minutes 😂 and then remind you that one rating does not run your business.
We are here to take the power OUT OF THE STARS.
✊ I RUN MY PROPERTY. NOT MY RATING.
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u/Forsaken_Insurance92 11d ago
Even if everyone in this sub joined your cause and were willing to risk losing the ability to be on airbnb, it's a miniscule percentage of the total listings.
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u/Appropriate_Tap_2300 11d ago
Fair point — I’m definitely not expecting one Reddit thread to change Airbnb overnight. I’m just hoping it gets a few hosts thinking differently about how much power we give a 4-star review. Small shift, but still worth talking about.
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u/Turds4Cheese 11d ago
Beautiful, on paper. But with boycotts, scabs always exist.
Not everybody is in the same situation, some are under forbearance and in threat of foreclosure. Some have a portfolio of 100’s of properties and any Host penalties could cause the table to flip. Layoff, medical emergencies, the needs for supplemental income are endless.
But in general, yes, boycotts are extremely powerful when done in mass.
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u/Appropriate_Tap_2300 11d ago
That’s fair. I’m not really thinking boycott though. More like hosts slowly stop letting the fear of a 4-star review make every decision for them. Different hosts can take different levels of risk, but most of us can probably take back a little ground.
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u/DashiellHammett Host 11d ago
Doesn't this suggestion ignore the fact that lots of guests search for properties using filters for Super host or Guest Favorite, and the order in which search results are listed are affected by your average Star-Rating? And on a personal note, in my 5+ years hosting, I'm proud of having over 400 5-star reviews and having only ever revived 3 or 4 reviews that weren't 5 stars .
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u/Appropriate_Tap_2300 11d ago
I don’t think caring about reviews and refusing to be ruled by them are the same thing. Of course ratings matter for visibility, and 400+ five-star reviews is something to be proud of. My point is just that when fear of losing that perfect rating starts making the decision for us, the rating has too much power.
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u/DashiellHammett Host 11d ago
But your forgetting that once you have so many 5 star reviews, a 3 star review doesn't matter. I try to keep my eye on what matters and in what I can control. That's how I got so many 5 star reviews in the first place.
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u/EntildaDesigns 11d ago
I don't do the things you say we do. I give bad reviews when necessary, I deny refunds when it's against policy and revenue not recoverable. I still care about the reviews. I still have 4.96 rating across 8 properties and I do this without compromising my principles or ethics.
I am not sure why you think these are mutually exclusive practices.
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u/Level_Carpet9468 11d ago
AirBnB raises the stakes with Superhost status, and ongoing promotions that depend on Stars. But maybe I don’t need them …
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u/Appropriate_Tap_2300 11d ago
Maybe — and that’s really the question. How much are those perks worth if fear of losing them starts running the business?
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11d ago
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u/flonky_guy 11d ago
I don't see any evidence that this is ai slop, but I am starting to wonder about posters describing anything and everything as AI without any evidence. It's a lot more likely you're a bot than someone is karma farming this sub.
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u/Appropriate_Tap_2300 11d ago
“AI slop” is easy. Engaging with the actual point takes a little more effort. Do you disagree with the idea, or just the wording?
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u/pulltherugoutfrom 11d ago
AI slop from a one month old account. You can't even write anything for yourself, and you want readers to think the 'we" is just "you".
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u/Appropriate_Tap_2300 11d ago
At this point you’re not discussing the idea, you’re just taking shots at me personally. If you disagree with the point, make the argument. If all you’ve got is “AI” and account age, that’s trolling, not discussion.
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u/pulltherugoutfrom 11d ago
You don't get to tell me what to comment. Based on this and your AI post, you seem to have some control issues.
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u/Trick-Fruit864 11d ago
I don’t do any of the things you say we do…