Hosts and Guests Clash Over Airbnb Review Removals

Star ratings translate directly into revenue for short-term rental hosts, which is why disputes over how platforms handle contested reviews matter beyond individual cases. Skift reports that hosts and guests are criticizing Airbnb from opposite directions.

The host case

Yelena Choin, a longtime Superhost with a listing near Yosemite National Park, told Skift that a guest who wanted to cancel but was refused a full refund kept the booking, did not show up, and left a one-star review claiming a foul smell. She supplied electronic lock records and timestamped security camera footage, plus a five-star cleanliness review from the next guest.

Airbnb denied her removal request twice. One case manager cited the platform's strict review-removal guidelines and said the review remained relevant "even if guest did not show up or never checked in [sic]." Airbnb later removed the review after Choin posted about the case on X and Skift asked the company about it.

What is at stake

According to AirDNA figures cited by Skift:

• A 0.1-star rating gain can be worth up to $200 in monthly revenue in some markets.
• Listings with five stars average $143 RevPAR per night, versus $110 for listings below 4.5 stars.

The guest view

Guests argue the opposite problem: that legitimate criticism gets removed, and they question whether the U.S. average rating of about 4.8 is realistic.

AI screening questions

Airbnb says it does not use AI to decide disputed reviews, though hosts suspect automated first-pass screening. AirDNA advises hosts to write disputes for an automated reader first and a human second. Vrbo declined to say what role AI plays in its review screening, and Booking.com said it uses detection technology alongside moderation teams.

Skift's article is partly paywalled; this summary reflects the portion available at the time of writing.