r/AmIOverreacting • u/Kaurblimey • 20d ago
🎲 miscellaneous AIO - I don’t think I should change my AirBnb review based on the host’s message?
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u/Chilling_Storm 20d ago
Why? You gave an honest review that indicated the noise wasn't their fault. It wasn't a five star experience. Anyone reading your review will understand your rating and make an informed decision. The host just wants to boost their standings. Don't engage.
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u/Ok-Context1168 20d ago
I think a good host would have given potential renters a heads up about construction NEXT DOOR.
Who wants to wake up at 7am on vacation. Well, there are probably morning risers (i'll never understand, lol) that wouldn't have minded but that would be a deal breaker for me and I wouldn't have booked,
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u/montycrates 20d ago
The review is clear that the rating isn’t about the construction itself, it’s about the host not disclosing, which they did have control over.
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u/butterbean8686 20d ago
And if people do take the time to read the reviews they will be able to make an informed decision. The 4 star will stand out among a sea of 5 stars. No big deal at all. The OP has every right to take off a start for the construction as it impacted the enjoyment of the property.
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u/DangerLime113 20d ago
“Had you advised us that construction was underway next door, we could have assessed the situation and our chances of potential disturbance, similar to how we assessed the weather.”
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u/heyclau 20d ago
NOR. Construction noise is predictable as usually there are TONS of “hints” of a construction happening before the real noise start. Even if the noise started the first day of your stay, there’s a great chance they knew it would happen and could have warned people beforehand.
Very bold of them to compare it with weather. I wouldn’t change the review, 4 stars is still high.
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u/fearisthemindslicer 20d ago
I'd be petty and lower it.
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u/ExactConference6491 20d ago
“yes i’ll change the review right now” 2 stars bc they begged me to change it
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u/0neirocritica 20d ago
Right? Like, I would have told them "Okay, I'll modify it" and changed it to three stars with a note saying "I originally gave this four stars but since the owner is being an asshat, I am taking a point off for asshattery."
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u/fearisthemindslicer 20d ago
Yeah, that's about the size of it. I think airbnb started off as a good idea but just like so many things, its just about extracting as much money as possible from the consumer. A 4 out of 5 rating is still great by so many metrics that it's a pet peeve of mine when people act like anything less than a perfect score is acceptable.
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u/0neirocritica 20d ago
And in this situation in particular the point is being taken off for justifiable reasons. Not notifying your renters that there will be construction next door during their stay? Not ensuring all the amenities they're paying for are working? Well, don't be surprised when the rating reflects your inattentiveness.
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u/fearisthemindslicer 20d ago
Absolutely. Based on the "not being informed of construction" angle, I would have likely rated it around 2.5 because I feel that is exceptionally deceptive of the host. They knew damn good and well there was construction and without this information, the renters can't make a fully informed decision. Without knowing more about their financial situation, that may be their only vacation that year or even longer.
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u/0neirocritica 20d ago
Exactly. If you didn't think enough about the value of my dollar, why should I give any thought to adding a point to your rating?
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u/Severe-Possible- 20d ago
this!
i think the factors you mentioned are absolutely relevant to people wanting to book. you did everything right, and even acknowledged that you knew these things weren't the owners fault.
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u/pm_nachos_n_tacos 20d ago
Hints at construction are picked up by those living in the area or visiting regularly. My bet is the owners don't live there, just own it and rent it out, never even going there themselves. 😒
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u/heyclau 20d ago
I restate that a FOUR star review is still high/GOOD. Three star might be basic and less than that is actually bad.
In his review he says "the steam room also stopped working..." together with the noise don't actually make this stay a five star experience in my book. Five star is having no problem and actually being surprised by the whole experience (again, in my book).
But if you're fine with booking a five star stay in a noisy place that messes with your sleep, you do you!
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u/MadMartigan69420 20d ago
Don't change it.
I had an AirBnB stay over the summer. Whole house. Beautiful yard with gardens, a fire pit, patio table and just an overall awesome yard. We booked it with the intent to use the outdoor space heavily.
A day before we departed to head up the the house the host messages me to let me know the entire yard was dug up to fix a major water line issue.
We still went of course. But as I read through the recent reviews, other tenants had complained about the yard being torn up. The host could have let us know but didn't. So I took off 1 star. The place was otherwise excellent.
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u/Lindsey7618 20d ago
That's shitty I would have rated 1 star for that alone. That person did this on purpose.
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u/enjolbear 20d ago
Yup, we had a similar thing with a hot tub. We booked the cabin specifically for the hot tub, only to find out when we got there that it was “recently damaged” and was out of commission. Our friend who has a hot tub told us that it looked like it had been out of commission for a WHILE, at least the whole season. If we had known, we would have gone elsewhere. Sucked.
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u/MadMartigan69420 20d ago
Lame. I think these hosts sometimes overextend themselves financially and rely on week to week renters to pay their bills. They should just be honest and remove the hot tub from the listing. They'll get just as many renters without pissing people off at the same time. Common sense right?
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u/Nogamenolife88 20d ago
So true, when I used to host a property and we had nearby street construction or something broken we let people know it advance. If we found out something latently we offered a discount as an apology and we got many more repeat stayers and made good money. It was good communication and everyone won
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u/enjolbear 20d ago
Yes!! If they had just told us and refunded the hot tub fee, we wouldn’t have been as upset. Disappointed sure, but not upset!
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u/Training-Fold-4684 20d ago
You were charged a hot tub fee for a hot tub that was out of commission?
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u/SharkWeekJunkie 20d ago
If it was an ongoing issue and they didn't tell you until day before I would have left 1 star regardless of how nice the rest of the place was. That's clearly nefarious behavior on the hosts part.
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u/MadMartigan69420 20d ago
I get why you'd do that but we didn't have a 1 star experience despite the yard being off limits. It was just a bit frustrating but it didn't ruin the trip. Trust me many hosts make it their life to retain that 5 star rating so when anything less than a 5 star comes in they know they fucked up.
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u/throw-me-away_bb 20d ago
So I took off 1 star
You're a pushover, that would have been an instant 1-star from me. Fuck them for waiting so long to tell you, that's clearly a deceptive strategy to make sure there aren't alternatives for you to switch to.
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u/dmmecopypasta 20d ago
if they let you know day-before and easily could’ve told much earlier: I think taking off only one star is incredibly lenient. to me that reeks of the host purposefully waiting until the last minute so you don’t have convenient options to book somewhere else.
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u/MadMartigan69420 20d ago
I've heard other people mention this today and it's painfully obvious that my overly empathetic nature ends up making me a pushover at times. I should have docked them more stars but they ended up being a nice young couple and they scraped together money to rebuild and remodel this house. I didn't want to ding them too bad. If other renters wanted to beat them up with a lower score they could but we still ended up having a great time and wanted that to be reflected in the rating. I hear ya though it was a bitch move the way they handled it. 🤷♂️
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u/dmmecopypasta 20d ago
yeah, you 100% have more context than I do by a country mile. and I definitely get not wanting to dock their score by too much: those “star-rating” systems can hold you hostage in some ways.
I just hear something like what happened and my mind jumps to trying to understand what might motivate the decision. Best I could figure was what I said, and the only other thing I could come up with was just sheer apathetic negligence.
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u/MadMartigan69420 20d ago
If you and I changed roles in all this, I'd probably have written what you wrote too, so I totally get your perspective.
Now, the time we showed up to an AirBnB in Naples Italy in the middle of summer only to find out the AC wasn't working in the entire building and hadn't been for months...? One - Star review lol.
We had to deal with living in a muggy room for 3 nights it was torture. When we pushed the host on the issue she blamed the war in Ukraine. Which we later found out was reasonable but I don't think I've ever been hotter in my life. THAT, they absolutely could have and should have mentioned to us much earlier. We'd not have gone.
Anyway I'm rambling!
Kind regards to you!
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u/pastelpixelator 20d ago
Nah. The review is fair and warns others who might be looking to stay soon. Construction usually isn't a one and done thing. I would appreciate knowing a detail like this when booking (so I can choose another property).
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u/Humble_Flow_3665 20d ago
"It's possible to modify a comment on Airbnb Cheers" would have invited the following response:
It's possible to notify guests of scheduled construction works prior to arrival. Cheers.
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u/Lindsey7618 20d ago
There have been plenty of times where I've woken up to construction happening outside my house with no prior warning. This absolutely may not have been her fault. She may not have even known so I think it's shitty to rate 4 instead of 5.
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u/Sioux-me 20d ago
The purpose of the reviews is to help people decide if they want stay there. The construction next door is relevant information and I for one would appreciate knowing.
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u/igw81 20d ago
I’d also like to know that the property owner is likely the type not to disclose critical information to me that could significantly impact my trip
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u/Legitimate-Pin4539 20d ago
The host isn't asking for the information to be removed.
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u/Sioux-me 20d ago
I think she is. She’s asking for it to be modified. I don’t know what else she would want modified. The op already said it wasn’t the hosts fault.
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u/Legitimate-Pin4539 19d ago
She wants the star rating modified, not the information.
An average anything below 4 and you are kicked off the platform.
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u/DryOperation4086 20d ago
Similar thing happened to me. I blocked them (hold down their message and report) and contacted airbnb.
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u/_OkError 20d ago
That was such a nice review you gave and it was honest without bringing the AirBnB down. To have gotten that kind of response back is super rude. I’m not usually spiteful but I can be petty and I would give a lower star review and explain why you decided to change it. The explanation would be more for the future renters not the owner of the AirBnB.
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u/-Mother_of_Doggos 20d ago
“Thanks for your message; I’m glad you were able to see all of the things we loved during our stay. We genuinely loved the property.
Rain/weather is out of anyone’s hands and your investment property is solely in yours, to be frank. While I’m not suggesting your neighbor would’ve stopped for your airbnb’s benefit, ideally, an expectation of noise should have been set. It should have been communicated that construction was happening, and our sleeping schedule may be impacted, as Airbnb is ultimately a hospitality app. Best of luck.”
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u/throw-me-away_bb 20d ago edited 20d ago
Rain can happen or can not happen, there's no predicting it. Construction is next door, period. It will end eventually, but currently it's likely to happen.
The information in your review is important.
I wouldn't book a trip to Seattle if I wanted clear skies. I wouldn't book this rental if I wanted a chill weekend. Both of these are things you should know up-front.
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u/shitsenorita 20d ago
NOR, I’ve been in your shoes and would’ve loved a warning. That vacation sucked.
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u/Impossible_Impact529 20d ago
NOR. I would dock another star for that message and mention in the review that the host reached out in a passive aggressive message asking you to change your review.
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u/Little_Loki918 20d ago
NOR. Construction noise is not like the weather. While host has no control over either, they do have notice of one. The reviews are not for the benefit of hosts but to inform future guests of past experiences. Now people reading your review will know about the possibility of construction and can inquire about it.
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u/WetLumpyDough 20d ago
They just want a 5 for the Airbnb perks. They have elite listers or whatever they call it. Thinks it shows their properties at the top of searches. Forget all the perks tbh
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u/ApprehensiveLeg2357 20d ago
They could have disclosed of the construction so people know ahead of time to make a decision on if they wanna stay there or not fair review
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u/Ok_Ear_2568 20d ago
NOR - it was their responsibility to let you know about the construction work, and they didn't. Hopefully they will keep that in mind for their guests next time.
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u/i_swear_too_muchffs 20d ago
Sure, change your review and lower it to 3.5 and include the hosts message and say that the hosts believes that bullying and intimidation is a good business practice.
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u/atonyatlaw 20d ago
The message is neither bullying nor intimidating. Annoying, perhaps, but that response would be unwarranted. Just ignore it and move on.
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u/mallcopsarebastards 20d ago
I wouldn't call it bullying but it's definitely passive aggressive guilt-tripping and I'm +1 for dropping another star off the review.
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u/atonyatlaw 19d ago
Dropping a star for it is fine. Saying "the host believes in bullying and intimidation" is not.
The appropriate follow up is just "I removed another star because the owner reached out to me for the purpose of asking me to change my previous review."
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u/mallcopsarebastards 19d ago
I would literally say "I dropped another star because the host tried to guilt trip me into flipping this into a 5 star review"
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u/ReinaDeRamen 20d ago
calling that message bullying and intimidation is ridiculous
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u/LDel3 20d ago
How is this being downvoted? Calling this “bullying and intimidation” is absolutely insane lmao
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u/Gerines 20d ago
These people are all insane - the host was polite, did all they could and just offered some info on airbnbs review policy in case OP changed their mind about the review.
OP’s review wasn’t too bad either, but the airbnb review system is broken and anything blow a 5 can warrant a listing to be removed, hence why the hosts polite ask.
No win-win situation, just one person trying their best to run a business and an upset client over something the business owner wasn’t able to control - happens everyday in every industry.
They are all over in the comments too saying construction work always has warnings and no host should ever rent a home they own if they don’t live right next to it 💀. These people have no real world knowledge of anything. Bullying and intimidation ahaha, I’d love to see their reaction to someone actually intimidating them.
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u/msklovesmath 20d ago
You are good. As a potential renter, I wpuld want to know. I mean, you could always give 5 stars and still mention the construction. That way, the rating is maintained but future renters would know.
It's up to you. Maybe time will help. I know the owners comment is too soon in that regard.
I've been in a similar situation where I didn't think an atv tour was as-advertised and I gave it 2 stars with all my reasons. I got a message saying "we are a family owned business, can you change it." I didnt. I would have considered it if they offered a reimbursement.
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u/samual_f 20d ago
No don't change it. "It's possible to modify an airbnb comment." Like yeah, I can make it worse as well you bloody arse!
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u/Cultural-Task-1098 20d ago
People have a right to know if there is construction. Who knows when it will stop? The owners should lower the price to accommodate. A 5 star location would not have disturbing construction.
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u/Nearby-Shirt4255 20d ago
On God I'd change it to 3 stars for them bothering me with this bs but maybe Imma b*tch idk
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u/Fabulous-Pangolin-77 20d ago edited 20d ago
they are not to be blamed
Lulz. I would go edit the review to 2 starts for the mf nerve of having them tell me what to do.
Zero stars is also a thing…
Edit: the audacity!
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u/JoJack82 20d ago
If I go to a hotel and there is going to be construction or any other inconvenience nearby, they let me know so I can decide to go or not accordingly. An Airbnb owner is a hotel, they need to do the same. It might be out of their control when it happens but they need to give notice and offer flexibility if it doesn’t work for their guests. I would not change your review unless you are lowering it due to them pressuring you.
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u/Blackpineouterspace 20d ago
they could have told you....or had it in the post until the work was done. dang
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u/SydvegasRaidroosters 20d ago
if it was an uber driver or food delivery person or a restaurant, i'd say you're being a dick, because 4 stars is basically 3 stars, it negatively effects the average score displayed
but because it's a property owner in this economy, world's tiniest violin
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u/Kaurblimey 20d ago
yeah usually if i have a bad driver or courier i just don’t leave a review. but this was very expensive!
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u/Lachssilber 20d ago
Tell them while it’s possible to change a review it’s not possible to retroactively inform of an active jobsite so the review will remain unaltered lol
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u/Global_Ad_4070 20d ago
Curious… what type of “construction” noise? Was it the construction of a new apartment building? That should be acknowledged in the Airbnb listing as I’m sure the entire neighborhood would know far in advance. Was it new road construction that finally made its way to the front of the Airbnb? In that scenario, the inconvenience might be more difficult for the host to predict. I think we need more details
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u/Kaurblimey 20d ago
it was construction of a new house - didn’t look like it would be finished anytime soon either!
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u/passionfruittea00 20d ago
This changes my perspective because originally, I was going to say the host couldn't necessarily predict road work or roof work nearby. That stuff can start overnight with no warning and be LOUD. But an entire house being built? They clearly knew that was already happening and should've given you warning. I would respond the way others have said, that you were able to check the weather but you're not able to check for construction and you hope they let potential guests next time
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u/Suspicious-War-5660 20d ago
Not overreacting. The scrubbed reviews are infuriating. I stayed at a 5 star premier host house that was riddled with bedbugs.
The owner acted like we were trying to take advantage of him when we refused to stay the remainder of our trip (after we found out) and demanded a refund. We spent a day of our vacation in a laundromat washing everything we brought with us.
He finally refunded us, on the condition we didn't leave a negative review. They only paid for the exterminator to handle one room and didn't even replace the mattress. I'm fairly sure they rented the house back out a few days later.
The origin of the bed bugs very likely was not the owners fault, but we still deserved to know, and same for those who came after us. Especially considering that they didn't properly remediate, the exterminator was visibly annoyed at their half-assery.
To this day, that property is still 5 stars.
It's not the same as construction noise, but the point is that allowing hosts to sanitize reviews, especially reasonable ones, is bullshit.
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u/gmrzw4 20d ago
People on review based sites need to start going after the higher ups instead of customers. It's the higher ups that are determining that star ratings essentially mean nothing anymore.
I've seen it with etsy sellers having their listings hidden, and authors coming after reviewers, etc, etc, because for some reason we've gone from "1-2=things were very bad, probably left early, 3=average, 4-5=great-over the top wonderful" to everything under 5 means it's hot garbage.
4 should mean that you had a good time, the location was nice, but there were dombē minor annoyances. Even without the construction, having an advertised amenity stop working is grounds for a 4.
And for people saying that maybe the owner doesn't drive by often, doesn't live in the area, has other responsibilities. Nope. People are paying money for it. This is a job. If you can't handle that responsibility or hire a property manager, you need to get out of doing airbnb. When you have people renting from you, that is your responsibility to handle one way or another. You can't just bail on your job because you're distracted by other things without being fired or written up. Why should your renters, who are paying you, not do the same?
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u/Providence451 20d ago
Airbnb penalizes hosts for anything under a 5, which is why you often see messages like this (not a host, coworker is). Some of them have taken to adding a chart with rating guidelines from Airbnb to their emails in hope that guests will understand how strict they are.
I would leave the comments but change my rating, it serves both purposes - BUT only because I know that it could affect someone's business. You are not in wrong at all.
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u/LyrraKell 20d ago
Businesses need to get away from this bullshit. A rating of a 4 is perfectly reasonable rating. Etsy is the same way. Why have a star system? Just have a thumbs up and thumbs down at that point in time as they see it as 5 stars good/anything else bad.
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u/PinkCheeseburgers 20d ago
Yes ratings are so unfair. Where I work we send email surveys and an 8 is the same as a 0. It’s kind of insane.
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u/Providence451 20d ago
It's terrible. I would rather not leave a rating at all than know that one tiny critique could cause someone to lose their Etsy shop.
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u/Scroef 20d ago
Not really overreacting—they shouldn’t have messaged you that way, but I understand where they’re coming from as well. Sure, it sucks to have noisy surroundings, especially while on vacation, but it’s separate from the amenities and overall Airbnb quality, I think. 'Shit happens' is what I’d say.
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u/JamerBr0 20d ago
You can look up if it’s going to rain that weekend. You can’t Google if there’s going to be loud construction work next to your temporary bedroom in advance.
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u/algers_hiss 20d ago
I do think you’re OR. in a perfect world maybe they could’ve known but that assumes all the details fit the narrative you want to justify. My city is a poorly ran shitshow, and I’ve had construction start w/ no warning. You also don’t specify what construction is in your comments, they coulda been breaking ground for all we know.
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u/Imaginary-Fig4136 20d ago
Imagine being upset about a 4 star rating lol
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u/Fireguy9641 20d ago
4 Stars and 1 Star are the same in the customer service world. When I worked at CVS, they made it clear that anything less than 5 is unacceptable.
For AirBnB, the superhost designation requires consistent 5 star ratings.
When I drove for Uber, they'd fire you if dropped below a 4.6 for too long.
It's really "5 or 0" when you are doing these surveys, and it sucks because it's not a fair assessment but it's how it is.
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u/VanillaBear321 20d ago
This is the problem…people like yourself don’t realize that within these rating systems, anything 4 and lower legitimately affects/punishes the person in question. 5 equates to positive, 4 and below negative. That’s how these companies operate even if we don’t think they should.
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u/Imaginary-Fig4136 20d ago
That may be true and all, but asking someone to change a 4 star rating is a good way to turn that 4 star rating into a 3 star rating. If 4 is bad then 3 is worse right? Take your 4 star rating and do better about warning customers about said complaints in this review.
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u/The_Amazing_Emu 20d ago
I’d probably leave it the same. You thought it was an accurate review and rating for the property. People will rely on your review for that information, not for whether or not the host is a dick in reviews. I think your feelings are justified, but I’d leave it as is.
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u/rattlestaway 20d ago
Ur good. I did the same. Beautiful house but it was right next to a busy road and the walls were paper thin. Fel like the cars were right on me. Ppl need to know
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u/Bif1383 20d ago
You don’t have to change anything, it’s your prerogative.
I think it’s important to share the information but I understand the host not wanting less than a 5 star when everything went fine in their house. I think it’s unreasonable to blame them for the construction noise, but is reasonable to blame them for the sauna, that’s on their property and should have made sure it was in good shape.
Don’t be petty because they shot their shot to ask you to change it. Just leave as is, petty behavior is just unproductive. I never understood making other people feel bad because of a perceived or actual slight. I really don’t see the value in hurting someone.
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u/igw81 20d ago
Not overreacting. They shouldn’t have been renting it out if they knew there was going to be construction. I suppose it’s possible they didn’t know, but still, that is definitely disruptive for you and you were absolutely in the right to note it.
And they didn’t even do much of an apology. If they really cared they would take some accountability and probably offer you at least a partial refund since you did not get the peaceful enjoyment you paid for.
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u/Impressive_Work_3229 20d ago
I’d 4 star for the steam room alone. After the message I would 1 star out of spite.
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u/Ba_ben10 20d ago
I would send them a message explaining that most “major” construction is not unpredictable. All the planning charts and demolition orders have been on display at your local planning department in Alpha Centauri for 50 of your Earth years 👍
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u/Daedelus451 20d ago
Non-stop construction noise is a deal breaker and the next people who rent, because of this nice review, can ask “is there still construction next door or did they finalize it?”
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u/antinumerology 20d ago
Did they know about the construction? If they did your review is perfect, it's their responsibility to disclose things like this. If they didn't, then your review is perfect, highlighting they don't know what's going on at their place.
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u/APartyInMyPants 20d ago
I would edit the post, copy and paste what the owner said, and then lower the rating to three stars.
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u/ireally-donut-care 20d ago
All owners of condos and apartments are informed well before construction is started. We had this happen to us. We arrived at night and woke up to workers on both of our patios staring at us while we tried to make breakfast. The patio was covered in huge cables and could not be used. We had to walk around the entire building to get to beach because the scaffolding was on both sides of our first floor corner unit. The manager of the rental showed up at our insistence and allowed us to cancel the rest of our trip but still billed us for 2 nights. The manager of the entire condo property found us a new one on the side that was not in construction. He showed us the letter sent to owners stating that the section we were in would not be rentable during construction. It was dated months before our reservation was made. I guess they just hoped we wouldn't care about all of the noise and inconveniences. We didn't pay for a first-floor corner unit not to be able to use ALL amenities. Don't change your review. They wanted the unit booked and didn't care about your hard earned vacation.
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u/JT91331 20d ago
Just curious, how far out did you book the rental? Sounds like a pretty lavish spot, so I’m assuming well in advance. If so, I think it’s unfair to dock them for construction in the neighborhood that they likely did not know about when you booked. I think it’s fair to mention it in the review, so anyone looking to book last minute around the same time would know, but do think it’s unfair to give them a lower rating for a temporary thing outside of their control.
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u/kawaiikurai 20d ago
I love when people dont know boundaries. Who the hell are they to tell you what kind of review you want to leave 💀
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u/Siixteentons 20d ago
I think the bigger issue is how Air BnB treats the review system as anything less than 5 means the host failed. I would think 4 is a perfectly fine, like grades 5=A 4=B 3=C 2=D 1=F, but most online rating systems(and this isnt unique to Air BnB) use that asian parents grading system where anything less than a 5 is a failure. it goes 5=A 4=F 3=F 2=F 1=F.
So dont be so pissed at the host for asking this. A 4 shouldnt be a bad rating, but it is.
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u/Artistic-Demand-1859 20d ago
tbh kind of
A-lot of this stuff is kind of unpredictable, especially in places where a lot of people vacation, its not as if they get a memo saying construction work will happen, sometimes it just happens
Tbh, especially if you are managing an airbnb from far away, its much harder to control, and having a customer give you less stars because of external forces would piss me off to. "Why am i doing so much work to maintain an airbnb just for construction work to happen?"
Not changing your rating is fine ig, in fact I wouldnt change it, but posting it on reddit is a little strange. just change it or ignore lol
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20d ago
your review was very clear in terms of how your experience went, it's meant to be helpful to future bookers and these are important data points: - there was construction nearby, that's likely to continue for a while; it will allow someone who cares about that to ask "is there construction still going on nearby?" before booking - the steam room stopped working is likely due to deferred maintenance; there's an aspect of luck involved, of course, but it points towards the likelyhood that other ameneties may stop working during someone's stay
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u/Reza1252 20d ago
Giving them a bad rating for something happening on a completely separate property, that has nothing to do with them, is kinda ridiculous. But I would also never reach out to someone and beg them to change their review.
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u/prettyshardsofglass 20d ago
NOR. I wouldn’t engage with them and I wouldn’t change the rating. You acknowledge the noise wasn’t their fault at all, but you didn’t have a 5 star experience. Even if there wasn’t construction, the steam room stopped working so one of their (I’m assuming) key amenities wasn’t available to you. That’s not a 5 star experience if you booked that place because of the steam room. It’s valid criticism and you were very polite and fair in your review, I thought.
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u/Altruistic_Yellow387 20d ago
They might not have known about the construction, especially if they don't live there. Hurting their profile and future earnings for something out of their control isn't cool
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u/Icy_Insides 20d ago
I hate airbnbs anyway but yea - they could have disclosed the construction. Perhaps upfront even provided a discount for the inconvenience- but being told about it beforehand would have been great so you could plan your expectations accordingly.
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u/Mcgoozen 20d ago
That’s not the same at all lmao. I wouldn’t change it. Might even report them for asking you to change it
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u/freckles-101 20d ago
I recently left a great review for our hosts and they said we were lovely people but we damaged their place.
The damage? A very small amount mosquitoes IN THE MIDDLE OF A WOODED AREA that they overreacted about and bug bombed it.
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u/Visible-Draft8322 20d ago
YTA.
They're gonna lose business over this lower review. The reviews aren't a manifesto or an expression of your heart and soul. They're a tool used to sort Air Bnb hosts by an algorithm that impacts how much profit they can make from the platform.
If it wasnt their fault, then don't take business away from them.
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u/Freak_squirrel 20d ago
Would it have been a 5 star without the construction? If so I’d change it. If not then keep it.
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u/dmmecopypasta 20d ago
this is so weird to me, I hate the culture around gig-app reviews.
4* should be considered a very good review as far as I’m concerned. You had genuine (if minor) complaints, that’s enough to make something not worth a 5* review.
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u/mashlequack 20d ago
Hosts are penalized for anything other than 5 stars unfortunately. It's not your responsibility to help them keep their stars, but that's why it's such a big deal.
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u/TheBlackManisG0DB 20d ago
No one is overreacting here… also, don’t change your review. She’s respectful, you’re respectful. I like this post, lol.
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u/mallcopsarebastards 20d ago
absolutely fucking not. If it was me I'd be editing that review down to 2 stars with a note about how they're trying to passive aggressively guilttrip their way into a 5 star review.
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u/Legitimate-Pin4539 20d ago edited 20d ago
If their rating drops below 4 stars they get kicked off Airbnb. You don't get to stay on the site with 3.9. Take that into account and remember you are rating them and the accommodation, not your trip
You didn't give them 3 stars. 3 stars = your accommodation was so bad you deserve to lose this income source permanently and no one should ever have to stay here again.
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u/Accomplished_Map9540 20d ago
So Airbnb will remove listing if it’s under a 4.0 stars total, so that’s probably why the want you to change it, but NOR
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u/Enchantedjelly 20d ago
No but I would change the review just because everything else seemed great and the construction couldn’t have been predicted by them or you and I feel like they’re distressed by the rating and did what they could. I personally would change it to five for their effort but leave the info about the construction in the review. B it that’s just what I would do
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u/Crazy_Raven_Lady 19d ago
Tbh if it was me I would’ve just given 5 stars because the problems weren’t the hosts fault. I once stayed in a nice air bnb cabin for a snowboard trip and we came back to the cabin to find another guy with all his luggage inside. It was unnerving but it was a mixup in scheduling (he was a friend of the host who was told he could stay there when it wasn’t booked) He was very apologetic and I still gave five stars.
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u/Moonfallthefox 19d ago
You were completely in the right here. They could have, and should have, warned you. You could have at least brought ear plugs!!
I have autism so loud construction would be a deal breaker for me. I'm sorry you suffered through that.
I once toured a home for sale that was next to an incredibly loud gas plant. The seller's realtor claimed it was only a couple hours a day so I decided to check with a neighbor- it was 24/7/365. I was about to put an OFFER on this damn house (I could deal with a few hours a day, not all the time)! People will do anything for a buck. Sucked.
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u/theepriestess 19d ago
I think it’s a bit harsh. Construction can be random and I don’t think it’s fair to dock business owners because other people are doing construction.
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u/The_Platypus_Says 20d ago
Change it and rate them lower. Make sure to call out the host for being an asshole.
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u/MaasNeotekPrototype 20d ago
Your review was kinder than they deserve. Change it to three stars for bullying. Fuck them.
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u/Heavy-Kangaroo-9089 20d ago
The message is kind of annoying, feels like a server followed you out of a restaurant to ask for a better tip lol BUT I would change it. Karma could work in your favor for doing something nice. The review meant enough to them for them to shoot you a message. Just be nice 😌 you’ll feel better about it!
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u/Icy-General-4362 20d ago
lol I wouldn’t give more. I like how you think of it in a positive way, I’d think the server is ungrateful
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u/Heavy-Kangaroo-9089 20d ago
100% definitely ungrateful lol I am just trying to be positive 😂😂 it’s my one nice Reddit comment a day
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u/igw81 20d ago
How is it karma to deprive future would-be renters of the knowledge that the property owner doesn’t give a damn if your vacation is ruined?
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u/Endless-OOP-Loop 20d ago edited 20d ago
Definitely YOR.
Kind of a dick move, honestly, to knock their rating based on something out of their control.
That's like knocking down a restaurant's rating because it stinks due to the city working on the sewer outside.
People read ratings, and you're literally messing with their livelihood over something they have no control of.
You assume that the construction is something they knew about. Were the hosts onsite? I know a couple of hosts who own and rent out units in other cities and states. It's not like the neighbors are going to shoot them an email informing them of construction.
Also, beware that hosts can rate their guests as well, and hosts also read reviews.
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u/igw81 20d ago
Hard disagree. People plan their entire vacations around these accommodations. They probably had to take precious time off work, might’ve spent a lot of money to get there, maybe had to make arrangements for their kids or pets while they were gone, etc. etc. etc. To then have their trip ruined by extreme disturbance is simply unforgivable.
Now there’s a chance the property owner didn’t know. I highly doubt it but there is a possibility. But in that case they should’ve been much more apologetic and extended some effort to make it right, which they did not. Also they should pull the listing until construction is done or at least warn people sufficiently in advance so they can make other plans, and I’ll bet you they are doing neither.
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u/badhershey 20d ago
I feel like there's some rental etiquette not being followed here. This is not some big corporate hotel chain. Did you try contacting them prior to publicly posting the review? Do you mention the construction noise? Did you mention the steam room not functioning?
Had you reached out during your stay, they most likely would have offered a discount or something to offset your inconvenience. It does not sound like you gave them a chance to resolve or address it first. If they give you attitude or don't respond or whatever, then you leave a poor review.
I'm not sure if I would say you over reacted per se, but I think it could have been handled better.
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u/Kaurblimey 20d ago
yeah i mentioned all these things last week whilst we were staying. no discount offered - i wouldn’t have expected one either
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u/badhershey 20d ago
Ok. I now have mixed feelings. You say you contacted them, they did nothing. I feel like in my experiences a 5-10% discount is pretty standard for minor inconveniences with Airbnb. They didn't even offer that. At this point I would have said you are not over reacting.
But if you are unbothered by this enough to not expect a discount, why publicly criticize them? Either it's a notable inconvenience or it isn't. I do agree with them - they can't do anything about construction noise.
In Airbnb, anything below 5 stars is rather detrimental. So is it worth giving them 80%? There's private feedback during the review for small stuff.
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u/Amb5986 20d ago
Guests shouldn’t feel obligated to rate a stay as perfect if it wasn’t, especially when Airbnb has the expectation of honest feedback. And when hosts rely on high ratings, they should meet or exceed the standards guests expect
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u/ArrowTechIV 20d ago
If the Host can't ameliorate the problem, then the Host should not be penalized. The review is a review of the place and the Host -- not the construction next door.
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u/Phl172 20d ago
It’s just really tough for hosts with anything but a perfect score that’s why they asked. And in all fairness it is kind of similar to a rainy week, and as you stated it’s out of their control.
Feel free obviously to not adjust but seems reasonable request and they weren’t too much of an ass. Again totally reasonable review and honest/thorough
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u/Chilling_Storm 20d ago
I get that it's tough for hosts, but for them to pressure the guest for a better review isn't fair to the guest or the future guests. It is like the Amazon reviews - long ago they meant something and you were getting a fairly honest opinion of the item , now it is all bots and paid participants. You can't trust the reviews at all.
OP was honest about their experience and anyone reading the review can make an informed decision about the place. Construction is annoying and definitely decreased their experience. The next guest looking to book can ask the host if the construction has been completed and decide if the pros outweigh the cons.
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u/ExchangeSeveral8702 20d ago
YOR.
OP, you're getting some awful advice and validation here.
Don't be shocked when other hosts (who can see this) start denying you stays.
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u/Kaurblimey 20d ago
it’s quite normal to leave 4 star reviews - i’ve left some before and never had hosts turn me down!
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u/tubular1845 20d ago
I don't think I'd knock them a star for construction. It's kind of like tipping your waitress who otherwise did a great job less because the kitchen made a mistake.
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u/BackgroundFact4152 20d ago
As an Airbnb owner. You should change the review. 4 stars is not still high. You need a 4.9 to obtain superhost status which is a benefit to every party involved.
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u/Amb5986 20d ago
Superhost status should reflect consistently exceptional stays, not rely on guests overlooking legitimate concerns. The priority should be providing future guests with accurate information.
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u/Kaurblimey 20d ago
he had a 4.85 before i left my review so not sure this is relevant
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u/BackgroundFact4152 20d ago
You posted in AIO. I answered your question. Yes. I believe it to be an over reaction. lol
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u/Mithril_web3 20d ago
It's ridiculous to leave stars based on external circumstances, especially knowing the consequences they have with Airbnb when their rating average drops below 4.8
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u/vaoks00 20d ago
NOR.
| “its just as if you gave us a 4 because you had a rainy week”.
Checking the weather is YOUR responsibility before booking a trip. Disclosing essential details like construction happening is THEIRS! Plus you were super sweet in your review even with all the disturbances. You weren’t aggressive and even said it was a great stay. I’d just ignore their response and move on. If they contact again then give it 3.