Write your review within 30 days of checkout, directly from your Airbnb account
You can leave a review on Airbnb through the app or website, but only after your stay has ended. Open your account, go to "Trips," find the listing you stayed at, and select "Write a review." You have 30 days from your checkout date to post it. After 30 days, the option disappears and you cannot add or edit a review.
Airbnb shows your review to future guests and to the host. The host can also leave a review about you, and both reviews go live at the same time — neither one appears until both are written or the 14-day window closes. This means you might not see your review posted right away if the host hasn't written theirs yet.
Key Takeaways
- You must write your review within 30 days of checkout through your Airbnb account under "Trips," or you lose the chance to post one.
- Rate the listing on cleanliness, communication, accuracy, value, and location using the five-star scale, then write a paragraph explaining your rating.
- Be specific about what worked and what didn't — mention actual rooms, amenities, or neighborhood details rather than vague complaints.
- Both your review and the host's review post at the same time, so your review may not appear when ready if the host hasn't finished theirs yet.
- Avoid accusations, profanity, and personal attacks; Airbnb removes reviews that violate its content policy, and hosts can report abusive language.
The five-star rating categories and what they measure
Airbnb asks you to rate five separate things: Cleanliness, Communication, Accuracy, Value, and Location. Each gets its own star rating from one to five. These categories help future guests understand different parts of the stay, not just whether you liked it overall.
Cleanliness covers the condition of the space when you arrived and how well it was maintained. Rate based on what you actually found — dirty dishes, stains, dust, or broken fixtures lower the score. Communication measures how quickly and helpfully the host responded to your messages before and during your stay. Accuracy asks whether the listing description, photos, and amenities matched what you found in person. If the listing said "full kitchen" but had only a hot plate, that is an accuracy problem, not a cleanliness one.
Value is your judgment of whether the price matched what you got. A spotless, well-equipped apartment in an expensive city might be five stars for value even if the neighborhood is loud, because you knew what you were paying for. Location is separate from value — rate it on how convenient the neighborhood was for your needs, whether the listing's stated distance to transit or attractions was accurate, and how safe or noisy the area felt.
Write a paragraph that explains your rating and gives specific details
After you select your star ratings, Airbnb gives you a text box for a written review. This is where you explain why you gave those ratings. A review that just says "Great place!" or "Terrible experience" does not help anyone. Instead, mention specific things: the kitchen had a broken oven, the host responded within an hour, the bed was uncomfortable, the neighborhood had good restaurants nearby, or the photos showed a different layout than what you found.
Aim for two to four sentences. Say what worked, what didn't, and who the listing suits best. For example: "The apartment was clean and the host was responsive, but the photos made the bedroom look larger than it actually is. The location is perfect if you want to be near the waterfront, but street noise was loud after 10 p.m. Good for a solo traveler or couple; might be tight for a family." This tells the next guest what to expect and why you rated it the way you did.
Avoid vague complaints like "the place was weird" or "the host was rude." Instead, describe what happened: "The host did not respond to my message about the broken shower for 18 hours" or "The listing said the bedroom had a queen bed, but it was a full." Specific details are more useful and harder to dispute.
What to do if something went seriously wrong during your stay
If you had a major problem — the place was not safe, had a pest infestation, or the host was abusive — do not wait until the review window to report it. Contact Airbnb through the app or website while you are still there or when ready after checkout. Go to "Help" and describe the issue. Airbnb can refund you or move you to another listing if you report during your stay, but they cannot help if you only mention it in a review weeks later.
Once you have reported the issue to Airbnb, you can mention it in your review, but frame it as what happened rather than an attack on the host. "The shower flooded the bathroom on day two and the host did not respond to my messages for 24 hours" is a factual review. "The host is incompetent and doesn't care about guests" is a personal attack and Airbnb may remove it.
Avoid language and claims that Airbnb will remove
Airbnb has rules about what can stay in a review. Do not use profanity, make accusations without evidence, include contact information, or attack the host personally. Reviews that say things like "the host is a scammer" or "I got bed bugs here" can be removed if the host disputes them, especially if you did not report the problem to Airbnb at the time.
You can say "I found what looked like bed bug bites after my stay" or "I was concerned about the cleanliness because I saw [specific thing]." You cannot say "This place gave me bed bugs" unless you have proof and reported it during your stay. The difference is between describing what you observed and making a claim you cannot back up.
Do not include your name, email, phone number, or social media handles in the review. Airbnb removes these for privacy and safety reasons. If you want the host to contact you after your stay, message them directly through the app instead.
How hosts use your review and what happens if you leave a low rating
Your review becomes part of the listing's overall rating, which affects how often Airbnb shows it to future guests. Listings with lower ratings appear lower in search results. Hosts can see your review and may respond to it publicly — their response appears below your review for other guests to read. They cannot edit or delete your review, but they can dispute it with Airbnb if they believe it violates the content policy.
Leaving a low rating does not punish you or start a conflict. Hosts understand that not every stay is perfect, and a thoughtful one-star review with specific reasons is more valuable than a vague four-star one. What matters is honesty. If you had a bad experience, say so. If you had a good one, say that instead. Hosts read reviews to improve, and future guests read them to decide whether to book.
Edit or delete your review if you change your mind
You can edit your review anytime after you post it by going back to "Trips," selecting the listing, and choosing "Edit review." You can change your star ratings, rewrite the paragraph, or delete the review entirely. If you delete it, it disappears from the listing when ready and cannot be recovered.
If you realize you made a factual error — you said the host did not respond when they actually did, or you confused details from another stay — editing is the right move. If you left a review in anger and want to remove it, you can do that too. There is no penalty for editing or deleting your own review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see the host's review of me before I post mine?
No. Neither review appears until both are written or the 14-day window closes. You cannot see what the host said about you before you submit your review. Once both reviews are posted, you can read theirs and they can read yours.
What if the host leaves me a bad review?
You can respond to their review publicly through your Airbnb profile. Keep your response factual and brief — do not argue or insult them. Future guests will read both reviews and make their own judgment. If the host's review contains false accusations or violates Airbnb's policy, you can report it through the app.
Do I have to leave a review?
No, leaving a review is optional. If you do not post one within 30 days, the option closes and you cannot add a review later. The host can still leave a review about you, and it will post after 14 days whether or not you wrote one.
Can I leave a review if I cancelled my booking?
No. You can only review a stay you actually completed. If you cancelled before arriving or left early, you cannot post a review of that listing.
What happens if my review gets removed?
Airbnb will send you a message explaining why. Common reasons are profanity, personal attacks, unverifiable claims, or contact information. You can edit your review to fix the problem and resubmit it, or you can contact Airbnb support to appeal if you believe the removal was a mistake.