Writing a review on Airbnb takes five minutes and happens after your stay ends
You write an Airbnb review through the app or website, in the section called "Your trips". The review window opens 48 hours after checkout and stays open for 14 days. After 14 days, you can still leave a review, but the host cannot see it until they have written theirs — this protects both of you from feeling pressured to match each other's tone.
The review itself is short: a star rating from one to five, a written comment of up to 500 characters (about 80 words), and optional tags that describe what you experienced. You do not need to write much. Most useful reviews are two or three sentences.
The host also writes a review of you at the same time, using the same process. Both reviews post together once both of you have submitted them, or after 14 days if one person does not write one.
Key Takeaways
- The review window opens 48 hours after you check out and closes after 14 days, though you can still write after that if the host has not yet reviewed you.
- You rate the listing with one to five stars, write up to 500 characters of comment, and optionally select tags that describe your stay.
- Both reviews post at the same time once both guests and hosts have submitted, protecting each side from feeling obligated to match the other's rating.
- Honest reviews about what actually happened — cleanliness, noise, accuracy of the listing — help future guests make real decisions.
- You can edit or delete your review within 48 hours of posting it, but after that it becomes permanent.
Where to find the review section and how to start writing
Open the Airbnb app or go to airbnb.com and sign in. Tap or click the profile icon in the top right corner, then select "Trips" or "Your trips". Find the stay you want to review — it will show a card with the listing name, dates, and a button that says "Write a review" or "Leave a review".
Click that button. A form will appear with a star rating at the top. Tap the stars to set your overall rating, then scroll down to the text box where you write your comment. The character counter shows how many words you have left as you type.
Below the text box, you will see optional tags like "Clean", "Great communication", "Accurate listing", "Quiet", or "Great location". You can select as many or as few as explore to your stay. These tags help other guests scan reviews quickly without reading every word.
What to include in a review that actually helps other guests
The most useful reviews mention specific things: whether the listing matched the photos, how clean it was, whether the neighborhood was as described, how responsive the host was, and whether anything was broken or missing. If you had a problem, say what it was. If everything was great, say why.
Avoid vague praise or complaints. "Amazing!" tells the next guest nothing. "The kitchen had no cutting board and the wifi dropped every evening after 8 p.m." tells them exactly what to expect. If you stayed during winter and the heating was weak, say that. If you stayed in summer and it was fine, that matters too — future winter guests need to know.
Keep the tone factual. You are describing what happened, not performing anger or gratitude. A guest reading your review should be able to decide whether your experience matches what they care about, not whether they like your personality.
Star ratings and what they mean on Airbnb
Airbnb does not publish an official guide to what each star means, but the platform treats ratings this way: five stars means you would stay there again and recommend it to a friend. Four stars means it was good but had minor issues. Three stars means it was acceptable but had problems you would want to know about before booking. Two stars means you would not recommend it. One star means the stay was seriously problematic.
A listing with mostly five-star reviews and a few four-star reviews is normal and trustworthy. A listing with all five stars and no variation is sometimes a sign that only friends or family have reviewed it. A listing with many three-star or lower reviews should be read carefully — look at what the problems were and decide if they matter to you.
Your own rating does not have to match the listing's average. If a place has 4.8 stars overall but you had a specific problem, giving it three or four stars is honest and useful. Other guests with the same concern will read your review and understand the trade-off.
How to edit or remove a review after you post it
You can edit your review for 48 hours after you post it. Open the review, tap or click the three-dot menu icon, and select "Edit review". Make your changes and save. After 48 hours, the edit option disappears and your review becomes permanent.
If you want to remove a review after it posts, you can delete it within 48 hours the same way — tap the three-dot menu and select "Delete review". After 48 hours, you cannot delete it yourself. If you believe a review violates Airbnb's policies, you can report it to Airbnb support, but you cannot remove your own words after the window closes.
What happens if the host writes a negative review of you
Host reviews of guests are visible to future hosts but not to other guests. Your review history affects whether hosts accept your booking requests, especially if you have multiple negative reviews or a pattern of complaints. If a host leaves a review you believe is unfair or false, you can contact Airbnb support to report it, but Airbnb does not remove reviews straightforward because you disagree with them.
The best protection is to follow house rules, communicate clearly with the host, and leave the space in the condition you found it. If a problem arises during your stay, message the host right away rather than waiting to mention it in a review. Hosts are more likely to help solve a problem in real time than to dispute a review written afterward.
Reviews that violate Airbnb's policies and get removed
Airbnb removes reviews that contain hate speech, threats, or personal attacks on the host or other guests. Reviews that mention illegal activity, reviews that appear to be written by someone who did not stay at the listing, and reviews that are purely promotional or spam also get removed.
You cannot be punished for leaving an honest negative review about the listing itself — saying the place was dirty or the wifi did not work is not a violation. But if your review attacks the host personally, uses slurs, or makes accusations unrelated to your stay, Airbnb will take it down. Stick to describing what you experienced, and your review will stand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I write a review before the 48-hour window opens?
No. Airbnb locks the review button until 48 hours after your checkout time. This delay gives both you and the host time to cool down if something went wrong and prevents reviews written in the heat of the moment. You can write your review anytime after that 48-hour mark up until 14 days have passed.
What if I forgot to write a review and it has been more than 14 days?
You can still write a review after 14 days, but it will not post when ready. Your review will stay hidden until the host writes their review of you. Once both reviews exist, they post together. This means your late review might not appear for weeks or months if the host has already reviewed you and moved on.
Do I have to write a review?
No. Reviews are optional. You can skip writing one and the transaction is complete. However, hosts appreciate reviews and are more likely to accept future booking requests from guests who leave them. If you had a good stay, a quick review takes two minutes and helps the host and future guests.
Can the host see my review before they write theirs?
Not if you both write within the 14-day window. Your reviews post at the same time, so neither of you sees the other's words first. If one of you waits longer than 14 days, the other's review becomes visible, which can feel awkward. Writing within the window protects both sides.
What if I want to change my star rating but keep my comment?
You can edit your review within 48 hours and change the stars, the text, or both. After 48 hours, you cannot edit it. If you realize you rated too harshly or too generously after the window closes, you can delete the review and write a new one, but only within the 48-hour window from your original post.