Leave a review within 48 hours of checkout, or you lose the chance forever
Airbnb lets you post a review for up to 48 hours after your checkout time. Once that window closes, the option disappears from your account and you cannot add one later. The review goes live when ready after you submit it, and both you and the host can see it right away. If you want to change what you wrote, you have up to 30 days to edit it before the review becomes permanent.
The review section lives in your Airbnb account under "Trips" — the same place where you see your booking confirmation and receipt. You do not need to contact Airbnb or the host to post a review. The entire process takes about two minutes and happens entirely within the app or website.
Key Takeaways
- You have exactly 48 hours from your checkout time to post a review, after which the option vanishes permanently.
- The review appears when ready and is visible to the host and other guests, so write what you actually experienced rather than what you think the host wants to hear.
- You can edit your review for up to 30 days after posting, but after that it becomes locked and cannot be changed.
- A star rating (1 to 5) is required, but the written comment is optional — you can post stars alone if you choose.
- Hosts can reply to your review publicly, and their reply stays attached to yours permanently.
Finding the review option in your account
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" from the menu. You will see a list of all your past bookings. Find the property you just left and tap or click on it to open the booking details.
Scroll down until you see a section that says "How was your stay?" with empty stars. This is where you post your review. If you do not see this section, either 48 hours have already passed since checkout or you are looking at a booking that has not yet ended. The review option only appears after checkout is complete.
What the star rating means and how hosts use it
Airbnb asks you to give a star rating from 1 to 5. A 5-star review means you had no problems and would book there again. A 4-star review typically means the stay was good but something minor was off — the wifi was slow, the neighborhood was noisier than expected, or the host took a while to respond. A 3-star review signals that the property had real issues but was still usable. Anything below 3 stars tells other guests that something went seriously wrong.
Hosts see your star rating before they see your written comment, and the rating affects their overall score on the platform. A single 1-star or 2-star review can drop a host's average noticeably, especially if they do not have many bookings. This is why some hosts ask guests to contact them before leaving a low rating — they want a chance to fix the problem. You are not obligated to do this, but it is worth considering if something went wrong that the host could have resolved.
Writing your review: what to include and what to avoid
Your written comment is optional, but it is the most useful part of your review for other guests. Describe what you actually experienced: whether the listing matched the photos, whether the host was responsive, whether the place was clean, whether the neighborhood was safe and convenient, and whether the price felt fair for what you got. Be specific. "Great place" tells nobody anything. "The kitchen had no cutting board or sharp knives, which made cooking difficult" tells the next guest exactly what to expect.
Avoid personal attacks on the host or other guests. Do not post contact information, links, or anything that looks like spam. Do not mention prices or payment disputes — Airbnb has a separate resolution process for those. If something was genuinely dangerous or the host violated Airbnb's rules, report it to Airbnb directly instead of only mentioning it in the review. Airbnb staff can take action on rule violations, but a review alone cannot force a refund or penalty.
Keep your tone factual rather than emotional. "The host was rude" is an opinion. "The host did not respond to my message for 36 hours, and when they did, they said the heating was not their responsibility" is a fact that other guests can evaluate for themselves. Facts are more useful and harder to dispute.
Submitting your review and what happens next
Once you have written your stars and comment, tap or click the "Submit" button. Your review posts when ready and becomes visible to the host and to anyone browsing that listing. You will see a confirmation message, and the review will appear in your "Trips" section under that booking.
The host receives a notification that you have left a review. They can then post a public reply to your review, which will appear directly below yours. This reply is visible to all future guests and stays attached to your review permanently. Hosts sometimes use this space to thank guests, to clarify something the guest mentioned, or to explain their side of a story. You cannot delete a host's reply, but you can edit your own review if you want to add context.
Editing or removing your review
You have 30 days from the date you posted your review to edit it. Go back to your "Trips" section, find the booking, and look for an "Edit review" option. You can change your stars, rewrite your comment, or delete the comment entirely while keeping the stars. After 30 days, the review becomes permanent and cannot be changed.
You cannot delete a review after it is posted, even within the 30-day window. You can only edit it or remove the written comment and leave stars alone. If you posted something you deeply regret, your only option is to contact Airbnb Support and explain the situation — they may be able to remove it in rare cases, but this is not may provide.
What happens if you do not leave a review
If you do not post a review within 48 hours of checkout, the option disappears from your account permanently. The host will see that you did not leave a review, but this does not penalize them — Airbnb only counts reviews that were actually posted. You cannot go back and post a review months later, even if you change your mind.
Some guests choose not to review because they had a neutral stay and do not feel strongly either way. Others forget about the 48-hour window. If you realize after the important date has passed that you wanted to leave feedback, you can contact Airbnb Support and ask if they can reopen the review window, but they rarely do. The best approach is to write your review before you check out or when ready after, while the experience is fresh.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the host see my review before it posts?
No. Your review is private until you submit it. Once you tap or click "Submit," it becomes public when ready and the host is notified. You cannot send a draft to the host for approval or feedback.
What if I want to change my review after 30 days?
You cannot edit a review after 30 days have passed. The review becomes locked and permanent. If you need to add important information, you can contact Airbnb Support, but they typically do not reopen reviews unless there is a factual error or a safety concern.
Can I leave a review if I cancelled my booking?
No. Airbnb only lets you review bookings you actually completed. If you cancelled before your stay began or left early, you will not see a review option for that booking.
Does Airbnb remove reviews for being too negative?
Airbnb removes reviews only if they violate its content policy — for example, if they contain hate speech, threats, or personal information. A negative but factual review will stay up, even if the host disagrees with it.
What if the host leaves a bad review of me?
Hosts can review guests just as guests review hosts. If a host leaves a negative review, it appears on your profile and affects how other hosts see you. You can reply publicly to a host's review of you, and you can contact Airbnb Support if you believe the review violates their policies.