Where to find the review option after checkout
You can leave a review on Airbnb within 14 days after your checkout date. The review window opens automatically once your stay ends, and Airbnb will send you an email reminder with a link to the review page. You do not have to write a review — it is optional — but hosts and future guests rely on honest feedback to make decisions.
To find the review option on your own without waiting for the email, open the Airbnb app or website, go to your account menu, and select "Trips". Find the listing you stayed at and tap or click "Leave a review". If you see a message saying the review window has closed, you have passed the 14-day important date and cannot add a review for that stay.
The review form will not appear until after your checkout time on the final day. If you try to review before then, the button will be greyed out or unavailable.
Key Takeaways
- You have 14 days from your checkout date to leave a review, and Airbnb sends an email reminder with a direct link.
- Reviews are optional, but they help hosts improve and help future guests make informed decisions about bookings.
- You rate the listing on cleanliness, communication, accuracy, location, check-in, and value using a five-star scale.
- Once you submit a review, you cannot edit or delete it, so read it over before you hit submit.
- Your review is visible to the host and to other guests searching for that listing.
What information the review form asks for
The Airbnb review form has two parts: a star rating and optional written comments. The star rating breaks down into six categories: cleanliness, communication, accuracy, location, check-in, and value. You rate each one from one to five stars. You do not have to rate all six equally — you might give five stars for location but three stars for cleanliness, for example.
After the star ratings, there is a text box where you can write up to 500 characters of comments. This is where you explain your rating or mention specific details — for example, "The kitchen was well-stocked but the WiFi was slow" or "Host responded to my question in 10 minutes." You can leave this box blank if you prefer to rate only with stars.
Airbnb also asks whether you would recommend this listing to a friend. This is a yes-or-no question separate from your written review.
How to write a helpful review
A helpful review is honest and specific. Instead of writing "Great place," mention what made it great: "The host left fresh coffee and pastries, the bed was very comfortable, and the neighborhood was quiet." Instead of "Dirty," describe what you found: "The bathroom had hair on the floor and the kitchen smelled like old food." Hosts use this feedback to improve, and future guests use it to decide whether the listing matches what they are looking for.
Avoid personal attacks or comments about the host's appearance, background, or life outside the listing. Focus on the property, the amenities, the accuracy of the listing description, and your experience during the stay. If something was broken or missing, say so — that is useful information. If the listing photos were misleading, mention that too.
Keep your tone respectful even if you had a bad experience. A review that sounds angry or mean is less likely to be taken seriously, and Airbnb may remove it if it violates their review policy.
What happens after you submit your review
Once you submit your review, it becomes visible to the host when ready. The host can then leave a review of you as a guest, and they have 14 days to do so. Your review also appears on the listing page for other guests to read, usually within a few hours.
You cannot edit or delete a review after you submit it. Airbnb does this to keep reviews honest and prevent hosts or guests from changing their feedback after a dispute. If you made a typo or want to add something, you will have to contact Airbnb support and explain why, but they rarely allow changes.
If your review violates Airbnb's content policy — for example, if it contains hate speech, threats, or personal information — Airbnb may remove it without telling you why. Their policy prohibits reviews that are off-topic, defamatory, or that disclose information like phone numbers or addresses.
Leaving a review if there was a problem during your stay
If something went seriously wrong — the listing was not as described, the host was unresponsive, or there was a safety issue — you should report it to Airbnb support before or when ready after checkout, not just in your review. Airbnb has a separate resolution process for disputes, and reporting through that channel gives you a chance to get a refund or other compensation.
Your review can mention the problem, but the review alone will not trigger a refund or investigation. You need to open a case with Airbnb support through the "Resolution Center" in your account. Once a case is resolved, you can still leave a review, but be aware that your review will be public and the host will see it.
If the host left a negative review of you first, you can still leave an honest review of the listing. Your review of the property is separate from any dispute about your behavior as a guest.
Understanding the star rating system
Each of the six categories — cleanliness, communication, accuracy, location, check-in, and value — uses a five-star scale. One star means poor, and five stars means excellent. You do not have to give the same rating to every category. For example, you might rate a listing five stars for location and communication but three stars for value if the price was high relative to what you got.
The overall rating that appears on the listing page is an average of all the reviews it has received. A single review does not determine the listing's rating. If a listing has 50 reviews averaging 4.8 stars and you leave a three-star review, the overall rating will drop slightly but will still reflect the majority of guests' experiences.
Hosts can see which categories you rated low, so if you give three stars for cleanliness, the host will know that was the issue. This helps them understand what to improve.
What you cannot do in a review
Airbnb removes reviews that contain personal information (phone numbers, email addresses, names of people not involved in the listing), hate speech, threats, or language that is sexually explicit or graphic. You also cannot use your review to advertise another service or listing, and you cannot ask the host to change their review of you in exchange for changing yours.
You cannot review a listing you did not actually stay at, and you cannot review a stay that was cancelled before you checked in. If you had a reservation that fell through, you will not see a review option for that booking.
Do not include photos or videos in your review text — Airbnb does not support media uploads in the review form itself. If you want to share photos of a problem, you can contact Airbnb support separately and upload them through the Resolution Center.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I leave a review after the 14-day window closes?
No. Once 14 days have passed since your checkout date, the review button disappears and you cannot add a review for that stay. If you missed the window, you can contact Airbnb support to explain, but they rarely grant exceptions. Plan to write your review within a few days of checkout while the experience is fresh.
What if the host leaves a bad review of me first?
You can still leave an honest review of the listing. Your review of the property is independent of the host's review of you as a guest. If you believe the host's review is unfair or violates Airbnb's policy, you can report it to Airbnb support, but your own review should focus on the listing itself, not on defending yourself.
Can I change my review after I submit it?
No. Once submitted, your review cannot be edited or deleted by you. If you made a significant error or believe your review was posted by mistake, contact Airbnb support, but they rarely allow changes. Read your review carefully before you click submit.
Will the host know who left a negative review?
Yes. The host can see your name, your profile photo, and your review. They will know it came from you. This is why it is important to be honest but respectful — your review is not anonymous.
What if I did not stay long enough to form an opinion?
You can still leave a review based on what you experienced, even if it was a short stay. Be honest about what you observed — cleanliness, how accurately the listing matched the photos, how responsive the host was, and whether the price felt fair for what you got. A short stay is still a valid data point for future guests.