How to leave a review after your stay
You can write a review on Airbnb up to 14 days after your checkout date. Open the Airbnb app or website, go to your account menu, select "Trips," find the listing you stayed at, and click "Review your stay." You'll see a form where you rate the host and property on a scale of one to five stars, then write your written review in the text box below. Submit when you're done—your review goes live once the host has also left a review for you, or after 48 hours, whichever comes first.
If you don't see a "Review your stay" button, the review window may have closed. Airbnb stops accepting reviews 14 days after checkout. You cannot edit or delete a review once it's published, so take your time writing it the first time.
Key Takeaways
- You have 14 days after checkout to write a review; after that, the option disappears.
- Your review appears publicly only after the host writes their review of you, or after 48 hours pass, whichever happens first.
- Ratings cover the host, cleanliness, communication, location, and value—you rate each separately on a one-to-five scale.
- Reviews cannot be edited or deleted once published, so proofread before you submit.
- Hosts can see your review before it goes public if they review you first, but they cannot ask you to change it.
What the rating categories mean
Airbnb asks you to rate five separate things: cleanliness, communication, location, value, and the host themselves. Each gets its own one-to-five star rating. A five-star rating means excellent; one star means poor. You don't have to give the same rating to each category—you might rate cleanliness as five stars but value as three stars if the price felt high.
The "host" rating covers how responsive they were, how helpful they seemed, and whether they followed through on what they promised. The "communication" rating is specifically about how quickly and clearly they answered your messages. "Cleanliness" covers the condition of the space when you arrived. "Location" is about how convenient the neighborhood was for what you wanted to do. "Value" is whether you felt the nightly rate was fair for what you got.
Writing a review that's useful to other guests
The written part of your review is where you describe your actual experience. Be specific: instead of "great place," say "the kitchen had everything we needed and the host left clear instructions for the coffee maker." Instead of "dirty," say "the bathroom had hair in the shower and the kitchen counters weren't wiped down." Hosts and future guests both read these details, and they matter more than the star rating alone.
Mention things that aren't obvious from the listing photos: whether the bed was comfortable, if the neighborhood was noisier than expected, whether the WiFi worked, or if the heating or air conditioning actually reached all the rooms. If something was broken or missing, say so. If the host fixed a problem quickly, mention that too. Honest reviews help other travelers make better decisions and help hosts understand what to improve.
When a stay went wrong
If your stay had a serious problem—the place wasn't as described, something was broken, the host was unresponsive, or you felt unsafe—you can report it to Airbnb separately from your review. Go to your Trips, select the listing, and look for a "Report a problem" or "Get help" button. Airbnb investigates these reports and may refund you or take action against the host. This is different from leaving a review and should happen while your stay is fresh, ideally before you check out.
You can still write a review after reporting a problem. Your review should describe what happened factually. Airbnb's rules prohibit reviews that are abusive, include contact information, or make accusations without evidence. Stick to what you observed and experienced.
Reviews and host responses
Once your review is published, the host can write a response to it. They might thank you, explain something you mentioned, or ask you to contact them about a concern. Host responses are public and appear below your review. Hosts cannot ask Airbnb to remove your review or change it, and you cannot edit your review after it's live, so neither of you can alter what was written.
If a host's response is abusive or violates Airbnb's policies, you can report it. Airbnb reviews the response and may remove it. Your original review stays up regardless.
How reviews affect hosts and future bookings
Host ratings appear on their listing page and affect how often their place shows up in search results. Listings with lower average ratings appear lower in searches, and some guests filter to show only highly-rated hosts. A single one-star review won't destroy a host's rating if they have many five-star reviews, but patterns matter—if most reviews mention the same problem, future guests will see that.
Your review is permanent and public. Other guests will read it when deciding whether to book. Hosts will read it and may use your feedback to make changes. Take the time to be fair and specific so your review actually helps people make good decisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I write a review if I didn't stay the full night?
Yes. As long as you completed a booking and checked out, you can review within 14 days. Airbnb doesn't require you to have stayed a certain number of nights.
What happens if I don't write a review?
Nothing. You're not required to review. The listing remains available and the host can still review you. After 14 days, the option to review closes and you cannot go back to it later.
Can the host see my review before it's published?
Only if the host reviews you first. If they leave their review of you before the 48-hour window closes, your review becomes visible to them before it goes public. They cannot ask you to change it or report it as unfair just because they disagree.
What if I wrote a review and now I want to change it?
You cannot edit or delete a published review. Airbnb's system doesn't allow it. If you made a factual error, you can contact Airbnb support and explain the mistake, but they rarely remove reviews. Write carefully before you submit.
Do I have to rate all five categories?
Yes. You cannot submit a review without rating cleanliness, communication, location, value, and the host. Each category requires a star rating from one to five.