Where to find reviews on an Airbnb listing
Reviews appear on every Airbnb listing page, below the photos and description. Scroll down past the "About this place" section and you will see a heading that says "Reviews" followed by a number — that number is the total count of reviews the listing has received. Below that heading, Airbnb shows the most recent reviews first, usually three to five at a time depending on your screen size.
On a computer, the reviews section takes up the middle column of the page. On a phone, it appears after you scroll past the price, the host's name, and the house rules. You do not need to log into your Airbnb account to read reviews — anyone can view them whether they have booked before or not.
Key Takeaways
- Reviews appear on the listing page below the description and are visible to anyone, whether or not you have an Airbnb account.
- Each review shows the guest's name, the date they stayed, their star rating, and their written comment about the property.
- You can sort reviews by newest first, oldest first, or highest rating to focus on the feedback most useful to you.
- The overall star rating at the top of the reviews section is an average of all reviews the listing has received.
- Photos uploaded by guests who left reviews appear in a separate section and show what the space actually looked like during their stay.
What information each review contains
Every review on Airbnb shows the guest's first name and last initial, the date they stayed, and a star rating from one to five stars. Below that is the guest's written comment, which can be anywhere from a single sentence to several paragraphs. Some guests also upload photos of the space during their stay, and those appear in a gallery labeled "Photos from guests."
The star rating reflects the guest's overall experience — five stars means they were very satisfied, and one star means they had significant problems. A guest can also rate specific categories like cleanliness, communication, and accuracy of the listing, and those individual ratings are averaged into the overall star count you see at the top of the reviews section.
How to sort and filter reviews
At the top of the reviews section, you will see buttons that let you change the order. Click "Newest" to see the most recent stays first, "Oldest" to see the earliest reviews, or "Highest rated" to see five-star reviews at the top. This is useful because a listing that had problems two years ago but has been fixed will show better recent reviews if you sort by newest.
You can also filter by star rating — click the star icon and select "5 stars," "4 stars," or another number to see only reviews at that level. This helps you quickly spot patterns. If most reviews are five stars but a few are one or two stars, reading those lower-rated reviews first tells you what specific problems some guests ran into.
Understanding the overall rating and what it means
The large number at the top of the reviews section — usually shown as something like "4.8" or "4.9" — is the average of all reviews the listing has received. Airbnb rounds this to one decimal place. A listing with 4.8 stars means most guests were satisfied, but some had minor issues or the property is not perfect for everyone.
A listing with fewer than five reviews may have a rating that swings more dramatically with each new review. A property with 200 reviews and a 4.7 rating is more reliable information than a property with two reviews and a 5.0 rating, because the larger sample size smooths out the effect of any single guest's experience. Airbnb does not hide low-rated listings — you will see them in search results alongside highly-rated ones.
Reading reviews for red flags and patterns
Scan the written comments for repeated complaints. If three different guests mention that the wifi does not work, or that the host took hours to respond, that is a real problem. If one guest complains about noise and another praises how quiet it is, that tells you the noise level depends on the neighborhood or the time of year.
Pay attention to reviews from guests who stayed for the same length of time you plan to stay. A one-night guest's experience may be very different from a one-month guest's experience. Also look at the date — a review from six months ago may describe conditions that have since changed, especially if the host has posted newer reviews saying they fixed something.
Photos uploaded by previous guests
Guest photos appear in a separate gallery labeled "Photos from guests" or sometimes "Guest photos." These are real pictures taken during actual stays, not professional photos the host hired someone to take. They show you what the space looks like in normal lighting and normal conditions — not styled for a photoshoot.
Guest photos are especially useful for checking details like whether the bed is as comfortable as it looks, whether the kitchen has the equipment you need, or whether the bathroom is as clean as the host's photos suggest. If the host's photos show a spotless kitchen but guest photos show clutter or stains, that is a sign the listing may not be cleaned as thoroughly as advertised.
What you cannot see in reviews
Airbnb does not show you reviews that guests wrote but then deleted, or reviews that the host asked Airbnb to remove. Hosts can request removal of reviews they believe violate Airbnb's policies — for example, reviews that contain personal information or reviews that seem unrelated to the stay itself. This means the reviews you see are not necessarily every review ever written about a listing.
You also cannot see reviews that are still being written — guests have 14 days after checkout to leave a review, so a listing may have had guests stay recently who have not yet posted their feedback. This is why a listing with many bookings but a low review count may straightforward be new or popular with guests who do not leave reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see reviews before I create an Airbnb account?
Yes. Reviews are public and visible to anyone viewing the listing page, whether you are logged in or not. You can read all the reviews, sort them, and view guest photos without signing up for Airbnb.
Why does a listing have a high star rating but some bad reviews?
A few low ratings do not pull down a high average if most reviews are five stars. A listing with 100 five-star reviews and 5 one-star reviews will still show around 4.8 stars. Read the low-rated reviews to see if the problems are deal-breakers for you or if they seem like isolated incidents.
Are guest photos real or edited?
Guest photos are uploaded by people who actually stayed at the property, so they are real. Airbnb does not edit them or filter them for quality. They may be taken with phone cameras in different lighting, so they look different from the host's professional photos — that is normal and actually useful for seeing the space as it really is.
What if I see a review that seems fake or unfair?
You can report a review to Airbnb if you believe it violates their policies — for example, if it contains personal information or seems unrelated to the stay. Click the three dots next to the review and select "Report." Airbnb will investigate, but they do not remove reviews just because you disagree with the guest's opinion.
How recent do reviews need to be to matter?
Recent reviews are more reliable because they reflect current conditions. A review from last month tells you more about what to expect than a review from two years ago. However, if a listing has consistent five-star reviews over several years, that suggests the host maintains the property well over time.