How to get good reviews on Airbnb

Guests trust other guests. That’s why earning good reviews (and reminding guests to leave reviews in the first place) is critical to your success as a vacation rental owner. Depending on your vacation rental’s location, competition for bookings can be fierce. And a steady stream of 5-star reviews online can be what convinces a guest to choose your home over all the others.

Plus, the better your reviews, the higher you’ll rank in Airbnb’s search results. That means more visibility and more bookings on their platform.

Here are 5 expert strategies to help prompt 5-star reviews from every guest.

1. Describe your vacation rental truthfully and accurately

It all starts here—with honesty and realistic expectations. Don’t exaggerate your home’s appeal or hide any pitfalls. The truth will come out eventually in the form of a bad review.

Is the road leading up to your mountain cabin bumpy, rough terrain? Express that your vacation home is best for travelers with four-wheel drive, instead of putting guests at risk of getting stuck on the drive over. Is your oceanfront condo next to a boisterous beach bar? Being upfront about it in your listing description—and setting expectations—will make it easier to keep complaints at bay and still keep guests happy.

You can also consider reframing any potential negative as a positive, while being transparent at the same time. For example, describe the noisy beach bar as the “pulsing heart of our boardwalk” or “a lively and popular gathering spot for locals.”

Learn how to write persuasive Airbnb and vacation rental listing descriptions that will compel guests to book.

2. Greet them with an ultra-clean home

A pristine vacation home is essential for today’s travelers. Clean is now synonymous with safe and sanitized. When guests first walk through your front doors, they tend to feel excited for the vacation to come, while also concerned with how clean everything is. When was the last time those bed sheets were laundered? Are the dishes really clean?

After all, unlike hotels, most vacation rentals are individually owned without a professional cleaning staff. (Vacasa is one of the few vacation rental management companies in North America that employs housekeepers.) Hire a housecleaner so your home is spotless upon check in. This will put guests at ease and set the scene for a 5-star experience worth raving about.

Follow this vacation rental cleaning checklist to make your home as immaculate as possible for every guest stay.

3. Go above and beyond with vacation rental amenities

How do you turn a so-so visit into something special? Over-deliver amenities. Show guests you’ve really thought about their experience and their comfort. Suffice to say, cover the necessities first. This includes things like plush towels, a coffee maker, hand soap, and WiFi.

Then, go above and beyond with your extras. Have a lake house? Stock thoughtful amenities like outdoor folding chairs, marshmallow roasting sticks, and beach towels. If you cater to families, do parents a favor by offering high chairs, easy-to-install baby gates, playpens, and non-breakable dinnerware for kids.

For a comprehensive list of all the essentials guests need and the extras they want, check out our ultimate inventory checklist for vacation rentals.

4. Stay as a guest at a nearby vacation rental

To truly understand what makes (or breaks) an extraordinary stay, put yourself in your guests’ shoes. Book yourself a night or two in a vacation rental to get their perspective. Even better, stay at a home similar to yours (look for one with consistently high reviews) in the same area.

In the hotel industry, this is called shopping your competition. During your stay, evaluate what the homeowner is doing right and what they can improve. Most of all, use this newfound personal insight to shape your own vacation rental business.

Another way to learn from your competition is to read their guest reviews and see what guests complain about or praise them for. Guests leave behind a goldmine of intel. For instance, you’ll likely discover that aesthetics matter to guests and that a beautifully designed vacation home goes a long way in influencing the ratings and reviews they leave.

5. Be direct and ask for a great vacation rental review

Yes, that’s right. Just ask for it. Even if you deliver a more-than-perfect guest experience, provide unique amenities, and stay on call 24/7, guests may still not leave a review. They often forget. Or, they simply don’t understand what reviews mean to you or how they impact your business. Another common scenario: they may score you with 4 stars, assuming that’s an excellent ranking (it’s not—it can actually drive down your score on Airbnb).

The lesson? Don’t be coy about asking your guests for the full 5 stars.

First, plant the idea early. Consider checking in with your guests mid-stay and let them know you’re striving for 5-star customer service. Ask how their stay is and if they need anything. It’s better to fix that broken light bulb or air conditioning unit right away, rather than leave it as fodder for a mediocre or bad review.

At Vacasa, we stay in regular communication with guests. A few days after they check out, we send out an email directly asking for their review. Even better, we make it easy for guests to post that same review to popular review sites, including Google and Trustpilot. (We’ve seen our own reviews increase by doing this.) Having reviews posted elsewhere online not only reaches an even bigger audience, it boosts your search rankings, too.

Here are some sample messages to include in a post-stay email:

• “Every review and every star you give us makes a huge difference to our success. If you enjoyed your stay, we’d love your 5-star review.”
• “If you enjoyed your stay and would book with us again, we’d love your 5-star review letting future guests know. We hope you can come back and stay with us soon!”

Even with your best intentions, bad reviews can still happen. If so, here’s how to respond to reviews that are less than stellar.

Most travelers like to do their due diligence before booking a vacation rental. That means closely examining your listing description, your photos, and most importantly, other guests’ experience in your home. Follow these strategies every time to urge guests to leave 5-star reviews and drive future bookings.