What is Google Vacation Rentals and how does it work?
August 2026
All holiday rental landlords know that a good or bad review can make or break your property. However, if you’re listing your rental on Airbnb, you’ll also be expected to review your guests. Why is this important, and how should you write your guest reviews? Let’s take a look at guest evaluations.
Why are Airbnb guest reviews so important?
Writing a guest review on Airbnb can sometimes feel awkward. After all, you’re not evaluating a product or a service — you’re evaluating a person.
This means that some landlords prefer to skip the process altogether, but they’re making a mistake. Here’s why you should write Airbnb guest reviews:
- They show that you’re a more involved host. Writing reviews tells future guests that you’re trustworthy and you pay attention to what’s happening at your property. In turn, this can increase bookings.
- They help other hosts. As a host, you’ve probably benefited from reading guest reviews. Now it’s time to pass on the favour.
- They let you respond to negative reviews. If a guest isn’t happy, writing your own review allows you to share your side of the story.
In short, writing guest reviews is important — both for your own business and for the wider Airbnb community. Don’t neglect this vital step.
How to write an Airbnb guest review
You should always put some thought into writing a review. Think about how you’d feel as a reader; what would you want to know? Here are some tips to ensure that your Airbnb reviews are useful and well-written:
- Always be honest. If a guest has truly been a nightmare, there’s no point lying. It’s helpful to indicate whether you’d let the guest rent your holiday home again or not and why.
- Look at the condition of your property before writing. Your guest may have damaged or stolen some items, which is definitely worth mentioning. On the other hand, if your holiday rental looks as good as new, you can praise them for that.
- Think about what matters to other hosts. This could be communication, cleanliness, behaviour, adherence to the rules and so on. If it’s important to you as a host, it’s probably important to others, too.
- Describe the type of guest. This will be very helpful to other Airbnb hosts. Was it a single guest, a couple, a group of friends, or a family? Were they travelling for business or pleasure?
- Always be polite and professional. Remember, your reviews are another way to advertise your holiday home. If your tone is rude, guests will be put off and less likely to rent your holiday apartment.
- Personalise your review. You may start with a template or get some help from ChatGPT, but providing personal information is always a winner. Again, it shows that you care about your business — and, crucially, it shows that the guest experience is important to you. That’s something that can really attract more guests to your holiday rental in the future.
You should also make sure you stick to the Airbnb rules when it comes to guest reviews. You’ll need to write your review within 14 days of your guest’s checkout, and it must be honest — a guest can dispute a review that is false. You and your guest cannot exchange goods, services or money for a positive review. The holiday rental portal takes breaches of these rules very seriously.
Airbnb review examples
As mentioned above, you should always personalise your review, but you may have trouble getting started. Here are some examples of Airbnb guest reviews that might help you. Remember to add some personal, relevant information to each one.
Examples of positive guest reviews
- “[Guest’s Name] was an absolute pleasure to host! They communicated clearly, were respectful of the house rules, and left the space spotless. It was a joy to have them stay, and I would welcome them back anytime!”
- “It was wonderful hosting [Guest’s Name] and their family. They were polite and friendly and treated my home with the utmost respect. They left the place in perfect condition and were very easy to communicate with. I highly recommend them as guests!”
- “[Guest’s Name] and their group were fantastic guests! They were thoughtful, tidy, and respectful. I really appreciated how they followed all house rules and left the apartment in excellent condition. Would love to host them again!”
- “I couldn’t have asked for a better guest than [Guest’s Name], who stayed in my property during a business trip. They were friendly, respectful, and easy to communicate with throughout their stay. They left the space clean and took great care of everything. I’d definitely host them again.”
Examples of Airbnb negative reviews
Writing a negative review is a lot trickier. You might feel like you’re smearing someone all over a holiday rental website, but remember, other hosts will appreciate your honesty. Your reviews might look like this:
- “Unfortunately, [Guest’s Name] did not respect the house rules. There was a lot of noise late at night, and the apartment was left in a messy condition. Communication was slow, and I had to remind them multiple times about checking out on time. I would not recommend hosting them again.”
- “While [Guest’s Name] was polite at first, they didn’t respect the property. They caused damage to my sofa and left the kitchen much dirtier than I would have expected. Communication was also challenging. I would be cautious in hosting them again.”
- “Unfortunately, [Guest’s Name] did not follow several house rules, including smoking inside the property. They also didn’t clean up properly and left the space in poor condition. I had to deal with several issues during their stay, which was disappointing.”
- “[Guest’s Name] left my holiday rental in a very messy state, with food stains and rubbish left all over the place. They didn’t communicate well during the stay, and I had to send multiple reminders about cleaning up. I would not recommend them to other hosts.”
Remember, if you’re leaving a negative review, you should offer concrete, specific reasons for your dissatisfaction. Write in a calm, objective fashion, and do not criticise the guests for anything too personal. You might want to ask a trusted friend to proofread your negative reviews before posting them.
Don’t be overly nitpicky with negative reviews. Remember, potential future guests are reading them. If all your guest reviews are negative, they may see it as a red flag and go to stay in a different property instead.
Mastering the art of Airbnb guest reviews can be difficult for holiday rental landlords, but with practice, you’ll get it right.