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I've been renting rooms via airbnb the past year and after considering moving out of my long term host's house for several months, I finally tried to make the move by first booking another temporary room for a couple of nights, then a third for a week.
The third room's host was new with a flexible cancellation policy which means that if you book and cancel more than 24 hours before check in, you can get a full refund or if you do check in, or your check in passes, and then you cancel, the accommodation fees for nights not spent 24 hours after the you click "cancel reservation" are refunded. The guest still loses the airbnb service fees, any tax and cleaning fees, but this way the whole reservation cost isn't 100% forfeited.
So here's what happened with room #3 that I wanted to book to escape room #1's host because of her noisy, inconsiderate, dirty habits.
1. I sent several pre booking questions
2. The new host replied promptly and encouraged me to ask him anything else
3. He replied how it's a quiet room facing his yard, private parking, private washroom, no desk but just him and non smoker, plus a good deal.
4. I thanked him and told him I'd consider booking soon, I just have to move out of my long term host's house first
5. He blocked his calendar and told me to contact him when I was ready to book
6. I told him I'm ready
7. He unblocked his calendar and I booked
8. Then I had some complications with my long term host. I was really worn out from 2 nights in room #2 and had to work overtime, so didn't have time to move my stuff out of host #1's house
9. I contacted host #3 about the difficulties I was facing
10. I didn't check in the first night and let host #3 know that I'd let him know the next day
11. Next day my long term host refuses to let me book her room with all my stuff still in her house for the 5 night minimum like it says in her listing, insisting I book for a month.
12. I managed to negotiate her down to a 2 week booking
13. I cancelled room #3 as not only was it a 2 hour daily commute on country roads in the winter including dark roads, but I no longer needed it since I had just paid for the renewal of room #1
14. Airbnb system took about 35% of the amount I paid upfront for the reservation and will issue the rest as a refund
15. Airbnb prompted me with a reminder email to review room #3 's space and host
16. I haven't done so yet as I never checked in, so how can I evaluate the space?
17. Today I got a notification that the host left a review for me - 4 sentences but I can't view them on my profile until I either review him myself or wait out the 14 day review period.
18. It sucks that he left a review when I never arrived but I'm guessing he's unhappy his time was wasted and he only got to keep about $60 from the cancelled reservation
Conclusion: how would you review an airbnb room rental you never checked into and host you never met, but only corresponded with via the messenger app? It sucks that he likely left a below average review and that that review will appear at the top of my profile as I was using my airbnb profile as proof of references from the "landlords" I've stayed with the past year.
Conclusion: how would you review an airbnb room rental you never checked into and host you never met, but only corresponded with via the messenger app? It sucks that he likely left a below average review and that that review will appear at the top of my profile as I was using my airbnb profile as proof of references from the "landlords" I've stayed with the past year.
Since you didn't end up staying, there is nothing to review.
And yes, he probably will leave you a poor review. You wasted his time and cost him money. Other hosts should be warned that you cancel last minute. He was kind enough to block out the days for yoy knowing that it could lose him another booking. The cancellation policy should be used for emergency situations, not as a back up when you don't know if you want to stay somewhere or not.
Take the high road and say that the host replied promptly to your questions, worked with you on you time line but in the end you were unable to check in due to a scheduling conflict on your end. You wasted his time, I would be annoyed too.
Take the high road and say that the host replied promptly to your questions, worked with you on you time line but in the end you were unable to check in due to a scheduling conflict on your end.
The reviews should be about the specific place, it's not really a place to review the owner's ability to email. People are interested in how clean the house was, if the pictures were accurate, was everything in working order, etc... Airbnb has the owner response time in the listing. It's not really helpful to anyone reading the review.
The reviews should be about the specific place, it's not really a place to review the owner's ability to email. People are interested in how clean the house was, if the pictures were accurate, was everything in working order, etc... Airbnb has the owner response time in the listing. It's not really helpful to anyone reading the review.
I'm just answering the OP's question about how he should review the host, not whether he should review the host.
You can say that you never wound up staying but that the host communicated effectively. You have no reason to bad-mouth #3, even though he may have left you a bad review. You earned it.
The reviews should be about the specific place, it's not really a place to review the owner's ability to email. People are interested in how clean the house was, if the pictures were accurate, was everything in working order, etc... Airbnb has the owner response time in the listing. It's not really helpful to anyone reading the review.
I disagree ... The reviews are useful not just for evaluation of the space, but also of the host. Were they responsive? Polite? Helpful? Pleasant to interact with? These are things I'd like to know.
I'm just answering the OP's question about how he should review the host, not whether he should review the host.
@Dogmama50, I like your username and thanks for sharing your thoughts. When that host's review is posted to my profile, I'll probably reply in a concise and respectful manner using your advice so that future hosts can understand why the cancellation was necessary. I don't think that host's review will cause me too many problems with future hosts.
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