Reviews are a foundational component of the Airbnb platform, providing accountability and trust for both guests and hosts. They allow future users to make informed booking decisions by offering insights into the property’s reality and the host’s reliability. For hosts, reviews are a direct measure of their business’s quality and directly impact their listing’s visibility and potential for achieving Superhost status. Altering a review is highly restricted once it is submitted, though a few specific exceptions and alternatives exist. Understanding the mechanics of the review process reveals why the platform limits modifications.
How the Airbnb Review System Works
The review system is designed to encourage honest and impartial feedback by employing a “double-blind” mechanism. This means that neither the guest nor the host can view the review written by the other party until both reviews have been submitted. This simultaneous publication rule prevents one party from tailoring their review in response to what the other has written.
Both parties are given a 14-day window following the reservation’s check-out date to submit their written review. This deadline is strictly enforced, and there are typically no exceptions made for late submissions. Once the 14-day period ends, or as soon as both the guest and the host submit their respective reviews, the feedback is immediately published on the platform.
Modifying a Review During the 14-Day Window
The only time a review’s author can actively make changes is before it becomes publicly visible. If you are the first party to submit your feedback, you retain the ability to edit or completely withdraw your review. This period of modification remains active until one of two events occurs, which acts as the trigger for publication.
The first trigger is when the other party submits their own review, which immediately locks and publishes both reviews simultaneously. The second trigger is the expiration of the 14-day deadline, at which point any submitted review is published, and the opportunity for modification ends. Therefore, if you submit your review first, you must make any desired changes before the other party writes theirs or the two-week window closes.
Why Published Reviews Cannot Be Edited
Once a review is officially published on the listing page, the original author loses all capability to make edits or corrections. The platform maintains this policy of finality to ensure the integrity and trustworthiness of the feedback displayed to the community. Allowing open-ended editing could compromise the authenticity of the feedback, potentially leading to manipulation or coercion.
The uneditable nature of published reviews is a core tenet of the platform’s effort to provide reliable information for future travelers and hosts. This policy ensures that the review you see is the final, recorded perspective of the user. This finality is why users are encouraged to carefully consider their feedback before submitting it within the initial 14-day window.
Challenging and Requesting Review Removal
While an author cannot edit a published review, the recipient (host or guest) can challenge it and request removal under specific circumstances. This formal process addresses content that violates Airbnb’s stated Content Policy, not minor inaccuracies. Grounds for removal include content that is discriminatory, contains private personal information, is irrelevant to the stay, or is used as a tool for extortion.
For example, a review focusing entirely on the weather rather than the property may be considered irrelevant content and eligible for dispute. Extortion, such as a guest threatening a negative review unless they receive a refund, is a direct violation and a strong basis for removal. To initiate a challenge, the aggrieved party must submit a formal dispute to Airbnb support, providing specific evidence, such as screenshots of communications, to substantiate the claim.
Utilizing the Public Response Feature
When editing or removal is not an option, the public response feature is available. Both guests and hosts can submit a professional response to a review they have received, which then appears directly beneath the original feedback on the public profile. This mechanism allows the recipient to offer context, address factual inaccuracies, or provide their side of the story.
The public response serves as an immediate counterpoint and is a direct way to manage one’s reputation. Best practice dictates that the response should be professional, non-confrontational, and focused on clarifying the situation or detailing how an issue was resolved. A well-written public response can effectively mitigate the impact of a negative review by demonstrating accountability and a commitment to quality.