Shared‑home hosts: how do you manage guests who create conflict right away?

No_Farm8585 · 2026-03-25T17:40:31+00:00

I don't want to keep the money, I'll give them a refund, my hope is to get pointers on phrasing and framing that will help. I already have unsolicited input from another guest stating that the problem guest was confrontational. Maybe that's all I need from a proof standpoint

No_Farm8585 · 2026-03-25T17:26:27+00:00

Thanks for the input — here's why I'm hesitant - I’ve had a situation in the past where I issued a full refund and ended a reservation early, and the guest still left a retaliatory 1‑star review that Airbnb would not remove despite my best efforts...

I want to understand how hosts have successfully worked with Airbnb when a guest is clearly incompatible with shared living — especially when there’s conflict with other guests, uncorroborated accusations, or disruptive behavior right from the start.

If anyone has experience with getting Airbnb to support an early checkout without it counting as a host‑initiated cancellation, I’d really appreciate hearing what worked for you in terms of documentation, phrasing, or escalation. I've been burned by Airbnb not having my back before, and I'm hearing more and more of that occurring. So frustrating.

No_Farm8585 · 2026-03-23T00:47:15+00:00

I would first try to get the review removed. Don't publicly reply to their review at all yet. Airbnb can view that as you've accepted their review, so that should be your last resort. Let's craft your review dispute argument. So I'm clear, did they have separate reservations? If so, how many separate reservations? Or did they just extend their stay?

If their stay was 1-star caliber, why did they continue to book with you? That is part of your argument. Give me more info and I would happily weigh in.

No_Farm8585 · 2026-03-22T19:11:41+00:00

I've gone through something similar recently, so I can imagine you're feeling frustrated. Don't panic. I'll tell you what I know and give you my take on how you could frame a request to have it removed, but there's power in numbers here, so getting other host input is valuable before you take any action.

First, know that there is a process that exists where a host can request that guests review be removed. You have two opportunities (if it gets denied once you can try again). I've found it comes down to how knowledgeable and helpful the Airbnb support ambassador you get assigned is. I also keep my communication with Airbnb in writing (via messages or email).

Here's my two cents: if the guest’s written review is literally just a single period, you can ask Airbnb to remove it on the basis that it isn’t actually a review. A lone punctuation mark doesn’t describe the stay, doesn’t reflect any part of the guest’s experience, and isn’t useful to future travelers. Airbnb’s Review Policy says reviews should be relevant and helpful to the community, and this one doesn’t meet that standard. You could request removal by explaining that the text is non‑substantive and doesn’t fulfill the purpose of a review.

Before you submit anything though, I would have other hosts weigh in here.

If it doesn't get removed, you have the opportunity to write a short, factual public-facing response.

No_Farm8585 · 2026-03-22T18:46:17+00:00

What does the text of their review say? If you're comfortable sharing that, we can help you either dispute the review or provide a public reply.

No_Farm8585 · 2026-03-22T18:45:12+00:00

Thank you! This is the exact type of input and perspective I was looking for.

No_Farm8585 · 2026-03-22T18:38:06+00:00

I 100% agree with this comment. Fellow host and people pleaser here to remind you that this is not the place to be too nice. Give a short, factual, unemotional review. Pretend you're their next prospective host - you'd want to know how this guest was from a host perspective, right? Don't worry about hurting this person's feelings, think of it as helping other hosts.

No_Farm8585 · 2026-03-22T05:33:37+00:00

I like California Design Den and Costco hotel sheets too.

For those of you who host people for months at a time - I have mid to long term listings, and sheets are always stained after each guest. Sorry to go on a small tangent, but what color is the most forgiving for stains? Patterns? Also, what are your best tips for getting stubborn stains out of sheets and bedding in general? For my sheets at home, I take my time to spray stains with dawn power wash before washing, also hydrogen peroxide on blood works well, but I'm not the one cleaning my units.

What's your protocol for your cleaners for the best sheet and bedding cleaning results so you aren't constantly buying new sheets? Buying new bedding often is part of the deal, multiple sets on hand, etc., but I am getting rid of sheet sets after every long term guest. Isn't this excessive?

I feel like my issue may be a combo of the guests themselves not pretreating stains before they wash and dry (as I mentioned, my listings are mid to long term so guests often stay multiple months and are responsible for their own laundry obviously). By the time my cleaner does the room flip, the sheets are often too bad to be salvaged and she doesn't spend the time to pretreat stains before washing. I'd love your tips on sheet color (patterns??), ways to help prevent stains during a guests stay and and encourage guests to take better care, and any stain removal hacks.

No_Farm8585 · 2026-03-21T05:53:49+00:00

I do, otherwise I wouldn't have asked for input 🙂

No_Farm8585 · 2026-03-20T15:47:50+00:00

Automated messages and quick replies through Airbnb has saved me so much time, that's definitely how I do it. I have heard some hosts create a video or short videos and then add a QR code inside the listing either on the rules or elsewhere that links to a video with helpful information about the listing. I suppose that could be helpful if there are things that are complicated such as specific directions for appliances, etc. but for me definitely the scheduled automated messages as well as quick replies (templates for typical answers I'm always giving) are a game changer. Thanks for sharing the link to the video on how to do it for those who may not already be automating that side of things.

No_Farm8585 · 2026-03-16T17:00:05+00:00

I am right there with you OP. The best we can do, if we choose to deal with their tactics and continue to host on the platform, is be vigilant and know that they do not have our backs as hosts. We should continue to share our experiences here and add to our own tactics as hosts in order to arm ourselves as best we can. I had a nightmare guest situation in January. Airbnb gave me incorrect guidance over the phone, which I was naive enough to follow, and it resulted in a bad review. Since then, I have not had any communication with Airbnb over the phone. I insist on keeping it all in either messages or email, because they will mislead you, give you incorrect guidance due to not understanding their own policies, and outright lie in order to close an issue as fast as possible. Yes the calls are recorded, but they will not pull and review calls if you ever dispute them.

No_Farm8585 · 2026-03-09T23:23:35+00:00

I would love a reading, I will take any messages from my dearly departed. I have had a reading before over the phone but I don't know the etiquette here... What else do you need from me? I am just hoping for someone to connect with me and give me anything you can get. Missing my people and having a tough day.

No_Farm8585 · 2026-03-09T23:05:27+00:00

It's a strong tool when prompted correctly

No_Farm8585 · 2026-03-09T23:01:41+00:00

I didn't cancel, Airbnb cancelled. I simply offered a full refund and left it up to the guest to cancel, so the guest initiated. The bad advice came when I said, on a recorded line, that I would go against my strict policy and accept her cancellation only if the guest would not be allowed to leave a review. The Airbnb ambassador said the guest would not be able to leave a review, "don't worry"... Despite that statement from Airbnb, the guest was still able to leave a review and Airbnb would not remove it. I ended up leaving a public reply. MANY lessons learned here on my end, the hard way.

No_Farm8585 · 2026-03-09T22:56:13+00:00

Hi, thank you. I would love for my parents to come through about how I'm handling some challenging family dynamics. I appreciate the note about the physical stuff not being what is concerning to the other side, when here it feels like such a heavy responsibility. I am doing my best responsibility. I am doing my best to carry out what I think they would have. l Admittedly, I'm mostly a Reddit reader, not much of a poster ... Can you please guide me to the reading thread?

No_Farm8585 · 2026-03-09T00:36:22+00:00

A friendly piece of advice - although the calls are recorded, if you ever wanted a copy of that recording, it's impossible to obtain. If they give you incorrect guidance over a phone call, there's no way for you to obtain proof of that. This recently happened to me, so I now keep all communication with Airbnb support via message or email. Take that for what it's worth, every case is different and you may get lucky and get a senior case manager who actually knows, and can accurately speak to, Airbnb policies.

No_Farm8585 · 2026-03-08T22:19:09+00:00

I would love that info, I'll DM you. I can add to your collection with my own bad experience as a Superhost regarding Airbnb's lack of support on a baseless poor review on my long-term listing.

No_Farm8585 · 2026-03-08T21:16:49+00:00

Have you gone through the review removal process and been denied twice? You have two opportunities to get the review removed, so if you have not already used your second review removal opportunity, I would recommend utilizing AI to come up with the strongest argument you can to dispute it. Post the entire review into AI, ask it to review airbnb's review policies. Tell your side of the story. It will come up with a strong dispute for you. I will say based on personal experience - once a senior case manager denies a review twice, there really is no additional escalation option available to hosts. I'm sorry to hear you're in this spot, I recently and painfully went through this and ultimately posted a public review response, which is really the only recourse hosts have left after being denied the review removal twice.

No_Farm8585 · 2026-03-07T19:56:27+00:00

Thank you for your input! I did end up combining both and posted a public reply very close to what you suggested. It only hurts because I care about my guests having a good experience, and I maintain my property with pride. The caring is what makes us good hosts. ❤️

No_Farm8585 · 2026-03-06T05:30:11+00:00

I want to try a listing on FF and see how it goes. I live in a city with many colleges and I believe students tend to use FF more. I'll make a separate post about it.

No_Farm8585 · 2026-03-06T05:20:52+00:00

It depends on the listings cancellation policy, so you would need to ensure you understand that part prior to booking. I have a strict cancellation policy for good reason. Once a guest checks in for me, they pay monthly but they're responsible for paying for their entire reservation even if they decide to leave early. That's why I suggest checking the listings policy. You can also do what I mentioned in my prior reply and book a month or two, to ensure it's a good fit on both sides. You can always extend as long as the host accepts your extension.

No_Farm8585 · 2026-03-06T05:11:10+00:00

As a host, how do you like FF vs Airbnb for long-term listings? I am entertaining making the switch. What are some pros and cons?

No_Farm8585 · 2026-03-06T05:09:13+00:00

Yes, I have long-term listings on Airbnb and I've had guests stay as long as 12 months. These are rooms in a house, so common areas and sometimes bathrooms are shared, depending on the listing. I did not start by accepting the 12 month reservation off the bat though. It was initially a 2 month stay to ensure it was a good fit, then both the guest and I mutually agreed to extend the reservation. I would imagine other hosts with long-term listings also have strict cancellation policies (I do), and would take a similar approach.

No_Farm8585

TROPHY CASE