Airbnb Ratings: A Host’s Guide

Airbnb rating
By The Hospitable Team

With so many attractive listings available on the Airbnb platform, booking the right vacation rental property can be a challenge for potential guests. So, to help travelers navigate the booking process, Airbnb allows guests to leave feedback for their stays in the form of reviews and ratings that help build trust and credibility.

In this blog post, we'll talk about how the Airbnb rating system works, how ratings reflect the guest experience, and what you can do to get more 5-star ratings.

Airbnb Rating System

Airbnb review policy was designed to foster trust between hosts and guests. In addition to written reviews (up to 1,000 words), guests can also give you feedback by rating their stay (up to 5 stars) in the following categories:

  • Cleanliness: Did the rental space meet the standards outlined in the Ground Rules for Hosts?
  • Accuracy: Was the rental property accurately represented with up-to-date photos and info on the listing page?
  • Check-in: Was it easy?
  • Communication: Did the host respond to messages promptly?
  • Location: Was the guest informed of safety, transportation, points of interest, and surroundings that may impact the noise level or other situations that might affect their stay?
  • Value: Was the stay worth the money?
  • Amenities: Was everything promised in the listing available and in good working condition?
  • Overall experience: How was the stay?

Note that the Overall experience is a specific category in which guests add a star rating. It's not an average of the other categories. Airbnb calculates an average based on individual category ratings and the overall rating.

Airbnb rating allows potential guests to evaluate a listing and make an informed booking decision. For hosts, ratings impact search ranking on the platform and, ultimately, occupancy and revenue. So bear all these categories in mind when preparing for your next guest to ensure you get positive feedback.

As a host, you have a lot on your plate, so a smart solution is to automate your routine tasks using vacation rental software like Hospitable. Then, it will be easier to focus on things that will help you make your Airbnb guests happy, and happy guests are more likely to give you positive ratings.

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Airbnb Rating Scale

Airbnb's algorithm-based rating system has nothing to do with the classic 5-star hotel rating system. In the hotel industry, four stars mean a very fine experience, and 5-star ratings are only reserved for some of the most luxurious experiences.

The Airbnb star rating scale from 1 to 5 ranks listings on their reliability and performance compared to what was promised in the listing description. Airbnb ratings reflect how well a host meets reasonable guest expectations based on what their listing promises.

A 5-star rating on Airbnb means that everything was as expected and that guests are happy with their stay—a host delivers a great experience at a great price. Remember that a tiny house or a modest apartment needs the same high ratings as deluxe villas and other most expensive Airbnb rentals to appear higher in search results. When a guest rates their stay with less than five stars, it means that the listing wasn't as described, and it will be less visible when a new guest is searching for a place to stay.

4 stars is also considered a positive rating, but it's not enough. When a guest selects a 4-star rating, it means the listing didn't meet their expectations, and there are essential things that need to be corrected so that the place can achieve five stars.

3 stars or less are considered the negative feedback. If a guest selects a 3-star rating or less for a category, they'll be presented with different options to note what was wrong. For example, in the Check-in category, they would have such options as "Hard to locate" or "Unclear instructions." If a guest chooses 3 stars or less, they must select from these options to move forward.

Pro tip: If you want a 5-star rating in the check-in category, include clear directions on how to get to your property in your automated welcome message and install a smart lock to offer your guests a smooth self-check-in.

Hospitable users can use our integrations with popular smart lock systems and automate messaging door codes to their guests. If you opt for Hospitable, our system will automatically create and send unique door codes to guests who booked your property shortly before check-in.

Provide a seamless keyless check-in

Hospitable automatically creates and sends unique door codes to your reserved guests shortly before check-in.

How to See Airbnb Guest Rating

Guests can easily find your Airbnb listing's ratings. After at least three guests rate your listing, the average of their primary scores is shown near the title in search results and on the listing itself. Average overall scores by category can be found on your listing page alongside the reviews.

As part of the optional review process, Airbnb hosts may also rate their guests 1 to 5 stars on cleanliness, house rules, and communication. Similarly to Airbnb star ratings for hosts, these category ratings are then combined into an average rating for the stay.

Wondering how to see Airbnb guest ratings? Hosts can only see ratings given to guests by other hosts when a guest makes a booking request or books a stay with them. Then, you'll be able to read detailed ratings given to your guest for past stays and their overall category and averaged ratings across stays. Categories with positive ratings (4-5) will be displayed with a check mark, and negative ratings (1-3) will be displayed with a warning icon.

Pro tip: After seeing some negative reviews about your potential guest, request an ad-hoc guest verification made available thanks to our partnership with Autohost. Learn more in our help article!

What Can You Do to Improve Your Airbnb Rating?

Although Airbnb ratings are a tool for guests, they're also crucial to your success as a host because they influence future guests' decisions to book your property. Maintaining a high rating is also a criterion you must meet to become a Superhost and earn the Guest Favorite badge.

So, what can you do to get more 5-star ratings? The only solution is to describe your vacation rental truthfully and accurately to set realistic expectations and do your best to deliver a memorable guest experience from start to finish.

This includes:

  • Ensuring clear communication during all customer journey stages
  • Creating a comfortable and welcoming space
  • Making sure your home is pristine before every check-in
  • Offering amenities that exceed expectations
  • Promptly addressing guest needs during their stay

Personalizing the guest experience is important to make your guests feel special and valued. You may surprise your guests with a welcome basket, add a personal touch with a handwritten welcome note, or offer tailored recommendations on local spots for each guest based on their interests. Your guests are sure to appreciate your efforts and leave you positive reviews.

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In this e-book, we cover: Decisions to make and things to check before you start. How to prepare your property for short-term rental. Setting the ground to stand out from the crowd. Admin work. Assembling a team. Not putting all eggs in one basket. Your daily operations. Mastering communication with your guests. Getting the 5-Star review after all that hard work.
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