To inquire for a review or not to ask? That is the question.

Reviews are the absolute lifeblood of this manufacture. A host with lots of good reviews has the potential to make a lot more than coin than a host with few reviews or bad reviews.

So how practice you ensure you go enough of positive reviews? Here are your 4 main options:

1. Enquire for a good review in exchange for a disbelieve.

Well…I wish this wasn't even an choice. It's sleazy and dishonest and totally against Airbnb's terms of service.

You can try to push your luck and do it anyway, just if a invitee reports you, you're in large problem.

I had a host make this offer to me when I traveled to New York: $15 off my stay in commutation for a v-star review. Well bluntly, I reported her. Information technology made me uncomfortable and I really didn't similar information technology at all. She ended up getting kicked off of Airbnb because she violated their terms of apply.

So selection #ane should really not be an pick at all. Information technology's just bad business concern practise to ransom people for a good review. Merely please, I beg you, don't do it. Information technology is unethical and we have seen time and once more that while playing loose with ethics might bring profits in the brusk run your business volition ever suffer in the long run. Instead, focus your energy instead on creating a good feel for your guests and then you don't have to bribe them for a good review.

A clever way to get good reviews

2. Ask for a good review in exchange for zero.

This is a legitimate choice. Lots of hosts do this. They'll say something along the lines of this: "Hullo <<guest>>! You lot've been a great guest, thanks for staying, yada yada yada. We're going to give you a 5 star review and I hope y'all do the same for us!"

The trouble I take with this approach is that while it may non be outright bribery, it notwithstanding feels like coercion, or at the very least manipulation. What guest is going to want to give an honest negative review if they know they're going to get a positive review in exchange? The tit-for-tat mentality is very potent in the Airbnb world, as I've written about before.

It's just not totally above-board, and I don't think honest and good hosts should use this tactic.

3. Say zip.

Another selection you lot have is to say nothing and hope that guests will go out y'all a good review.

The problem with this approach is that many guests don't understand how Airbnb'south rating arrangement is unlike from hotel rating systems. With a hotel, the stars point the level of luxury. A 3-star hotel is a perfectly adequate hotel, but nothing peculiarly fancy. Based on hotel ratings, most Airbnbs would probably fall in the 2- or 3-star range.

But Airbnb's rating organization is completely different. The stars on Airbnb indicate the level of service, not luxury. A tiny individual room in a shared home could easily garner 5 stars if the host was attentive to the invitee during their stay. In fact, if you consistently go reviews of four stars or less, you could exist in danger of your unabridged host account being disabled because of inadequate service.

Then if you say nil at all, it'southward likely that you'll get guests who rave about the quality of the service and attentiveness they received during their stay…and then requite you 3 stars. This is no good. Guests need to be educated on how the rating arrangement is different than most hotels.

That'south why I advocate for the fourth option:

4. Remind guests that a bad review volition injure you as a host, simply don't actually ask for a good review

This is the tactic I take employed in all of my listings for several years now, with really amazing results.

I say something like, "Hey, <<invitee>>, I promise you've had a great stay! Many guests don't know this, but on Airbnb anything less than a five-star review – even 4 stars – will injure hosts. If you've had any bug during your stay that would cause you to have anything less than a v-star experience, please permit me know before you write a review so that I can do my all-time to rectify them."

It's amazing what this simple little bulletin has done! I've had guests who have told me they didn't have a 5-star experience, so they merely wouldn't exit a review so it wouldn't hurt me. I've had guests say they didn't realize that, and then they would adjust their review from the 4 stars that they were planning on giving upwardly to 5. I've even had guests who had legitimately awful experiences with me requite proficient reviews!

I go along to be amazed at how effective this trivial message is.

I've had hundreds of guests leave reviews since I started using it. I can count on one hand the number of them that were less than 5 stars. It really does work! Who says you can't be both ethical and successful? Requite this tactic a try today!