Airbnb safety reviews can turn off some travellers. Could increased transparency help?

Published on 24/10/2025 - 14:00 GMT+2

Like galore recreation sites, Airbnb allows you to browse reviews earlier booking to thief pass your decision. While galore of these reviews tin beryllium generic, immoderate occasionally emblem information concerns pinch nan accommodation aliases nan surrounding area that could origin you to alteration your mind astir wherever you stay.

A caller study, published successful nan diary Marketing Science, sheds ray connected really these online information reviews tin power visitors’ bookings and what tin beryllium done to counteract their concerns.

A look astatine nan numbers

The study authors analysed 4.8 cardinal Airbnb impermanent reviews that spanned listings successful 5 awesome US cities: Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and New York City. They looked astatine information betwixt 2015 and 2019.

In nan study, they recovered 2 types of safety-related reviews. Some reviews (listing information reviews) highlighted issues wrong a property, specified arsenic a surgery fastener aliases unsafe condition. The different types of reviews, vicinity information reviews, expressed concerns astir nan surrounding neighbourhood.

Only 0.5 per cent of reviews flagged asafetyconcern, pinch astir half of these highlighting those concerns astir nan vicinity, specified arsenic watching crime aliases different feelings of insecurity.

The study compared reviews pinch charismatic crime statistic and recovered nan reviews correlated pinch existent crime patterns successful nan cities.

Reviews style impermanent behaviour

When a listing received immoderate benignant of information review, nan occupancy dropped anyplace from 1.5 to 2.4 per cent. The mean nightly prices besides declined by astir 1.5 per cent. According to nan study, travellers who personally knowledgeable neighbourhood information issues were 60 per cent little apt to book again connected nan platform.

“These numbers show that moreover uncommon information reviews tin style impermanent behaviour, and underscore nan value of decisions by integer platforms regarding their reappraisal systems,” co-author Liad Wagman of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute said successful a press release.

The study authors item that while these information reviews tin beryllium a “turnoff,” being transparent astir nan location–– by not removing neighbourhood information reviews and providing much discourse astir nan area––can thief users consciousness much comfortable pinch utilizing nan platform.

Airbnb nether fire

Airbnb is nary alien to controversy. While nan accommodations tin beryllium a much “homey” replacement to hotels, they tin besides negatively effect cities wherever affordable lodging is already lacking. Earlier this year, Spain cracked down connected much than 65,000 Airbnb rentals that were said to break regulations. Other governments are said to travel suit.

The authors spot information reviews arsenic different point nan level must now reckon with.

“Our results propose that Airbnb faces a dilemma,” said co-author Ginger Zhe Jin of nan University of Maryland and nan National Bureau of Economic Research successful a property release.

“Removing neighbourhood information reviews tin amended short-term revenues but astatine nan disbursal of impermanent welfare. Highlighting information reviews benefits guests but lowers revenues, creating a hostility betwixt user protection and level profits.”

Personal acquisition tin besides overrule reviews.

“Over time, consumers will study from their ain acquisition arsenic good arsenic word-of-mouth done different channels, moreover if nan level lacks transparency connected information reviews,” said Jin.

Euronews Green has reached retired to Airbnb for comment, but did not perceive backmost pinch remark by nan clip of publication.