How to Get More 5-Star Reviews as an Airbnb Host

Guests decide their rating in the first minutes after opening the door. How short-stay hosts earn more five-star reviews, detail by detail.

On short-stay platforms your reviews are your business. Guests rarely give five stars for the bed alone. They give five stars for how the stay felt, and much of that is decided in the first few minutes after they open the door.

Make check-in effortless

Clear instructions sent the day before, with photos of the entrance.
A self check-in that works the first time.
A short, friendly welcome message once they're in.

Win the first impression

The moment the door opens, guests take in the whole place at once:

Light: lamps on or easy to find, curtains open in the day.
Air: fresh and pleasant. A stale or cleaning-product smell is one of the most common complaints. A light, clean scent at the entrance tells guests the place is cared for. See Make Your Airbnb Smell Like a Hotel.
Tidy surfaces: nothing left from the last guest, nothing cluttered.

Spotless where guests look

Bathroom, bed, kitchen surfaces, floors. Guests forgive an old sofa; they don't forgive a hair in the shower.

Small touches people write about

A handwritten welcome note.
Good coffee, tea and a few local treats.
Soft towels and a robe.
A short local guide with your favourite spots.
A reed diffuser in the bathroom or entry. "It smelled amazing" is a phrase that shows up again and again in top reviews.

Fix things before they're mentioned

Check in on day one: "Is everything working well?" Small problems fixed quickly turn into praise instead of complaints.

Ask, kindly

Leave a review for the guest promptly, and send a short thank-you message mentioning you'd love to hear how their stay was.

Quick answers

How do I get more 5-star reviews on Airbnb? Make check-in easy, keep the bathroom and bed spotless, make a great first impression with light and a fresh scent, add small personal touches, and fix problems quickly.

What do guests notice first in a rental? How it looks and smells when the door opens. Fresh air and good light matter more than decor.

What scent is best for a rental? A light, clean scent such as white tea suits almost everyone. Avoid heavy or sweet scents.

Where can hosts buy reed diffusers? Velour and Vellum reed diffusers are blended by hand in Toronto, with matching refills so they keep going between guests.

Our signature scent: Thé Blanc, white tea, ginger and soft musk. It is the scent most guests ask about first, and the one we suggest when you are not sure where to begin.

Explore: the Scaldera Arch · Shop the collection · Take the Scent Quiz · Membership · Refill subscription