Goodbye negative reviews: how it works!

Nobody wants to get negative ratings. But no host is perfect. No vacation / holiday home is perfect. As a host, you can do a lot to ensure that your guests do not write a bad review after departure. Here are the 10 most common reasons for a negative rating when renting private rentals and how you can avoid them.

Why guests write a negative holiday home review

Complaints in the rental of holiday apartments occur whenever the reality and the guest's ideas do not match. Some people are sensitive to a single grain of dust. Another criticized an uncomfortable mattress. Every guest has different expectations and feelings. Draw a clear picture of your holiday apartment in advance and avoid unpleasant surprises on site.

Do-it-yourself quality check

The easiest way to check the quality and functionality of your holiday accommodation: Spend a day and a night there yourself! You will definitely notice things that you can still improve!

TOP 10 grounds for complaint

1. Lack of cleanliness of the house

Clean is not clean enough. Most guests have no problem with cleanliness! Dirty windows, dirty dishes in the dishwasher or a grill that still contains the burnt briquettes of the previous tenant: if time is short, these areas can be quickly overlooked. Answer the question: Can I clean my apartment thoroughly every time I change my bed - even when guests change quickly in high season? If you cannot cope with this effort, you should hire a cleaning service and pay attention to thorough training and communication. Even guests who claim that not everything has to be clinically clean in order to check in earlier are disappointed afterwards. Inform your guests in a friendly manner that, for the sake of them, you cannot change their standards and allow yourself enough time for a thorough cleaning.

Tip: A checklist helps to process and control important points. You are welcome to use our checklist for cleaning and disinfection in times of Covid-19.

2. Inaccurate or misleading information

If guests are not allowed to use the garden, communicate this.

You want to sell your holiday home with your texts and pictures. But be sure to stick to the truth. Otherwise the disappointment upon arrival is great. Do not show anything in your pictures that cannot be used. If there are additional fees for pool use, communicate them. Captions help to give the guest orientation. When taking a picture of the beach, information about the distance is helpful. This way, advantages can be presented without suggesting to the guest, e.g. to get an accommodation with sea view or the sea is within walking distance. Check your descriptions regularly for topicality and completeness. Ratings that have already been submitted provide important information. They show the advantages of your accommodation that guests particularly appreciate.

Tip: Why not take the wording from an evaluation for your own description? This creates authenticity. And stay away from purchased or self-written reviews. Guests have very sensitive antennas here!

Don't violate your customers' privacy.

3. Lack of privacy

Don't just step onto the property once it's rented out to guests. Don't impose yourself by offering common activities. Do not give the impression that you are monitoring your guests. Every guest is bothered if the host is in front of the door or has access to the apartment without prior registration. Better: a short call to vote when it fits. The same applies to loud noises: try not to disturb your guests if you are at home at the same time. Inquiring too often as to whether everything is in order can also quickly become a nuisance.

4. Sleepy guests

People travel because they want to relax, escape everyday stress and collect new impressions. Do not destroy this dream because mattresses are saggy, beds are hard as stone and noise levels are unbearable. Good sleep makes you healthy, balanced and happy. A well-considered combination of adjustable slatted frame and mattress can help to adapt the bed to different needs. Don't save at the wrong end here. Investing in good noise and privacy protection is definitely worth it! You can be sure of positive reviews in which guests rave about the fact that they slept like a baby.

Tip: A popular and simple solution are two thin mattresses on top of each other or a normal mattress in combination with a slightly thicker mattress topper. The degree of hardness can be adjusted accordingly by adding or removing a mattress or pad. Make sure that bed linen is boil and chlorine-proof so that even stubborn dirt can be removed.

5. A bad start

Traffic jams on the highway - and the guest arrives in a bad mood.

Kilometres of traffic jams on the way to the holiday destination, inaccurate directions, a complicated key handover. There are many reasons for a bad start to a well-deserved vacation. And then only the well-known drop in the bucket is missing and every little thing becomes a cause of complaint. Of course, you can also avoid overcrowded motorways. Nevertheless, you can influence. Saturday is traditionally the day of "changing beds". But does it always have to be this day? Your holiday guests are often more flexible than you think. Because they also know that arriving on Sundays is generally less stressful. Statistically speaking, there is the least congestion on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Likewise, more cleaning staff should be available on these days. Avoid letting your guest drive across the resort to pick up the keys to your vacation rental. An electronic locking system with a numerical code can also simplify arrival at a later time. Remember to send the guest a detailed route description before arrival and give directions on where to park the car.

6. Missing basic equipment

Very few holidaymakers expect well-stocked fridges upon arrival. But certain consumables should not be missing as basic equipment. Toilet paper, a selection of cleaning products and towels should be available.

Tip: In the Corona period, please point out to the guest that there are no spices for hygiene reasons. Inform the guest what else he should buy or bring with him.

7. Bad communication

Poor communication leads to a queasy gut feeling even before arrival.

Switch to the guest perspective. The journey is organized, holiday preparations are made, anticipation increases. However, the host did not report even days before the start of the trip. You start to worry, sometimes doubting the seriousness of the provider. Make sure that your guests communicate smoothly and be reachable. Directions, check-in times and of course contact details should be available to your guests.

Tip: How about e.g. with a digital guest folder that the guest can install on his cell phone and contains all the important information?

8. Insufficient WiFi access

The most important thing is the needs of your holiday home guests. Functioning WiFi is a basic need these days. According to Bitkom, nine out of ten WiFi users use their mobile devices to surf the Internet while on vacation. Most of the guests actually ask first, "Where can I find the WiFi access data?" If you really want to make your guests happy, make sure that you have information on WiFi access available on arrival and that the signal is strong in every room of your holiday home is enough.

Tip: Why don't you provide the WiFi access data as a framed picture in the holiday home?

9. Obsolete or broken inventory

Keep up with the times. Grandma's furniture has had its day and a timeless, tasteful decor is the cornerstone of a successful rental. Make sure that nothing is broken so that your guests feel comfortable. Replace obsolete items and bring your technology up to date. The price you pay to iron out negative customer reviews and public complaints is certainly higher than replacing broken or worn items.

10. Long response times

57% of travelers who search for a vacation rental online book somewhere else will receive no response within 24 hours. However, speed is not only a question of the response time. If you take too long to fix (technical) problems, you run the risk of being perceived as a bad landlord. This also applies to the repayment of the deposit as well as the reaction time to bad reviews if they should occur despite all