Sometimes the perfect place to stay is an Airbnb with no reviews. These are the things you need to consider before deciding to book or pass on the listing.
What if your top choice vacation rental has everything you want and is in an ideal location at the perfect price, but has no reviews? We had this experience when booking accommodations for a recent trip. We are going to give you our tips for deciding if the Airbnb is worth the risk.
You are going to learn about the pros and cons of an Airbnb with no reviews and how to evaluate the listing.
After learning these tips, you are going to feel more confident when deciding to book or pass on an Airbnb with no reviews.
This post is all about how to decide if you should book an Airbnb with no reviews.
Pros and Cons of an Airbnb with No Reviews
Pro: New Listing
A listing may not have any reviews because it’s a new property. Every listing starts at zero reviews. Even the top-rated Airbnbs had no reviews in the beginning.
This can be a big pro for you. If the property has been recently renovated, you can be the first to stay in it and enjoy everything being in perfect condition. Plus, the price might be discounted in order to entice guests.
Con: New Host
While it can be great to stay in a newly renovated house at a discount, if the listing is new, your host might be new too. This means there can be a learning curve.
Check-in/check-out may not be as smooth with a new host, and they may also not provide all of the amenities that a more experienced host does.
A new host doesn’t mean the host will be bad, but there may be more bumps in the process as they learn.
Pro: Less Likely to Overthink
Remember when reviews were not so readily available? You had to make your own decision about buying something or staying somewhere based on your own assessment.
While reviews can provide invaluable insight, they can also make you overthink. You will probably find a negative comment about every property. So if you want to find a property with no negative feedback, you might never find a property.
You can spend hours looking at properties and reading reviews, but never feel confident picking one because the reviews make you indecisive.
When there are no reviews, you don’t have so many voices in your head and you can make a decision about the property based on your own evaluation.
Con: You Only Know What You Know
If you are new to Airbnb, you might not know what is “normal.” For example, is it standard for guests to wash the linens they use before checking out? Do hosts typically provide a hair dryer?
Reviews can offer insight into what guests felt was good and bad about the property and their experience with the host. Other guests’ reviews can help you figure out what your experience should be like, what questions to ask, and ultimately if the property is the right fit for your stay.
Without reviews, you might think the listing sounds good, but in reality, don’t have the information you need to ask the right questions and make an informed decision.
6 Tips for Evaluating the Listing of an Airbnb with No Reviews
1. Importance of Pictures
Pictures are crucial when a listing doesn’t have any reviews.
You want to make sure the listing has tons of pictures. From the images, you should be able to visualize the whole house. It’s a red flag if there are only a few pictures and no pictures of some spaces like a kitchen or bathroom.
You also want to evaluate the quality of the pictures. If the images are dark, blurry, or don’t look professional, then this is another red flag. A legitimate host with a quality property will also have quality photos for their listing.
The Airbnb we stayed in with no reviews had light and bright professional pictures of every space in the house. We got a clear idea of what the house was like from the photos.
2. Money Talks
Everyone loves to get a good deal, but be leery of listings that seem too good to be true.
If a listing doesn’t have any reviews, the host may price the home cheaper to get people interested in the property. It’s a red flag if the home is priced significantly cheaper than other similar properties.
We got a discount for staying at an Airbnb with no reviews; however, we still paid more than other available properties with reviews.
3. Listing Description
You definitely don’t want a host that takes a less-is-more approach to the property listing.
In the absence of reviews, the listing description is super important. It should answer all of your questions and provide a detailed portrayal of what to expect. It is a red flag if the description is vague with limited information.
You also want to compare the listing pictures to the description. For example, if the listing description says there is a bathtub, but you don’t see a bathtub in any pictures, then this is another red flag.
4. Host’s Profile Picture
The host should have a picture as part of their profile. If the property has no reviews, I like the host’s profile picture to be authentic.
Obviously, anyone can use a fake or stock photo. However, if the host’s profile picture is clearly a selfie or a picture of their family, it’s a good sign the host is a genuine person.
Even though our Airbnb had no reviews, the host’s profile picture was a photo of him, his wife and his son. It made me more comfortable having some insight into who we were renting from, and I could relate to our host since we are also a family of three. The authenticity and relatability made me more confident with our decision to rent the property.
If a host doesn’t show themselves in their picture and instead uses a picture of their pet, it makes you wonder what else they might be hiding.
5. Other Property Reviews
Some hosts have multiple properties listed on Airbnb. So even if there aren’t any reviews for the property you are interested in, the host may have reviews for other properties.
Take the time to read the other property’s reviews. Pay close attention to any comments about the host. You have to assume you will have the same interaction with the host regardless of the property.
You want to take note of what people say about the host’s other properties. Were the properties as advertised, clean, well maintained, etc.? If there are concerns about the quality of other properties, then it’s a red flag.
6. Contact the Host
You can get a feel for the host by contacting them.
Reach out to the host with a question about the property. How quickly they respond will give you a sense of their responsiveness.
Does the host answer your question fully, or is their response short and unclear? If the host doesn’t go above and beyond when trying to hook a potential renter, then it’s a red flag.
You also want to compare any information they share with what is stated in the listing. If there are any discrepancies, question the host.
You Booked the Listing. Now What?
Review the Cancellation Policy
Once you’ve booked the Airbnb, you want to make sure you know the last day you can cancel and get your money back. This way if your interactions with the host after booking are not making you feel warm and fuzzy, you know how long you have to make a final decision.
Have a Contingency Plan
It never hurts to have a backup plan. If you arrive at the Airbnb and it isn’t what you expect, what will you do? Obviously, you will want to try to make it work so you don’t have to relocate, but that just might not be possible.
Take the time to look into other accommodations, such as hotels in the area. Make sure you have a few options in your back pocket in case you need to change accommodations.
If you do have to vacate the property, make sure to contact Airbnb and they can assist with finding accommodations. You will also want to document any issues so you have evidence to provide when requesting a refund from Airbnb.
This post was all about how to decide if you should book an Airbnb with no reviews.
