A Competitor Left a Fake Review on My Listing — How to Prove It
A review from a competitor or a fake account with no real booking is removable as non-genuine. Airbnb can check whether an actual reservation and stay exist behind the review — without one, or with evidence the reviewer runs a competing listing, the review is vulnerable to removal.
What makes it non-genuine
You're arguing that no real stay sits behind the review. Signals that support that:
- The reviewer operates a competing listing nearby.
- The account has no completed reservation with you.
- The review describes a room or feature that doesn't exist.
- A cluster of suspiciously similar negative reviews appeared at once.
How to request removal
- 1Note anything showing the reviewer is a competitor or that no real booking exists.
- 2File a removal request stating the review is non-genuine.
- 3Ask Airbnb to verify a completed reservation actually underpins the review.
Check your review in ~30 seconds — free
Paste the review. We'll tell you honestly whether Airbnb's policy makes it removable — and give you the exact words if it is. No login, no account access.
Check my review — freeFrequently asked questions
I can't prove who the competitor is. Can Airbnb still check?
Yes. You don't have to unmask them — Airbnb can look at whether a real, completed booking exists behind the review. If there's no genuine stay, that alone supports removal as non-genuine.
The review describes a room I don't have. Is that enough?
It's strong evidence. A review describing features your listing doesn't have suggests it isn't based on a real stay at your place. Point out the specific impossible detail in your request.
Several bad reviews hit at once. Coordinated attack?
A sudden cluster of similar reviews can indicate coordinated fake activity. Report them together, note the pattern, and ask Airbnb to review the accounts behind them.
Sources
This guide reflects Airbnb's own published policies. Verify against the primary source, as Airbnb can update its policy: