A Guest Gave Me a Bad Review Over Street Noise or the Neighbourhood

By ReviewRescueCross-checked against Airbnb's official Reviews PolicyUpdated August 5, 2026Not affiliated with Airbnb
The short answer

A review about street noise, traffic, or the neighbourhood may be removable as irrelevant content — those are outside your control. But if the noise comes from inside your unit (thin walls, your own AC), it's about the stay and stays up. The source of the noise decides it.

Outside your control vs. part of your listing

Airbnb removes reviews about things you can't control. Noise is the classic grey zone, so be precise about where it comes from:

  • External — a bar down the street, traffic, a neighbour's party, construction nearby → likely irrelevant, removable.
  • Internal — thin walls in your unit, a loud fridge, your building's elevator → about the stay, stays up.

How to request removal

  1. 1Quote the exact sentence about the external noise or the area.
  2. 2File a removal request citing the Reviews Policy relevance requirement.
  3. 3State plainly that the noise source is outside your property and outside your control.

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Frequently asked questions

The guest complained the walls were thin. Removable?

No. Thin walls are a feature of your unit, so that's a genuine comment about the stay and stays up. The irrelevant-content ground only covers noise and issues outside your property.

A guest reviewed the 'sketchy neighbourhood'. Can I remove that?

Often yes — the character of the surrounding area is outside your control and can qualify as irrelevant. Quote the specific line about the neighbourhood and cite the relevance ground.

What if the review mixes noise and real issues?

Airbnb may keep a mixed review. Focus your request on the clearly external part, and prepare a public response in case they decline to remove the whole thing.

Sources

This guide reflects Airbnb's own published policies. Verify against the primary source, as Airbnb can update its policy:

Related guides

Irrelevant / off-topic reviews
Weather, the area, Airbnb's fees — content that isn't about your stay.
The complete removal guide
Start here: the six grounds, the request, and the escalation ladder.
"It's unfair and untrue"
The honest answer: unfair alone isn't removable. What to do instead.