Competition for Airbnbs has only increased since the start of the pandemic. Total demand for short-term rentals in September was up 26.6% compared with the same period in 2019, according to vacation rental data platform AirDNA. And for some guests, successfully booking an Airbnb means more than just paying the cost (plus any additional fees) — it means maintaining a good rating from hosts.
Like Uber and other peer-to-peer rental platforms, the reviews on Airbnb go both ways. Guests review…