The rating of your apartment on Booking.com, Airbnb, or other intermediary portals directly affects the number of bookings. Even the most attractive location, like Kołobrzeg, Świnoujście, Międzyzdroje, or Warsaw, won't help if your reviews lower the average to 7.9. In this article, we present the most common reasons for low ratings and show what you can do to avoid them – especially if you rent out an apartment for short-term rental on your own.
It's not just about general tidiness. Guests judge the details: dust under the bed, buildup in the shower cabin, unwashed cup. If you have a cleaning team that doesn't work according to a checklist or isn't supervised – the first negative reviews are just a matter of time.
Solution: checklists, random inspections, textile rotation, training for housekeeping staff. Operators like Solarento have an operations department that daily checks the quality of apartment preparation for rentals.
Guests expect to receive an answer to their question within a few minutes. Malfunctions, unavailable Wi-Fi password, request for an extra blanket – the longer you don't respond, the greater the risk of frustration. And frustration = lower rating.
Solution: automatic replies, chatbot, online chat, reservations and service team available 24/7. Operators like Solarento respond very quickly as a whole team watches over this.
Guests feel uncomfortable when they don't know how to get into the apartment, how the air conditioning works, or where to throw away the trash. Ambiguities or lack of a digital registration card can cause negative comments even during an overall good stay.
Solution: standard information card, instructions in Polish and English, guest app with FAQ. Solarento provides guests with complete information before arrival and services guests through its app.
Guests expect a consistent, hotel-like standard. Old armchairs, mixed furniture styles, personal souvenirs, family photos, or random knick-knacks may give an impression of chaos or lack of professionalism.
Solution: neutral design, organized interior, no private items. Professional operators advise on how to prepare interiors for short-term rental.
A negative review without a response makes a bad impression. No reaction to a positive comment is a missed opportunity to build reputation. Owners often ignore comments or don't know how to respond. Result? A drop in search results on OTA portals.
Solution: active reputation management, etiquette-compliant responses, trend tracking. Operators like Solarento regularly respond to reviews and react to guest ratings.
It’s not only about impression but conversion. Photos taken with a phone, under artificial light, from a random perspective, reduce interest in the apartment. And fewer bookings mean more price pressure.
Solution: session with a professional photographer, photo optimization for Booking and Airbnb, seasonal updates. Solarento organizes photo sessions following best practices with support from the best interior photographers in Poland.
Summary
Short-term rental is a game about quality. And it’s not just about location or price, but every detail that affects the guest’s rating. If you feel you cannot maintain a 9.0+ standard on your own – entrust it to specialists.
Solarento manages apartments in Kołobrzeg, Świnoujście, Międzyzdroje, Warsaw, and other locations. We will take care of your reputation, and you will enjoy profits without stress.
