Should I mention my cleaning service in the reply?

Only to say you've added a checklist and a final walk-through. Blaming the cleaner makes you look like you're not taking responsibility — guests read it as an excuse.

Can I get a cleanliness complaint removed?

Rarely. Cleanliness is a guest's subjective experience, not a policy violation. The response is your tool — a calm, specific reply outperforms a removal attempt.

How fast should I reply?

Within 24–48 hours. A fast, specific reply shows future guests that problems get fixed.

← All response templates

Review response template

Airbnb Cleanliness Complaint: Response Templates

Cleanliness is the #1 complaint in vacation-rental reviews and the one future guests weigh most heavily. Your public reply should acknowledge the specific issue, state the fix, and stay calm — never blame the guest or the cleaner.

Copy-paste responses

These replies are what our free response generator produces for a review like this — pick the tone that matches your voice.

Professional tone ★★

We're genuinely sorry the cleanliness wasn't up to standard. That isn't the standard we hold ourselves to, and we've already brought in a deep clean and tightened our turnover checklist. We take feedback like this seriously and would welcome the chance to make it right — please reach out to us directly.

Warm tone ★★

We're truly sorry the cleanliness wasn't up to standard — that's not the experience we want any guest to have, and we hear you. We've already brought in a deep clean and tightened our turnover checklist, and we'd really appreciate the chance to make this right. Please reach out to us directly.

Concise tone ★★

We're sorry the cleanliness wasn't up to standard. That isn't our standard, and we've brought in a deep clean and tightened our turnover checklist. Please reach out so we can make this right.

What to actually fix: Deep-clean the unit and add a cleanliness sign-off to your turnover checklist. Name the concrete change in your reply; vague 'we're sorry' reads as defensiveness.

Want a reply drafted for every review you receive — with the issues already detected? Paste a review into the free generator, or analyze your whole review history.

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FAQ

Should I mention my cleaning service in the reply?
Only to say you've added a checklist and a final walk-through. Blaming the cleaner makes you look like you're not taking responsibility — guests read it as an excuse.
Can I get a cleanliness complaint removed?
Rarely. Cleanliness is a guest's subjective experience, not a policy violation. The response is your tool — a calm, specific reply outperforms a removal attempt.
How fast should I reply?
Within 24–48 hours. A fast, specific reply shows future guests that problems get fixed.