References are how the Couchsurfing community looks out for each other. They give members a way to share honest experiences and help everyone make more informed decisions about who they host, surf with, and meet up with.
Types of References
There are three types of references on Couchsurfing:
- Stay Reference: A public reference tied to a completed stay. It becomes available 24 hours after the stay's end date and stays open for 14 days. A stay is considered completed when the end date has passed and the stay request was in a Confirmed or Accepted status. If either the host or traveler cancels the stay, the reference flow won't be available. Each time you complete a new stay with the same member, you'll have another opportunity to leave a Stay Reference for that stay.
- Personal Reference: A public reference you can leave for any member at any time. No prior stay or friendship required. You can only leave one Personal Reference per member.
- Private Feedback: Private feedback tied to a completed stay, visible only to the Couchsurfing team. Also available within the 14-day window. It's a way to share concerns that don't feel right to make public but still need to reach our team.
References should be truthful, relevant, and based on your own direct experience with the person you're writing about.
Responding to References
You can add one response to each reference left on your profile. Responses are visible to anyone who views the reference. You can edit or delete your response at any time, but you only get one response per reference.
When Can Couchsurfing Remove a Reference?
We don't typically step in when it comes to reference content. In rare cases, we may censor, temporarily hide, or remove a reference if it clearly violates our guidelines.
A reference may be removed if:
- We're served with a court or law enforcement order to remove it
- The reference reflects the experience of someone other than the author
- The reference discloses private contact information, a medical condition, or a legal circumstance
- The reference is verifiably false, based on information available within the Couchsurfing system. We can't verify or remove references based on events that took place off-platform. Both members are allowed to share their own perspectives.
- The reference is anonymous, for example, left from a blank or fake profile created solely to leave the reference
- There was no direct interaction, either in person or through the platform, between the person writing the reference and the person receiving it
- There are multiple references for the same completed stay from the same member. In that case, we'll keep the first Stay Reference left.
- The reference is clearly retaliatory, meaning it was posted after the 14-day double-blind period solely in response to seeing the other member's published Stay Reference
How Do I Report a Reference?
If you've received a reference on your profile that you believe violates these guidelines, you can report it directly from the reference itself. You can only report references left on your own profile.
When reporting, include the name of the member whose reference you're disputing and the specific guideline you believe it violates.
A Couple Things to Know: We can't remove a reference simply because you dislike it or disagree with it. The reference system is designed to let both parties share their honest experiences.
We generally can't verify the accuracy of references describing off-platform interactions, like private conversations on WhatsApp or other messaging services. For your safety, and so we can help if something goes wrong, we strongly encourage keeping all communication within Couchsurfing.
Couchsurfing staff reserves the right to remove any reference that undermines the integrity of the Reference System.
Need more help? Get in touch. You can also reach us anytime through Settings → Contact Support.