New strict cancellation policy update

[Lizzie]

Hello everyone,

The Airbnb team heard feedback from you and the host community about the upcoming change to our Strict cancellation policy. In order to address your concerns, we’re delaying the change until May 1, 2018.

Before the change goes into effect, we’ll share more about what we’re doing to address your concerns, particularly around protecting your listing details from being shared with guests who cancel. But for now, we’d like to clear up some confusion and help you better understand the new policy and how it will benefit the whole community:

Here’s how the new grace period policy will work—and some of the protections we have in place for hosts:

Limited-time refund within 48 hours after booking when the check-in date is at least 14 days away

Guests must cancel within 48 hours after booking and can only cancel if their check-in date is 14+ days away. This means that no matter how far out your guests book, they only have 48 hours from the time they book to cancel for free. We want to make sure that if guests change their mind, you have enough time to get another booking.

Three refunds per year per guest

To prevent abuse, guests are limited to three fully refunded cancellations a year.

No full refunds for overlapping bookings

To make sure guests are not making multiple bookings and then cancelling, any booking made by a guest when they already have an active booking for those dates will not be covered under our grace period policy.

Your hosting success is top of mind for us, and tests of this policy—including among hosts with strict cancellation policies in place—strongly suggest the change will result in increased bookings and successful stays. With this grace period, not only do guests book with more confidence, but they also have the ability to resolve booking mistakes without requiring your valuable time and intervention.

We value your feedback, and will follow up shortly with more insight into how your ideas are shaping this policy.

Thanks,

Lizzie

----------Update April 24th, 2018----------

Hello everyone,

Just to let you know there is now an update regarding protecting your listing details, as mentioned above. 

Here is the link to take a look: An update on the Strict Cancellation Policy

Thanks,

Lizzie

[Claire503]

Claire Les fauvettes, in Tours, France

I agree with @Helen0, @Jeremy, @Ange , Cor ...

A/ 24 hours should be the maximum . What do we answer other potential guests wanting the same dates ( via airbnb or other means) ? please wait 48 hours, i will keep you informed, please call me back etc  ? This is impossible to do, and would lead to mistakes ! Too much work too  ! 

B/  private details of the host should not be shared with the guest until the grace period is over.

[Todd109]

I think its a great that they will be able to cancel within 48 hours.  I come from a large city and often guest have no ideo the distance between one side of the city to the other.   I had guest book with me to find that they have 45 min commute everyday in brutal rush our traffic.   I have to spend time calling Airbnb to allow these guest to cancel without penalty.   It would be nice to let them know that they can cancel without penalty and open up my books and quickly as possible.   When there are cancellation penalties If I do book the space then I always offer refund to the guest in the amount that I booked for the exact same dates.  (No need to be greety) and guest are very much appreciate the honesty.   I have been doing this for 2 years and have been a superhost the entrie time and for the most part have always had very good guest.   I have strict cancel policy and strict booking requirements.   I don't let every tom, **bleep** and harry to book my reservation and the one I have the most problems with are locals so they are screened and if for any reason I am not comfortable I just decline the inquiry.

[Michael1624]

Not a problem for me as a host, I do not agree with this AIRBNB nonsense so I have found an alternative way of letting my property! Mike.

[Robert867]

The real problem with this new policy is not the way it is being implemented, it is that it is being implemented at all: it removes the choice of hosts to decide what sort of policy works for them.  That choice should be upto each individual host, not imposed on everyone by Airbnb.  This approach is very disappointing and damages Airbnb's reputation as a fair and reliable business partner.

[Green-Area-Apartments0]

I would also like to say that i don't see the point of this policy and that it creates much more problems than it is supposed to solve. Hosts should have a choice whether to implement the 'free cancellation' policy or not at their own risk. That gives certain hosts additional risk but also an advantage. By forcing this upon everybody it gives us no choice than to take the risk but without the clear advantage. Also, in some price sensitive markets 14 days is a relatively short period. It is simply not adapted for a wide range of:

-> Markets

-> Hosts

-> & Guests 

This policy could only work to some benefit as a time-saving measure in high-volume markets that see year-round demand, extremely touristic areas or areas attracting a large amount of business travellers. That is probably less than 10% of listings made on AirBnb or pretty much covering the large metropolises and touristic spots of Western Europe and USA. For most of other countries that see a lot more VFR and backpacker traffic this is simply not applicable and opens doors to huge misuse.

I'll repeat again, hosts should be given the choice to apply this option at their own benefit or peril.

[Enrique---Claudia0]

We are opposed to the 48 hour grace period. We host large villas that are booked typically a few weeks before the guest's holiday. That is our critical period. We also use other booking platforms & have our own marketing. It seems like we would have to block our other calendars for a booking that is not yet final. Or leave the other calendars open and consider the airbnb booking to be provisional until 48 hours has lapsed. We would have to give perference to our guests from other sources, and actually go back and cancel a provisional airbnb booking. This policy seems unfair to guests who really are sure of their plans. 

Just allow hosts a choice. Grace period or no grace period. That way we can choose what is best for our business and best for our guests. 

[Lucas193]

@Lizzie

1. 48hrs is too long , 24hrs is more than enough

2. Full disclosure of the location and contact details should be released after the grace period

[Lucas193]

@Lizzie

Also do hosts get the same grace period . its a two way street

[Nancy213]

What seems to be becoming a trend in my case is guests booking for "family" members.

The family members who showed up have not been desirable - they break rules and leave the apt unsatisfatorily.

The bookings were done through Instant Booking and I was leary about cancellation penalities when I found out and wanted to cancel.

[Nancy213]

Hi Lizzie what is the cancellation policy around guests not booking directly but through a third pary. I have had undesirable experiences because of what seems to becoming a practice in booking my place.

What seems to be becoming a trend in my case is guests booking for "family" members.

The family members who showed up have not been desirable - they break rules and leave the apt unsatisfatorily.

The bookings were done through Instant Booking and I was leary about cancellation penalities when I found out and wanted to cancel.

[Barbara--Belize-and-Colo0]

For me, 48 hours is too long (24 hours would seem to be more standard, that is the time period US airlines give for ex for a cancellation free refund) and allowing guests to do this just 14+ days in advance is *way* too short a time frame (30 or even 60+ days out would be more reasonable to me). I would prefer that hosts have the option to agree to this or not. As another host stated, we want the right guests not necessarily more guests.

[Jeff89]

Hotels often have different prices for no cancellation, limited cancellation or fully cancellable hotel rooms. Maybe hosts should be able to designate different prices (or discounts) for different cancellation options if they chose to offer them?  We don’t want cancellation options as each booking requires our preparation before the guest has arrived.  If there is a cancellation, there should be a cancellation fee payable to the host.

The risks that other hosts raise about listing address already divulged is a major concern too.

On a similar note, hosts are now forced to change their strict cancellation setting to moderate cancellation option to be included in a business ready listing. As much as ABnB sometimes entertain hosts feedback, they move goal posts far too often without ample consideration to the way hosts like to run their businesses.  

[Iris133]

why has this feature been installed?!?  Its not only obsolete, but unfair.  I as a host cannot cancel more than once without getting sanctioned.. even with directbooking one can only cancel 2 times (though u only find out as you go, as its stated nowhere! ) 

In general I sadly must say airbnb has gotten more and more host unfriendly over time and its frustrating ..... I know from other hosts they are looking for alternatives... so stop this changes for the worse and become more hostfriendly again!

[Claudia878]

I agree with almost all comments here regarding this topic. Let US make the decision if we want to use the "grace period " option or not. It is OUR business and even YOU think that will increase my bookings, I prefer to make my own decisions. I am happy to be in control and like it as it is. 

In case you will decide on my behalf, DO NOT SHARE  private details of me with the guest until the grace period is over.It is a risk for my privacy and security. I WILL NOT ACCEPT IT. Generate an automated message, informing the guest that these details will be shared with them – as soon as the booking gets a confirmed status. That would eliminate as well the time consuming back and force emails answering all questions .....useless if they cancel after 48 hours.

If guest don‘t agree with my cancelation policy/rules, fine...they have the choice to book with somebody else and safes me trouble.

As other hosts here I choose ABB as my listing platform because it fits exactly how I run my business. I stopped working with other well known companies, because they also tried  to tell me how I have to work.

Please consider what you are doing, let US run OUR business with your support but without forcing us,never good....

Thanks for reading 🙂

[Jill275]

I'm chiming in here just to go on record as being very opposed to this forced 48 hour cancellation policy.

I do agree with a 2 hour window for cancelling a "mistake" booking.  I can simply wait 2 hours after a booking comes in to respond.  I don't want to spend time replying and responding to questions for a booking that is going to flake..... and I definatley do not want them to have my details!

I would likely pull my rentals off of air bnb if this goes through.