Changing our policy on avoidable Host cancellations

[Airbnb]

As our partners on Airbnb, Hosts do an incredible job of honoring reservations and going above and beyond to support guests every day. That’s why guests from around the world trust complete strangers with some of the most important days of their lives—from summer vacations and staycations to honeymoons and anniversary celebrations. 

But when Hosts cancel on guests for preventable reasons—like accidentally double-booking or wanting to host friends and family instead—guests lose the confidence to book on Airbnb, and this impacts all Hosts and hurts our entire community. 

Starting August 22, 2022, we’re updating our Host Cancellation Policy. The existing policy has been in place for many years and included small fees if you had to cancel a reservation. 

Get the full details on the Resource Center.

[Cathy899]

I have never had instant book turned on because we live full time on our property and want to ask questions of potential guests before accepting reservations. Not having instant book on has not negatively impacted our placement in search results. We are always number 1 or 2 in search results since we went live last October.

[Stephanie365]

@Cathy899  I hate to tell you but that's AirBNB's cookies that make it appear to *you* that you're that high in the search results.

Search incognito or on a friend's computer. You'll see...

[Cathy899]

@Stephanie365 ahh! Good to know. Gonna do as you suggest. In terms of results, we are fully booked until October so I guess something is working right. Thanks for the cookies heads up.

[Olly1063]

I would hate to have to cancel too, I really don't plan to do so. But, as you suggest, events outside of our control do happen. If we are to be penalised then I would much prefer it if the money went to the inconvenienced guest rather than a company that continues to make vast profits.

[Jenny]

Hi @James2743 

That's a good question.

I've taken a note of your overall feedback and have asked if we can find out more about this for you.

Jenny

[Martin989]

I’m afraid this will result in my leaving AirB&B and relying on the other agencies for my bookings. I think I’ve had to cancel a booking on just one occasion, and that was within hours of accepting it as a booking for the same dates had come through via another site. It’ll be water off a ducks back for a business the size of AirB&B, but it would be wise not to forget that without people like us letting our properties through your site, you have no business.

[Jenny]

Hi @Martin989 

Thanks for taking the time to leave some feedback on this.

I've made sure to include what you've said in the feedback we're collating at the moment.

Jenny

[Colette203]

I had a host no show on me last week. It was devastating as it happened on a Saturday and there were no hotels, and it was 36 degrees out and I'd just been at the dentist. I called Airbnb SEVEN times and they did SFA for me except waste my time. I slept in the back of my minivan with my face throbbing and seriously thought about suicide. After all that wasted time on the phone, Airbnb gave me a $100 credit, and I am a superhost, which one would think might qualify me for preferential treatment. Hah! Hah! So, my big question here is what Airbnb is going to do with this money? Rather than add to their profits, it should go directly to the guest.

[Jenny]

Hi @Colette203 

I'm sorry to hear about what happened.

I've added the comments and feedback you've provided.

Jenny

[Anonymous]

@Airbnb   The updated host cancellation policy has removed the "automated public review" from the list of consequences. It's also unclear whether the less than 1% cancellation rate still applies for Superhost status. Can someone shed some light on this?

I'm not opposed to steeper penalties for preventable cancellations, but as a guest I really depend on those automated reviews to determine whether a host has a consistent record of honoring bookings. And the one legitimate reason to specifically seek out Superhosts would be out the window. I'd be altogether less likely to book an Airbnb if this feature was eliminated.

It's also really frustrating that the Cancellations resource page has no entry specific to the painfully common situation of a host needing to terminate a booking in-progress due to guest behavior (e.g. broken rules, sexual harassment, unsafe or illegal conduct). Every day, there's at least one post on the CC from a distraught host who urgently needs to remove a troublesome guest from their home, but who is either stuck in limbo waiting for a CS callback (which often never comes) or who has been told by an operator that they'll be penalized for cancelling. You're always finding new ways to punish your hosts, but it would be really appreciated if you could also provide a straightforward process for them to extricate themselves from truly disastrous bookings. 

[Stephanie365]

@Anonymous  the problem with the automated message regarding Host Cancellations is it doesn't differentiate between, "I'm cancelling because I'm just not feeling it", "I'm cancelling because of a Death in the Family", or, "I'm cancelling because a flood just swept my house 1/2 mile down stream." All are penalized the same with the auto message.

Along the lines of what you've mentioned, here we have AirBNB who still can't get it right when guests break the law once again targeting hosts with punitive measures. There is zero doubt in my mind that guests who break House Rules, The Law or Scam Refunds far outnumber the hosts who cancel a reservation because they want to use the home for themselves or family.  The focus should really be on stomping out the bad guest behavior first. 

Oh, and actually training CS agents instead of handing them a Template and saying, "You go girl!" (or guy)

[Anonymous]

@Stephanie365  A lot of hosts don't seem to realize that they can post a public response to the auto review, and explain the reason for cancelling. 

Avoidable host cancellations may not be very common among full-time and professional hosts, but we mustn't forget that a huge portion of active listings are run by amateurs and non-serious hosts. You get a lot of cancellations caused by hosts failing to update their calendars, setting the wrong prices, or finding themselves in over their heads. And on the same token, the average guest is unaware that Airbnb has zero quality control for new listings, so they don't realize how very risky it is to book a property with few or no reviews. For anyone considering taking a chance, whether as a guest or as a host, all the information they can get about a user's past performance is valuable.

[Toetsie0]

I expect a big "sorry, we got this wrong" email tomorrow from Airbnb. 

[Robert6206]

This is a terrible idea, charging good hosts fees for any reason a cancelling was made by host.  I had a situation when Airbnb and VRBO upgraded their platforms and the syncing between the platforms stop working causing double bookings.  I would be fined for this?     I work very hard to fulfill my rental obligations and try to earn favorable reviews with all of my guests.  But when the platforms don't work properly, guests cancel dates on me,  or guests leave a terrible mess,  I have no recourse for financial restitution.   I already pay extra with these type of circumstances and if Airbnb charged me additional fees for whatever reason from a canceling,  I would be to angry to work with them and leave their platform.     

[Helen744]

@Robert6206 It depends how many bookings you have unsynched but calendars can be and should be checked and blocked manually ,so this should not happen randomly or a lot Guests do cancel and that is separate and depends on your cancellation policy. It happens . The new cancellation policies are not that bad but it may stop some boutique hosts who still discriminate for their own personal reasons that are not valid.Money is lost by guests who cancel and hosts who cancel, we cannot hold guests to ransom nor can they hold us to ransom . Its time something changed to give hosts and guests a clear understanding of the realities of hosting. It takes work and concentration . It is not just a way to print money or take money without offering the requisite hospitality. It can be tough but other times it works and its sweet . good luck H