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.

[Emilia42]

@Mark116 

I am also a little confused about why I am reading so many posts on here saying that hosts are disabling instant book with the rollout of this new policy.

When you use instant book, you get 3 penalty-free cancellations a year. I have never canceled on a guest and don't ever plan to but that is my piece of mind. Otherwise, you are at the mercy of CS and this new high penalty policy. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Emilia42  I didn't check but someone mentioned that 3 penalty-free cancelations for IB are not an option anymore.

Or did I misunderstand something?

[Kelly149]

@Branka-and-Silvia0  abb keeps repeating over & over that you can make your own decision three times within a year about cancelling (3x/host no matter how many listings/reservations you have within that year)

it seems they think this idea is comforting. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Kelly149  it stays with the new policy too?

[Kelly149]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 Yes but see my note to @Emilia42  below/above. 

those cancellations are supposed to be about a bad guest. Not about something coming up in your own life. Now, how abb figures that out, who knows. But those 3 cancels aren’t for hosting problems. They’re for bad guests who snuck into your IB when they shouldn’t have. 

[Huma0]

@Kelly149 

One way for Airbnb to figure it out would be if the guest complained and there was nothing on the profile nor in the communication that would indicate any reason for the host to feel uncomfortable about the booking, but I am really not sure if CS would be bothered to investigate such a circumstance...

Unless, the guest accuses the host of discrimination, which is quite possible because if the guest doesn't understand why the host cancelled on them, they might suspect it's that. I was just having a conversation with a friend the other night about someone who was extremely rude to me without cause and he asked me, "Are you sure it wasn't a race thing? Because, whenever someone is rude to me for no reason, I assume it's because I'm gay."

[Kelly149]

@@Huma 0. Exactly, I’m not saying they necessarily would figure it out but that whether hosts know it or not, abb expects those 3 free cancels to be about a guest problem. A host using an IB cancel bc of a host problem is on thin ice. And yes a grumpy tattling guest could stir up trouble for sure. 

[Emilia42]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 This is linked to the new policy:

[Anonymous]

@Emilia42  In the past, it's always been possible for non-IB hosts to get a booking cancelled without penalties if the guest indicated an intention to break the house rules or exceed the occupancy after booking. If that's now a privilege reserved exclusively for IB hosts, it's a major and very disturbing policy shift. 

[Emilia42]

@Anonymous No policy shift. Here is a link to where I'm reading this info: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2022/can-a-host-cancel-a-reservation-without-adverse-consequences

[Anonymous]

@Emilia42   Oh, OK...so the distinction is between whether the guest "intends to break house rules" or "makes it clear they’ll likely break one of the Host’s house rules." 

I guess when they fired 25% of their staff, they lost all their editors.

[Emilia42]

@Anonymous Ha, but this could work to the hosts benefit. If CS isn't buying that the guest "intends" to break rules, maybe they will be persuaded when the host tells them that "they'll likely break one."

[Mary996]

The wit is back....!! Hi @Emilia42 . You are ever on the ball (with the semantics, very vital, about rule breakers anonymous - "likely" intending). Actually though they've helped me out so it does work (perhaps, maybe, sometimes)! 

[David8879]

@Anonymous 

Have you ever noticed that when they make the package smaller - price stays the same?

And then when they up the size to original size - price doubles?

I bet they fired the best and highest paid and left ...well - we all know what is left...

[Jenny]

Hi @Branka-and-Silvia0 

Good question.

I've asked if we can get clarification on that - I'll let you know when I have an update!

Jenny