Calendar Availability Window Issue - AVAILABILITY WINDOW IS A BROKEN FEATURE

[Joe301]

I have my availability window set to 12 months in advance but there is a random block on my calendar within the 12 month window. I did not set the block and the block doesn't appear to be coming from a synced calendar as I removed all of the synced calendars on Airbnb and the block still appears. 

Additionally there needs to be a manual override of all unblocked and blocked dates when switching the availability window. If I manually unblock dates 24 months in advance when I switch to 12 months in advance availability window those dates need to be overriden and be blocked off.

The calendar availability window is fundamentally BROKEN!

[Joan2709]

Hi @Joe301 

Yes...been hearing about problems with calendar availability settings since the 2023 Winter Release. Not sure there is a solution, but some have turned on Pro Tools and use the multi-calendar for blocking/unblocking. Some have also had issues with not being able to manually block dates outside their availability window on the regular calendar as they were previously able to. Using Pro Tools and the multicalendar was the only solution to that problem also. 

[Joe301]

I just don't get it. My calendar is set to 12 months in advance but theres these random blocks on the calendar... If I unblock them it just comes right back

[Joe301]

not only that but the bottom listing is set to 12 months in advance but is not blocking past 12 months. If I manually block those dates it will block those dates forever be until I manually have to open them. So I have to continually go back and open those dates??? WHAT IS THE DEAL?

[Paula]

Hello @Joe301, thank you for bringing this to our community's attention.

I've reached out to the technical team, and they've requested if you could kindly provide the specific dates that were randomly blocked on your calendar, along with the listing ID, within a 12-month window. This information will allow them to cross-reference with the listing logs and verify this behaviour.

Thank you.

[Joe301]

Thank you. I've already removed the blocks. They regularly appear again over time. I'm not aware of a listing ID for Airbnb. Where are the listing ID's located?

[Paula]

Hello @Joe301, good question,

I came across a discussion in our community where a Host detailed how to locate your listing's number.

Below is an example of the number for one of your listings:

[Joe301]

Thanks @Paula . I have 8 listings and they all seem to have the issue with random calendar blocks

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/23709849?source_impression_id=p3_1707851235_7xEfC1CjYRqC25j2

[Joan2709]

Hmmm...this is how the calendar usually appears with a synced calendar from another platform, or if you have multiple listings (child) synced to a parent incorrectly within Airbnb?

Looks like you do have multiple listings, same property in a Parent child setup:

Parent (whole place)

Child A 

Child B

Calendars linked internally with Airbnb operate differently if someone books vs you manually blocking calendars. If someone books Child A or Child B, the Parent is blocked. If someone books the Parent, Child A & Child B is blocked. If you manually try to block something, it doesn't automatically block the other calendars; only an actual booking will do that. Is that what's happening?

[Joe301]

Everything is set to 12 months in advance. There are no bookings for January 2025

[Joan2709]

@Joe301 

If you have been operating the Parent - Child setup for awhile and this problem just showed up, then you'll have to work with Airbnb on it. Lots of problems with calendar and pricing with the new software. Also problems with listings appearing just fine in search results, then disappearing. 🙄

[Joe301]

Yea, has nothing to do with the parent child setup. There are just random blocks on my calendar that appear out of nowhere. If you unblock the random blocks then they don't get blocked again when you change the availability window. It's an absolute mess! 

This image below shows the calendar open to 24 months in advance but a random block from February 10 - March 1 2025. Why would this be here. Where did it come from. If I unblock those dates and then switch back to 12 months in advance the calendar wont block February 10 - March 1st so then my calendar is compromised. 

[Joan2709]

@Joe301 

The only other thing I can think of is if you are using a channel manager and there is a possible problem with that?

[Bob1363]

I'm having what might be the same problem.

At some point in the past random blocks showed up on my calendar and the availability window didn't seem to be working right, so I manually went in and opened the dates up out to the end of my calendar.

Now availability window is simply not working. I can change it to 6 or 9 months and it's blocked for a while but then becomes open again like this screenshot shows.

AirBNB's best response is this: Based on the investigation done by our Technical Team, it has been determined that you will not be able to make the changes to your availability window at this time. A Host can choose to make their calendar available for 3, 6, 9, 12 or 48 months in advance of today's date. If a Host chooses 3 months, a Guest can only book up to 3 months from now. Any custom availability set will not be overridden by changes to this setting.

After review, If a Host manually overrides a date as Available, then this action takes priority and the availability window setting is not effective anymore. You will need to manually mark the dates as not available based on x-month availability window option.

In short, since I manually opened dates up because of a calendar problem, my Availability Window feature is basically broken. That's what I hear them telling me, anyways, and they don't indicate that there's any way to fix it.

[Joan2709]

Hi @Bob1363 

Frustrating! 😠

The only thing I can think to do with this situation is change your calendar availability to "Unavailable by Default" for now. It will not affect any exisiting reservations, but will block all other dates currently open. All the other Availability window options are on a rolling calendar; as each day passes, it will automatically open up a date at the end of the availability window you set. Then manually unblock your calendar from now on as you wish. Be sure you take into consideration any prep days you have set before/after any reservation, or any other personal blocks you may have already set.