How do I handle reservations when we put our property on the market?

[Jill862]

Been hosting an AirBnB which sits on our 8 acre ranch for over a year. Very successful. But we have decided to move out of state and create another AirBnB where we move. Just wondering how to handle reservations from now on. We are pretty booked through July, but I'm afraid to open up months beyond that. I do want to show success of this business to potential buyers, but worried there might be a buyer who doesn't want to continue the business. So far, people have been very interested in continuing to host to offset mortgage.

Any tips? Should I add a warning on my listing that there is a possibility of closing the AirBnB due to the sale of our property? I'm not sure what to do.

Many thanks in advance for help.

-Jill

[Laura2592]

@Jill862 you can't transfer your bookings, so guests will need to re-book with the new hosts, if they are interested in becoming hosts. I would keep my calendar closed if you really thought the sale would go through before July. Less hassle. People are very huffy about cancelations especially if they have not been able to travel for the past year. 

[Emilia42]

Also, you will be charged for the cancelations and it won't look good to see a bunch of cancelations on your profile. I would be pretty peeved if I was a guest booking a family vacation worth over a thousand dollars only to have the host cancel after I bought plane tickets because they knew they were going to eventually sell the house. 

[Dale711]

Hi @Jill862,

Simple, 

After the deal, contact Airbnb to present the documents as the listing no longer available, apply the multiple cancelations with minimum penalties.

Your property has sold. Who’s cares about the review?

I hope you can resolve your issues.

[Gordon0]

Except @Jill862 has said she wants to continue hosting, @Dale711, and I think guests looking at her new listing (with a shed-load of cancellations alongside her profile) would care.

[Jennifer2682]

@Dale711  I think that is really unfair to the guests who book and get cancelled on.  I oftentimes revolve entire vacation plans around the home I've rented.  Both host and guests have entered into a contract in good faith and I think it's best to do the right thing and close the calendar if the property is being sold.  

[Dale711]

Hi @Jennifer2682,

Yes, you point it out correctly.

Yet, @Jill862  stated,

‘I do want to show success of this business to potential buyers, but worried there might be a buyer who doesn't want to continue the business. So far, people have been very interested in continuing to host to offset mortgage.’

Beside, the suggestion of close the calendar, multiple cancelation, any other solutions?

[Jennifer2682]

She can easily share the past year’s financials with prospective buyers to show her STR’s success. 

[Sarah977]

@Jill862  Close the calendar to future bookings. It's a big hassle both for you and the guests if you end up having to cancel future bookings. Since the listing and bookings can't be transferred to the new owner, even if he wants to use it as an Airbnb, there's really no advantage to continuing to accept bookings, except for wringing every possible penny out of it in case you don't get a buyer and sale closing for awhile.

But if it sells quickly, you'd have to cancel the bookings, which isn't really fair to the guests.

And when it's on the market, that means you'd have to have showings to prospective buyers, which you really can't do if there are guests in residence.

[Laura2592]

@Sarah977  I can see the review. "I was eating my cereal when a realtor arrived to put up signs for an open house. The stay was comfortable except that we had to vacate the premises several times of showings."

[Sarah977]

@Laura2592  I've read guest posts where the host did exactly that. A quite recent one where an entire family with 2 or 3 kids was informed by the host, after the guest was in residence, that they needed to keep the place super clean at all times and vacate all day so she could show the place.

Some people have zero ethics. 

[Amy-Dawn0]

Ti add onto this question, is one in danger of being kicked off the AirBnB platform if you are taking reservations for distant months while you know, your home is for sale?