3 month rental - had to leave halfway through due to covid, host is refusing to refund or allow a friend to stay.

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Chris12347
Level 1
Shanghai, CN

3 month rental - had to leave halfway through due to covid, host is refusing to refund or allow a friend to stay.

I have a 3 month reservation in NZ. I had to leave the country half way through due to covid.

I asked the host what to do about the remaining 6 weeks. The host didn't reply back to me for 2 weeks.

Now there is 4 weeks remaining with the past 2 weeks now having disappeared.

Host said there was no refund. I asked Host if my friend could stay ( i am not charging money or subletting, he is a friend who needs a place to stay)

Host said it wasn't possible. Now, I can't get a refund, nor give my friend the ability to stay there.

I can understand if the host doesnt want to refund, but if Im paying for an airbnb stay, why would i not be allowed to have a friend stay there instead when i had to leave the country due to the covid?

 

Seems unfair, and especially with the host not replying back for 2 weeks.

I have messaged support already, but just wanted to check if i was in the right or wrong.

I did get a good rate for the monthly stay, but feel kind of cheated especially given the response of the host.

2 Replies 2
Elena87
Level 10
СПБ, Russia

@Chris12347 

 

In usual times, if you want to cut short a long term booking mid-stay you send a date alteration request to the host. It's 30 days paid notice or to the end of the booking if it is a lesser amount, unless the host decides to waive this notice.

Extenuating circumstance don't apply after the booking commences.

 

All this is fairly easy to find on the help pages, you have a shed load of reviews and are an experienced abb guy, so I'm not sure why you would drop it for two weeks rather than expedite matters when the meter was still running.

 

The idea of thinking that it would be acceptable to let a stranger to the host stay in their property is an obvious no-flyer proposal.

 

Chris12347
Level 1
Shanghai, CN

youre right, should have been more proactive, in the future, i shouldnt expect or trust hosts to have my best interests in mind. thats too bad...