Air bnb told guest that it is possible to alter booking

[Carmen802]

I have a guest who booked with me for 2 months they arrived and within a day they wanted to alter the booking to 1-month. Airbnb told them that this was possible once the guest discussed it with me. I feel that airbnb have put me a difficult and uncomfortable situation with a guest staying in my property with me. How can I know say no as Arbnb have told guest that it is possible, I'm going to look as if I am  being awkward.  It is such a difficult time with few bookings around due to covid. I would like to offer a compromise but I'm just really uncomfortable about this wondering if the booking was made to get the long-term discount.  Would appreciate your advice.

[Cormac0]

@Carmen802 

I often wondered, if cunning guests took a long term booking to achieve a discounted rate, only to curtail their visit, and if the shortened visit had the discount rate retrospectively removed, I never found out the answer.

Please let me know the outcome.

[Carmen802]

I will. 

I am thinking that I will either recalculate the months stay without the discount and let them alter tbe booking

or

Say that if I can let the room then they will get two weeks back minus the discount.

[Elena87]

@Carmen802 

With a long term booking ( 27 days plus) a guest can make changes to their stay.

It can be done automatically without host approval, if they meet the conditions - that is after the stay starts, they still have 30 days or more before the checkout date as the cancellation policy gives the host 30 days paid notice.

When a trip has started, but it’s less than 30 days before the checkout date, the host needs to approve this change - so here you can compromise to make sure you receive the full 30 days notice.

Changes to trips to below 27 days would mean the long term discount applied to the booking would be lost to the guest, and the trip cost would be recalculated, so your thought that the change was done to get extra discount isn't right.

What I'd say, if you allow airbnb bookings over 30 days, you should keep in mind your guest can make auto adjustments not always in your favour and without penalty. Either you can decide to accept this or you can cap your maximum booking length to 28-30 days to deter auto adjustments.

By doing this a guest could still book for two months potentially, but then they would have to make separate bookings, but this gives your better protection against amendments.

[Carmen802]

Thank you but airbnb has referred the guest back to me so auto adjustments must not apply in this instance...so difficult as they are saying that my approval s needed for this.  I like clear cut rules, not what is happening here at all.

I give a substantial discount for bookings over a month hence my comment coupled with how strange it is that someone arrives, is happy but immediately wants to alter their booking, for me it has always been the other way around, they ask for more time at the end.

[Wendy117]

@Carmen802 @Elena87 @Cormac0   i have just had a 2 month booking reduced to 6 weeks after guest started trip done directly by guest with Airbnb.  I received an email from Airbnb stating Reservation Updated. This is allowed under the reservations long-term cancellation policy which is applied to all stays longer than 28 days. If you have any questions contact the guest.  No record on the booking of original period booked, just cslendar altered.  Apalling, couldnt they at least say what the change was?  Fortunately i was able to see the dates i had blocked on my other trip site and unblock them, but how unprofessional eould it look to have to call the guest and ask what they had done. I have yet to try to check if they adjusted the rate correctly from my 2 month discount to my one month discount as i can no longer see the original booking details.  Airbnb needs to do better if they are encouraging long-term stays.