Cancel without penalty?

[Lina4176]

I'm posting as a guest, two days into a seven day stay. The internet isn't working and we both work online, so need to cancel and switch to another place. The host has agreed and said they will refund us what they make (not service fee) for the remaining days.

How can I cancel and get the refund without the host being penalized? They have been very nice about this, but we don't really speak the same language and I know that depending on how I cancel one or both of us gets penalized. 

[Emiel1]

@Lina4176 

The host need not to cancel, but using the "change" option on the reservation to shorten the reservation. In the change form the host can also amend the price to that of a two days stay. Then you will be refunded remaining  nights and Airbnb service fees will also be recalculated.

BTW

You (as a guest) can also use the "change" option to shorten the reservation, but you can not amend the automatically calculated price.

[Sarah977]

@Lina4176  The host can do a "change or alter reservation" with a new check-out date for you to accept, or you can do that.

When a guest uses the option to send the host a request to cancel for them to accept or decline, that's when it is registered as a host cancellation and the host gets penalized.

It's very refreshing to read a post by a guest having concern about the host being penalized. It's usually the opposite- the guest is solely concerned about being fully refunded. You're good people.

[Debra300]

@Lina4176,

I am also a remote worker, and access to the internet is essential for me.  Your profile says you've been traveling around Italy for the past year.  Have you thought about purchasing a mi-fi device to ensure that you can still connect when it's absolutely necessary?  In the situation you described, do you think the host would have been amenable to reimbursing you for the mi-fi service?

[Lina4176]

Hi Debra, we have a portable modem that we pay for, but it also requires a good connection to a specific phone network, and some places just don't have it. This specific property didn't have a router inside, it was in the house next door and they had walls that were two-feet think, so it just had a very poor signal, but unfortunately our modem was also lagging. The owner ended up getting an extender which helped, so we stayed.