Guest cancellation due to Corona Virus

[Jennifer2342]

Hi fellow hosts, 

I just wanted to pick your brains on the following. I host my villa in Bali while I am away. I use the strict cancellation policy. I was expecting a Chinese guest in 2 days time. This morning they told me they were cancelling because they wanted to go back to China because of the Corona virus.  I  replied that my strict cancellation policy applies. A few hours later I found out Airbnb China gave them a full refund because of special circumstances. What I do not understand is, why a virus in China is a good reason to cancel your reservation in Bali, when there are no family members directly involved. There is also no confirmed case in Bali of the Corona virus. This would  mean that all Chinese in the world can cancel their bookings and get a full refund.  Maybe I am missing something, or just not well enough informed ? Please let me know your experiences with similar situations. Thanks in advance. 

[Lorissa0]

Absolutely agree. I’m so upset about this. Why is there no middle ground on this? Once again the hosts get to take the burden. 

[Tonya23]

Dallas has canceled many events here that my guest have booked to attend. I have a strict cancellation policy.  What should I do?

[Allen137]

There is nothing to do. You should expect that Airbnb will give them all 100% refunds. Airbnb does not care about how hard it is going to be for hosts to bear the burden of their incorrect policy decision.

[Dee219]

Hi Tonya23,  Some of my guests have cancelled because events in this area have been cancelled. Some of them have not complained at all about losing a small amount eg $60 because they chose to book  under a strict cancellation policy. 

Others are trying to get me to cancel their reservations and I will not because their bookings are outside the extenuating circumstance window.

There are only 2 guests now who are affected as other guests just change their bookings to a date way in the future and can change as often as they like and no one loses money.

For those who want a full refund, because no guests will be coming much (covid) previously bushfires for 2 months, they will have to wait months until guests come again.

Its tough all round and I feel for hosts having to wear guest changes, somehow the virus situation has meant some people do not experience financial loss or hardship while many are losing jobs and incomes. Its not an easy situation.

I am now suggesting that those coming for an annual event and who will come back in 2021 to get their 50% cancellation refund and then I will give them a 50% credit for staying next year.

[James411]

AIRBNB is completely canabalistic!  $12k in reservations refunded DESPITE A STRICT CANCELATION POLICY!  They are biting the hands that literally feed them!  They sell this trust/sharing community as a viable way to earn income and then arbitrarily change rules that screw the people actually investing in their company!  Guests are given complete reign, while hosts have zero ability to enforce contractual guidelines.  Extenuating circumstances are not "I don't get to attend my party, or I don't get to see my concert"!!! Yes this virus is serious, but your contract is still enforceable and we both lost 50% of our money!!  There is no equitability with Airbnb's arbitrary non-cohesive party culture.

What cruise company, airline, tour company can function with non-refund policies that actually mean "oh never mind, her is a refund".  Yeah it sucks to lose reservation fees, but properties booked on STRICT CANCELATION POLICIES  are not only NOT accessible to other renters; hosts STILL HAVE PAY THEIR RENTAL PROPERTY MORTGAGES, OVER HEAD ETC.!   I don't get to call my mortgage company now and not pay the mortgage. Guests acknowledge  payments are NOT REFUNDABLE at booking!

Guests have access to trip cancelation insurance for pennies to the dollar via credit cards, private insurance, etc.; most cover Airbnb reservations now!  How much energy did Airbnb put into educated guests that their booking IS NOT REFUNDABLE under STRICT CANCELATION and that they should consider TRAVEL INSURANCE??!! Exactly, NONE!  Hosts do not have access to such cancelation insurance, that I am aware of.  That is the point of a STRICT CANCELATION POLICY! Resources are expended and hosts get to bare the total loss??!!

Legitimate hosts are treated as disposable, while illegal fly by night AIRBNB rentals pop up everywhere, including cities and areas where Airbnb rentals are ILLEGAL. Neighborhoods are turned into dumps by the droves of grifter units that bypass any standard or accountability.  Airbnb has created a culture of travelers that presume everyone else is to cover the liabilities of their potentially failed travel expenses!  HOW IS THAT SUSTAINABLE?!!

There is no rhyme or reason to Airbnb polices as we are seeing their terms change hourly!  Corona virus did not shut down the flights coming here, corona virus did not close hotels and restaurants.  Yes, use commonsense and WASH YOUR HANDS!  We do not have a Corona outbreak in my city at the time of this writing.   Airbnb breaching their contracts with hosts is not going to resolve Corona Virus!  Airbnb's greed and ineptitude is making a horrible situation now a financial hell for hosts left on the hook for the sake of Airbnb's desperate aspirations for an APO!    DO NOT BOOK A STRICT CANCELATION PROPERTY IF YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO SHARE THE LIABILITY and honor the agreement you signed!!

My cruise set to go to Italy was canceled, guess what, NO REFUND!!  It was a non-refundable endeavor I agreed to at booking.  I purchased trip cancelation insurance for 5% the cost of the cruise, about $300.00!  This isn't rocket science, but then Airbnb seems to be catering more and more to illiterate uneducated consumers. They could have paid hosts and issued gift certificates to guests that lost parts of their host fees.  Using said certificates on future trips, helping to keep hosts in business!  Of course, that would have made sense, a disposition Airbnb seems to reject at every turn!   Airbnb will force hosts to arbitrate to keep a roof over their heads!  WHAT A SHAM!!

[Carlos793]

Totally agree! Not only is AirBNB giving a flat cancel left and right, I had a guest that understood the situation and was OK was the half refund, we wished each other the best and AirBNB turned around and gave the 100% refund. Such generosity AirBNB! Should we just start signing our properties over to you now? I guess because the owners originally started as renters renting out air mattresses they haven’t fully understood the impact of mortgage and housing obligations, especially on MULTIPLE properties. AirBNB stop interfering!

[Lorissa0]

Will you please send this up the chain with AirBnb??

I 100% agree with you! I also purchase travel insurance of book with more flexible cancellation options if needed in order to protect myself and I then also accept consequences. 
Why does it seem that the lowest common denominator always wins?! Hosts are once again hung out to dry- next time when a guest books and changes their mind they will certainly find a way to maneuver around any cancellation fees. Ugh. 

[Johny7]

Airbnb did nothing.. we should sign up pretetion.. we should stay together to get our compensation from Airbnb..

[Judy51]

Are you aware that Airbnb is soliciting cancellation via email. I actually reach out to a guest that canceled. She stated that they had been sent her an email telling how to cancel the words to use( notice all the cancellation have incident in name of town reservation is in) and a convenient cancel button. Which insures a 100% refund. Granted a small window but that window cost me dearly and we have no guarantee that Airbnb will not increase that window. My guest also said that Airbnb had made it look like they had refunded the money with no mention of the hosts

[Teresa---With-Roger-0]

@Judy51  What were the dates of your guest’s arrival? Extenuating circumstance reaches to April 1 and before. If your guest received an email who was checking in after April 1, I need to contact my guests to assure them that we’ve stepped up our cleaning practices and how and that a home is much safer than a hotel. Regardless, AirBnB should not be meddling. Is there any agreement we as hosts made when we signed up with AirBnB that would Relinquish our decision making over to them? I have always felt very appreciated as a Super-host whenever I’ve had to make contact about a guest issue. My heart goes out to those hosts who are feeling betrayed. We’re just watching and waiting and praying this will all be over soon. Perhaps if the news media were allowed only a limited time of coverage of this virus during each news cast the hysteria would be far less but each news cast is saturated with this story. People will soon tire of it after a week or so. 

[Lorissa0]

The window has now been increased to 4/15... 

[Sarah977]

@Teresa---With-Roger-0  " Is there any agreement we as hosts made when we signed up with AirBnB that would Relinquish our decision making over to them?"

Yes, there was. Have you ever read thoroughly through their TOS? It basically gives them the right to do anything they want and accept zero responsibility. And we all agreed to it by signing up with them.

[Donald194]

Good day

I'm afraid I can not continue to do business with an organisation which so totally disregards the interests of its partners. In the morning I will examine the cost implications of this disastrous policy.  Clearly, I can have no confidence in an organisation which treats its partners with such shameful contempt.  I would expose my business to even greater risk if I continue in a relationship knowing that you are likely to make similar policy changes indiscriminately relating to reservations covering a different time frame in the future.

I'd be very surprised if most, if not all, of your host partners do not feel likewise, and choose to cancel all reservations made with Airbnb.   

Will you not stress to the guests affected that you are obliged, both morally and legally, to stand by the agreements you have made with your partner hosts, and offer assistance to these guests to provide evidence to assist them with claims against their travel insurance companies?

Clearly, if you were applying this change of policy when hosts had agreed to it because they were unable to accept guests due to the virus, that would be very different, but to unilaterally and indiscriminately apply this policy, knowing that your hosts will have no resort to an insurance claim, and may well be put out of business, is morally obscene.

It would be much more sensible for me to cancel all resetvations made through AirBnB and rely on other OTAs, such as Expedia, Booking.com, HomeAway to take up the slack.  They all treat their hosts fairly.

Kind Regards

[Cristina814]

Hello,could you tell me  if  other renting webs are using the same policy that Airbnb about refunding 100% of the money to the guests?????? Thank you 

[Olga6]

We rented a house for the summer in Spain: there will be no refund. 

Also a sailing boat in Croatia: same policy. No refund.