Host cancelling due to travel restrictions during COVID

[Bridget246]

We have guests booked for November 2020, they booked prior to March but travel is not able to happen as they are in the Netherlands and our AirBnB is in NZ. I have messaged them (along with any overseas guests) asking if they can still travel due to COVID....they have replied no but they are waiting for a change in policy from AirBnB....we have a relaxed cancellation policy so they can cancel up to 24 hours prior. This is frustrating as other people are wanting to book. When I go into cancelling a booking it doesn't seem to have an option of cancelling due to COVID it keeps coming back to contact guests to cancel, otherwise you could lose superhost and be charged .....and there is no phone number to contact AirBnB that I can find....any ideas/help would be appreciated...Thanks

[Linda108]

Hopefully you have the guest response confirming the intent to cancel on the Air BNB message system.  Then contact Air BNB directly, requesting a non-penalty cancellation based on the guest stated intention.  Alternatively, the guest might be waiting for Air BNB to allow full refund cancellations, including the Air BNB fee.  You could offer to refund the amount of the Air BNB fee IF the guest cancels within 24 hours.  That will open your calendar and the guest will get the full refund.  If you have other guests interested, you will ultimately have better guests than the current ones that are willing to hang you out to dry for their own benefit.

[Bridget246]

Thank you for that !!