I have a booking that I need to cancel because we are having major drainage issues and have a major drainage project we have to get done asap

[Natalie895]

Our house is located in Baton Rouge, LA and we have already had unprecedented rain this year and already just had a tropical storm that caused significant rain that followed it. I have a booking that I need to cancel because the only dates the contractors can do the work is during the dates this guest is staying. Because of the amount of rain we have had the past two months in our area all of the drainage contractors are booked solid for months. This is a major drainage project that will cause the utilities to be turned off and will have large equipment in and out of the backyard. We have been needing to get this done and now its urgent to get it scheduled. Are there penalties for canceling when we are having to get this done due to the problems this extreme weather is causing that we cannot control?

[Anonymous]

@Natalie895  You can try your luck with customer service and request an exemption from the cancellation penalties by invoking the Extenuating Circumstances clause.

Whether that will work is a bit iffy. Hosts aren't supposed to be penalized for cancelling due to a natural disaster in their area, but it's unclear whether that also applies to essential maintenance related to the disaster. 

Before initiating a cancellation, I'd at least try contacting the guest and offering an opportunity to change the dates of the booking, just in case they happened to be flexible. The sooner they can start changing their plans, the better. If that doesn't work, you'll want to get customer service involved. Odds are better at getting an exception if you contact them before, rather than after, hitting the Cancel button.