I need to cancel a guest :(

[Fiona582]

Hi all,

Can you help please?

We are quite new to Airbnb, went live with our coastal holiday cottage last August. We had a few bookings last year and quite a lot of interest for this year. We were hoping to get some maintenance and improvements done during Spring, low season, but due to lockdown, that was not allowed.

We are in Wales and were not allowed to travel more than 5 miles until last week...

Now we are fully booked until end September and need to do works in October but have 1 six day booking.

We really need to cancel the booking and get on with the work but I'm worried we will get a bad review or be penalised by Airbnb.

We have never cancelled before.

We are thinking of offering a discount for another date as a sweetener.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

[Linda108]

Host cancellations are heavily penalised on this platform.  It is best for you to read up about that in the Help Center.  Cancellations are very problematic for travelers so just to take care of something you need is not a good reason to cancel.  However, if you can entice the guest to cancel, you can avoid the host penalties.  By entice, I mean make the guest whole.  They should not have to find inferior or more expensive accommodations.  Understandably they would not be happy about helping you out.  You could offer a discount and credit if the guest is able to change the dates.  Some guests cannot change dates however due to travel.  Hopefully you will find another way to address the work you need to get done without causing trouble for the guest or being penalised by this platform.  Good luck!!

[Fiona582]

Hi @Linda108 

Thank you for your reply. I will definitely do some research in the help centre. This is what I anticipated if I’m honest. But I’m dreading cancelling the work more than cancelling the guest! 
I think you’re right though, just got to suck it up 😩

Thanks again for your advice. 

[Mark116]

@Linda108  If you can make the case that the work is 'necessary' e.g. it is fixing or upgrading some kind of structural flaw or something similar, you might talk airbnb into giving you a penalty free cancellation since it is so far in advance. 

[Fiona582]

@Linda108  got to be worth a try 🤞

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Fiona582 

Switching the dates will be difficult for your guests. Do you know anybody else nearby with a similar listing as yours you could switch the guest to with their approval?

And, if you're planning this, then it would be a good idea to block the rest of your October availability too..