My host cancelled a confirmed booking

[Ben4028]

Hello,

I reserved a 4 night stay at a cottage in Milton Keynes for the 15th - 19th July. A final payment was due today however yesterday they contacted me asking if I still required reservation. I told them yes and that I can make the final payment now if required. They then replied saying that they have to cancel the reservation due to covid restrictions forcing them to close the apartment!! I asked for evidence of the covid restrictions that are forcing the closure yet they will not reply!!

I am taking my Grandad, Father and Brother to Silverstone for the British GP that weekend hence why I booked the accommodation. The ability to obtain alternative accommodation with such short notice has left me with minimal options and the options I do have are double/triple the price I original paid for this reservation. 

I think this is absolutely disgusting and outrageous and these people should not be allowed to do this and get away with it. They have clearly cancelled my reservation so they can accommodate someone else who has offered them more money! 

Due to their greed and complete lack of respect for both myself and Airbnb I am now left out of pocket.

Is there anything I can do to make a claim against these people? There must be some regulations they have broken, surely? If a confirmed booking is made there has to be a good reason for the cancellation and lying about Covid restrictions is not one of them! 

Please help.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Ben4028 There is really very little you can do here. Have they actually cancelled yet? If not then do make sure you pay the second instalment or the booking  may get cancelled inadvertently by you!

[Mark116]

@Ben4028  If the host cancels they will have to provide some documentation to Airbnb or else they are penalized, which includes having the dates blocked, so that suggests that their claims may be legitimate or alternatively, they're going to try and get YOU to cancel.  I would contact Airbnb directly via telephone and tell them of the situation.

[Cary111]

TestThe same exact thing happened to me!   The Host cancelled (we’d paid in full, and had it booked weeks in advance).... then literally days before our family vacation was to start, the Host cancelled stating the property had a “change of ownership”.     We were left with no options for a similar place for our dates, and the few properties that were available were triple the cost of what we had paid.  I almost cancelled our vacation after 2 days straight of frustrating convos with Support and no response from scandalous Host (btw, the listing for that property is STILL up on Air B&B!!!   How is this possible?).   The house is in Los Osos, California, btw;   I feel like telling everyone I know how sketchy this entire situation was.   Air B&B offered zero help in terms of helping with the difference in price between the old place and a new one (if we could even find one - these places on the coast get booked long in advance and unless you want to pay 1,000/night, you’re out of luck).   The last review for this particular place that cancelled on us said “beware, this is a scam, something is wrong”.  That was 10 days ago.    Then Tonight when I looked, not only is the house still up for grabs on different dates (what Happened to “changed ownership?”)  but that bad review is gone!!!     What!?   I’m really angry and I want to somehow get retribution for the situation, but karma will take care of it I guess.   Air B&B certainly won’t.