Seasonal Cancellation Policy

[Jim-and-Gwen0]

This is a real blindspot for Airbnb.  We rent our camp Summer weeks  (lake) and off-season weekends (skiing mostly).  Summer tends to book quite a ways in advance as people make their annual vacation plans. Off-season tends to book more spur of the moment.  When it comes to length of stay settings, hosts are able to set a seasonal exception.  We should be able to do the same thing with our cancelation policy. We don't mind a moderate policy off-season so we can encourage bookings and people who are worried about lack of snow, etc. don't have to worry about being killed on charges.  But when someone books two Summer weeks then cancels 5 days out we are screwed.

So now Summer dates are starting to open up 6 mos out.  I either need to allow people to book with a moderate cancellation policy or I need to switch to strict and probably lose some late January, February and March weekend ski bookings.

[Steve3426]

Concur!

[Dave52]

OP 2020 and they've still not added this feature. Don't know why not, many of us are forced to change our cancellation policy for every booking to protect ourselves for specific high demand dates like an event. VRBO, booking.com offer this feature why not airbnb

[Marie8425]

@Jim-and-Gwen0 

Solution thoughts Do a lot of your seasonal bookings try to cancel?  That is your primary market I would set my consecration policy based on my primary market but if I didn't have a big problem with people changing their mind during seasonal times.  I think choosing moderate is a good ch

me who is the flexible only market people likely to cancel..  

[Frances3408]

@Jim-and-Gwen0. 100% agree. I see in my local hosts an average cancellation rate of up to 20% or more in Summer which is a beach destination. I have always tried to stick with a Strict cancellation policy. I think it sends the right message to genuine guests that these dates can be relied upon. Yes, I miss bookings as a result but thats my compromise. Off season I use pricing, less restrictions and sometimes specials. Pricing usually wins over most.

And yes, I'm waiting for Airbnb to acknowledge other platforms allow different seasonal cancellation policies already.