An update on changes to the Strict cancellation policy

[Lizzie]

Hello everyone,

We recently announced that we’re updating our Strict cancellation policy. Starting May 1, 2018, guests will have the option to cancel for free within 48 hours of booking, as long as their check-in date is at least 14 days away.

In response to this announcement, many of you voiced concerns about Airbnb sharing your details with guests who may cancel. We take your privacy very seriously, so thank you for that feedback—it inspired important updates that give you more control over when your listing details and contact information are shared with guests.  

Here’s how we’re addressing your concerns

You can choose not to share your address, phone number, and last name with guests during the period that they can cancel for free. Guests will never see these details if they cancel their reservation during the free cancellation window.

To use this feature, go to Listing > Listing details > Edit location in your Airbnb account. Under Visibility for booked guests, check the box next to Share details with guests after the free cancellation period.  

This feature will be available to all hosts on May 1, regardless of their cancellation policy (Strict, Flexible, Moderate). And just in case you missed the announcement, here’s what’s changing for hosts who have a Strict cancellation policy:

• Guests will get a full refund if they cancel within 48 hours of booking, as long as their check-in date is at least 14 days away. This means that even if a guest books a reservation months in advance, they’re only able to get a full refund if they cancel within the first 48 hours after booking.  
• Guests can only get 3 full refunds per year. After that, guests will no longer be able to cancel for free.
• To discourage guests from making multiple reservations for the same dates and then cancelling, overlapping reservations aren’t eligible for a full refund.

This change helps hosts with a Strict cancellation policy compete with listings that offer guests more flexibility. Guests feel more confident booking reservations that give them room to make changes or fix booking mistakes immediately. The updated policy gives guests this flexibility, but only for 48 hours after they book.

Airbnb is committed to the success of all hosts and we know changes impact how you work. We don’t make changes like these without extensive testing, and after we change the policy on May 1st, we’ll continue to monitor the impact by providing the grace period to a portion of guests before making it available to all guests. As we roll this out, we’ll continue to listen to your valuable feedback.

Thanks,

Lizzie

[Nan17]

The 48 hour cancellation policy doesn't work for many of us - -we may get two or more requests for the same date and guests are often making plane reservations at the same time. Even arilines don't have a 48 hour grace period. If guests have a 48 hour grace period, then the vacation rentals should also have the option to book someone else in that 48 hour period.

In our area the vacation rental business has a short window -- usually June-August. Most people come from out of state, requiring plane reservations. 14 days is often not enough time for a rebooking as people make their vacation plans for summer far in advance. 

Please reconsider this. While it may be a selling point for Airbnb. it will be hurting many Innkeepers. 

[Elizabeth10]

@Quincy0 @Lizzie

Last Wednesday at 8:52 AM received an inquiry.  Sent three hand-holding messages with instructions on how to book when potential guest had questions.  At  11:09am I had a confirmed booking.  Without any reason or warning received the “CANCELLED LAST WEDNESDAY AT 1:34 PM” message.  Great, this is the FIRST time and surely not the last.   So as another poster stated, I AM NOT GETTING MORE BOOKINGS, I AM GETTING MORE CANCELLATIONS!!

I went to strict cancellation because of the abuse of wishy-wash, trying to buck the system, refusal to read the listing to ensure a good fit, etc. etc. etc..  (not to mention  NUMBEROUS BAD REVIEWS due to guests  failure to read disclosures and agreeing to them before booking).  I have many examples, but let’s start with the most recent one.  A guest booked on April 17th.  I received this message last week ONE hour before check-in (and this is after giving him permissions to check-in THREE hours early!!)

Guest:  “I know this is a bad question to ask at this time, but is the House entirely separate? Or is this a just the first floor for rent? Just asking to be sure!... I thought that the listing indicated that I was renting the entire house when I booked this listing. Again just curious, thanks!”

I responded with the listing types and the descriptions from the help files. My listing repeats and repeats through the listing that the owner has a private entrance (with photos) and living area in the basement—not to mention the title reads:  ***  950sf-Entire 1st floor-Cute Cottage(DR or 3rd BR).

1. ********Listings should be fully read and all of the pics viewed prior to booking to make sure its a good fit for your needs. **
2. ****Guests acknowledge that they agree to disclosures, house manual, listing specs, and cancellation policies when they complete a booking.

Airbnb listings are categorized into the following room types:
Entire place: Guests have the whole place to themselves. ... (note:  may this should say entire PRIVATE space??).
Private rooms: Guests have their own private room for sleeping. ...
Shared rooms: Guests sleep in a bedroom or a common area that could be shared with others.

Guest:  “am sorry but I am going to ask to cancel the listing and ask for the money back. I am almost sure the listing said that your place was the entire house rather than a single floor

May 18, 2018•Sent from a mobile device.”

Overall, I suppose I dodged a bullet.  Not sure what the booking guest intended to do in my home… parties…drugs…etc.  In any event, he did cancel but ended of paying when he tried to fight it with AirBnb.  However, I am a 60 y/o single female and I spent a very nervous weekend living in my home because this cancellation had my name, address, and lockbox code.

Might also note, this is his booking message to me:  “Coming with a few friends sometime between 5-8. Depends on if we golf. I’ve read the rules and understand them completely!”

Apr 17, 2018.

Next step – to follow up with my damage claims that has not been responded to since 5 weeks ago…

[Holly167]

My situation is a perfect example of Murphy ’s Law.  I booked an Airbnb in Atlanta for August 2017. At the time the host had strict cancellation so, when my friends back-peddled on me, I had to cancel my reservations. I reached out to the host Java and explained what my so called friends had just done. My cancellation request was only  4 (four) after making them  and still I lost 50% of my money. I still planned to travel to Atlanta and book another reservation for just me. I called Airbnb support and the agent was able to get me a little more refund money.  I lost about $600 for cancelling in 4 hours then paid $800 for another Airbnb for just me. 

When I look back at Java’s Airbnb host page and she is NOW allowing her guest to cancel in 48 hours for a full refund.  Why was she so unwilling to give me that courtesy when I begged and cried to her? I’m seeking legal advice regarding this matter and hopefully receive the rest of my refund.  A 24 to 48 hour cancellation policy should have been in place from the start of Airbnb because it’s standard practice with most businesses that require a reservation.    

[Justin310]

Bertrand,

the cancellation policy option in place is - STRICT

after contacting AIRBNB - they informed me that

1. guest contacted them in the morning, Airbnb emailed me and advised cancellation was due to extenuating circumstance.  (not able to disclose)

2. an hour later Airbnb advised reason was due to a storm. (in Mississippi)  my unit is on the beach in Fort Lauderdale. 

yes it rained in morning - but i was in pool with my kids that afternoon.

conversed with guests - saturday night - gave them access codes etc.  all was well.

a courtesy call would have been greatly appreciated.  Guests that checked out that morning wanted to extend stay until Tuesday morning (two days)  - I paid cleaning service extra ( so that, they would take another lady and have unit prepared on time for check in.  ( i do that when i have guests checkin and out on same day.  

my unit is on the beach - Its located within a condo/hotel resort  - at minimum their policy is a night reservation for cancellations 24 hours prior.  

would have leased to guests occupying unit night prior and extended their stay. 

current policy protects interests of guests ( same day cancellation - full refund) but guests booked over 90 days prior. 

[David126]

@Justin310

Basically it is a cost of doing business on the ABB platform, increase your rates by a few dollars a day to cover the cost of this happening.

[Vici0]

Hello @Lizzie 

Under the new cancellation policy, just got a cancellation for free within 30(?) hours after the reservation -  first time ever after 6(?) years in a raw of superhosting - and I feel really dissapointed with the updates that do NOT help all of us who have done a great job with hosting airbnb travelers during the last years.  Instead, the new airbnb policies, encourage the good old hosts to do LESS. What a pity.  I do want to hope that airbnb will soon take seriously our voiced concerns. thank you. have a good day

[Ann10]

@@

Dalene- May I ask what other sites you book on? Right now, my favorites are Wimdu and VRBO.  Has anyone tried booknbed? They want to come over, stage my place, and charge 15%. I guess it will be ok if they get me a lot of bookings. 

[Ann10]

@

John-I love HomeAway and Wimdu. If you go on quora and look for who is airbnb's competion you will find a long list of sites. Also, look on airbnbhell.com. I think I saw some good ones on a quora discussion, "is airbnb dying?.    https://www.housli.com/listings

[Dan418]

You are making VRBO a much more attractive platform. You favor the guests considerably over the host which is a huge mistake. Without the Host you have no invintory and no business!!

You place unfair burden on the host when you should be protecting and supporting them. YOU SHOULD ALLOW UP TO A 60 DAY cancellation period not 14 and no 48 hour cancellation.

Shame on you Airbnb.

[Pat-And-Mike0]

This new cancellation policy does not help us at all - just the opposite.  We are in the Caribbean and only get guests from overseas.  If someone cancels 2 weeks before they arrive, there is no chance of us getting another booking.  So fed-up!

[Jennifer62]

The new strict cancellation policy is completely unfair to hosts where certain times of the year are booked 6 months ahead of time. You are leaving us no choice but to encourage all our guests to use other booking sites where we can get real damage insurance protection and protect our assets. 

[Igor55]

I find it weird that I do have a strict cancellation policy and yet Airbnb seems to wanting me to give a refund to a guest who cancelled verbally and has called them AIrbnb support that they are cancelling.

I had a guest who checked in earlier but 10 minutes after being in the house decided to cancel the reservation. The booking is a 3rd party booking, which is a violation of Airbnb policy but anyway since I did not pay attention to it, I allowed it. But definitely, I am not giving any refund for any cancellation. 

The guests who showed up told me about cancelling and the reason given was that, they are supposed to be in Santa Rosa and not in San Francisco. Santa Rosa is 1 to 2 hours drive from SF. I told them to call airbnb. I saw them on the phone and told me they already informed Airbnb and that Airbnb will handle the issue.

I called Airbnb about it and told them the situation. Airbnb wants me to give refund to the guests or they won’t clear my calendar. I asserted my right that I have a non refundable booking. 

Later Airbnb called the owner of the app (dad of the guests who showed up) and said, he does not want to talk to Airbnb. Airbnb told me they cannot do anything about cancellation. 

Airbnb does not want to proceed with the cancellation without me giving the full refund. Despite the fact that my listing is a non refundable booking. Despite the fact that the guests cancelled and face to face told me that they are cancelling. 

I gave Airbnb an argument citing the business model similar to buying a non refundable plane tickets and booking a non refundable hotel room. I asked them that if you don’t want to take your non refundable flight, do you get a refund? Does the plane need not to fly because you are not flying? Of course not! So I questioned Airbnb as to why they are not clearing up my calendar despite of the guests calling them and telling them they are cancelling. They told me they don’t have records of the call. 

It took me 7 calls to them and I was on the phone for 3-4 hours in total dealing with them. They even hang up on me. They don’t want to officially cancel the reservation since I don’t issue a refund. The case manager who is handling the situation told me he will call me but did not call me and he was hard to reach. The other agent said he is busy yet the case manager replied to messages. I told him to call me he said he will call me in 10 to 15 min but never called me and speak to me about the issue.

At 11pm, I am almost tired of Airbnb beating around the bush. I called the guests who showed up at my house and told him about how Airbnb does not want to officially cancel. I put the phone on speaker phone so the Airbnb agent who is in the other line can hear. The airbnb customer service acknowledged about heating our conversation but still does not want to do the clearing of my calendar. 

I have to plead from the guest to do the official cancellation  by hitting the cancellation button because this customer service and Case manager does not want to officially cancel it.

I am glad the guest was able to access the app of his dad and did the cancelling himself.

I hate how Airbnb has played around with me telling me they don’t have any records of calls from the guests and that they will only cancel from their end if I give refund. 

Thank you but no thank you Airbnb for having this refund policy yet you don’t abide by it; for wasting my 4 hours and stressing me.

[David126]

@Igor55

If the Guest does not cancel then you should get paid.

Are you saying you have not been paid and AirBnb woud not cancel the booking?

[Licinia2]

I've just had my first within 48 hour cancelation.  Since its a month away I'm ok with it.  The only problem is that before the guest cancelled they requested my cell number in case of emergency.  I did not think much of it.  I would encourage Airbnb to automatically block out all emails and phone numbers till after the 48 hour cancellation period is over.  I think this guest may have cancelled on purpose  to go around airbnb's service fees.  The whole booking- including which beach cabin they chose and the length of time seemed odd to me.  Also - I have never had a guests ask me for my personal cell number right after they had booked our place.

[Chris1125]

I have been with Airbnb for 2 years now,  I have become a Super Host just bought another rental.  Now all of this is happening. Since I joined Airbnb I have had a Super strict cancellation policy and have been fully booked, now when I get a booking 5 months in advance for mid summer, I have to worry that I will be looking for guests a month before my busiest time of the year and will either have to lower my rate to attract guests or lower the standard of guest that I would like. 

The sencond issue, that I don't see any one talking about, is now guest can make partial payments, which is fine, except that in my area I have to collect for local tax and can not chage guests at time of booking, but now have to wait until 7 days before checkin to get them to pay for local tax, or any other additonal charges.  This is a major pain to hosts.