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

[Mario610]

This is terrible. Airbnb should have asked its hosts first. We now have to work double as much for those renters who book multiple properties just so they don’t lose the dates, and then narrow it down to one and cancel the others. Bad move Airbnb!

Also, there is something wrong with your App. It takes forever to load, and to switch from Inbox to Calendar there is a 1-2 minute wait. What’s going on there? It used to work like clockwork!

[Gabriela-And-Maite0]

Hi

I would really appreciate your help

My situation:

I have a guest in one of my rooms; this are the events that ocurred with my guest:

1.  He booked on 

september the 3rd 2018  

from september the 9th 2018  to january 14th 2019

2. then he booked from again the same room

from january 15th 2019 to march 7th 2019

3. today november the 23th he wants to cancel his reservation from december the 5th

My question is:

what are the cancellation policies for a case like this?

What are the penalties?

tku

[Kathy472]

I have been in the vacation rental industry for over 20 years and am not at all happy with how airbnb treats host's . I lost thousands of dollars this summer due to the  policy to that allows  guest to cancel  due to  "extenuating " circustances . This was because of a potential huricane which was no where near my area.  I do NOt agree with the new strict changes.  I am considering taking my 15 plus properties off the site.

[Graham157]

I do not appreciate being managed in this way by Air B&B.  I wish to keep my strict policy as it is.  A 48 hour notice is of no help as we are always fully booked.  Stop interfering with the management policies of hosts.

[Martin921]

We dont want this change. Strict is strict. 

[Scott559]

Lizzie

How do I get the super strict cancellation for my property?  I had multiple properties listed previously but took them all down because your cancellation policy did not work for me.  If the super strict is available, I would like to reconsider.  thanks

Scott

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

@Scott559 - you cannot. It's by invitation only and only for very, very exclusive and high-end properties - like entire islands.  

[Cor3]

Hi @Alice-and-Jeff0,

The superstrict cancellation policies are indeed by invitation only.

But it does not require extremely exclusive properties.

There is property manager in ‘our’ neighborhood, with 31 ‘regular’ listed apartments.

And they have "superstrict 60" as cancellation policy, on their properties.

[Jan204]

Cancelation with 14 day advance for with a full refund is a serious business problem for me. I live on the Island. There is a ferry that during summer months is fully booked in months ahead. Sudden cancelation (14 days in advance) will not allow me to find new guests, becausde they will have no way to get here with their car. How does Airbnb treting these kind of situations? It is not all black and white. Any exceptions? This makes me want to continue booking through Airbnb and look to a local realestate agents, who understand our local situation.

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

EVERYONE...... 

The 14 day issue is ONLY for people who book with less than 14 days until the start of their reservation.  If it is less than 14 days until the start WHEN THEY BOOK (so they book on Monday for a Friday start), there is NO 48 grace period in which to cancel without penalty.  

[Robin37]

I am so angry with Airbnb.  I just saw this post.  I was NEVER notified of the change in the cancellation policies.  We have been with Airbnb since 2013 and always had the "Super Strict". 

Our county requires we provide a rental contract for our operating license.  In our contract (which is stated in two places in our Airbnb profile): If your notice of cancellation is received less than 30 days (non-holiday booking) or 60 days (holiday booking) you will forfeit all sums paid. If we are able to rent the home to another guest for the same dates at the same rate, we will refund the rental nightly fees minus a $250.00 cancellation fee. Cleaning fees will always be refunded. The Security Deposit will be refunded."

How dare Airbnb dictate to us the hosts on what our policy should or shouldn't be???  Do they pay the property mortgage, insurance and taxes??? Do they pay us to have our homes listed??? NO WAY we pay them AND the guest pays them!!!!!! 

Also what is their accountability???  I can never see how much they charge the guest for service fees.  This company is going down fast in their service to hosts. 

I am usually a "Superhost".  When you do get an off review they taunt that status at you.  I could care less.  They have gone too far.

I a

[Lorenzo345]

Hi, I have cancelled a booking 72 hours after payment as there was a misunderstanding between the host and I. The booking was 4 months away.
Got the refund back but Airbnb kept £484 as fees ($650).
Isn't this a little excessive and trampling on our consumer rights?

[Gill58]

I strongly disagree with your new policy of allowing guests 3 free cancellations. We battle with unreliable guest bookings as it is in South Africa and allowing 3 free  cancellations will be seen as condoning it. The maximum allowed should be one.

[Ian-and-Linda0]

The 48 hour cancellation would be ok for a  booking  months in advance. Why not 24 houre  when the arrival date is imminent, to avoid hosts losing genuine bookings during that cooling off period?

What is absolutely not ok though,  is the 50% refund within one week of arrival on the “strict” cancellation policy!   It is  open to hosts to voluntarily refund in extenuating circumstances and guests could take out travel insurance rover their losses. However to allow guests to cancel on a whim at such short notice is unfair on hosts, especially when they may have held this accommodation in good faith for guests for months ahead of their arrival date.

We have always had strict cancellation policy and have never had a problem getting bookings because of that  policy, so we would disagree with the Airbnb suggestion that the more flexible stric5 policy helps us to get bookings.  

Strict is not strict anymore and this year to date we have had three cancellations, a rising trend since the strict policy was diluted. The  guests were given  50% refunds, and we have been unable to relet the dates at such short notice and have therefore lost income.

Interestingly not only is strict not strict anymore, but also 50% is not 50% anymore! The guests were given  more back in their 50% refund  than we as host have been given in our 50% payout after cancellation! 

Strict needs to be stricter to protect hosts, and guests should be encouraged to take out travel insurance.  If hosts are having difficulty getting bookings because they have chosen “ strict “ policy, there are other more flexible options they could choose, so why not keep strict as strict for those of us that need it.  

What therefore is the purpose of diluting the strict policy, and why do hosts lose more than guests in the 50% calculation? 

[Joey111]

I cannot find replacement tenants unless I am given 60+ days or more. Airbnb gets worse and worse by the day for the hosts. Airbnb added taxes and fees for my past guests who stayed for more than 3 months. I think they are pocketing the money.

I am done with Airbnb. I get better policies, platforms and treatments from other sites including Homeaway/VRBO. I, now, price my property lower at Homeaway/VRBO than at Airbnb to compensate for all the Airbnb's hostile policy. This adds another one.

I was a Superhost, and gave Airbnb a lot of business last year. This year, nothing: nanda. All my bookings came from Homeaway/VRBO including the peak season ones. I am fed up with Airbnb with their terrible treatment of the hosts, bad policies and inferior platform. I am soooo done. I tell my guests to come back to my property using Homeaway/Vrbo and never to touch Airbnb, and they said that they will. If Airbnb does not think that the hosts don't understand what they are doing, they are wrong.