Guest Cancellation Policy Update

[Lizzie]

Hello Everyone,

A few weeks ago Airbnb made changes to what guests see when they book and what happens when they cancel a booking, those changes were discussed here on the CC.

You can read more about the changes in this Help Center article. We also want to open a thread here on the Community Center, to continue the conversation. We appreciate how important it is that our host community is informed when changes happen on Airbnb, even when those changes are for your guests.

What changed for guests?

The names of the cancellation policies themselves haven’t changed, so the policy you set—Flexible, Moderate, or Strict—will still show up for your guests. However, now when a guest makes a booking, they’ll see more information explaining the terms and refund cut-off dates for the policy you’ve chosen. We also changed Airbnb’s existing policy so that we now refund Airbnb guest service fees for cancellations, up to 3 times per year. This way, if a guest cancels within a fully-refundable window, the reservation—including guest service fees—will truly be fully refundable.

How will this affect me as a host?

This additional messaging for guests is meant to eliminate confusion about our cancellation policies and, ultimately, to encourage more bookings—especially for more flexible listings. The changes won’t affect refund cut-off dates, your payout, or your host fee. Guest cancellations are rare and we’ll continue to monitor this rate in light of the new changes.

Why did Airbnb make this change?

Through feedback and research, we’ve seen that guests often overlook the cancellation policy terms of the listing they book. This leads to confusion and frustration in the rare event that their plans must change. This added education is meant to help align guest and host expectations going into each booking.

I hope you find this information useful.

Thanks for your time.

Lizzie

[Diana108]

This is my  2nd year with airbnb and I just realized that my STRICT Cancellation Policy is a JOKE to airbnb. They just refunded all my money to a manulative guest who lied about her reason for cancelling claiming "extenuating circumstances". She was not new to airbnb and she could have booked with a host who has a more flexible policy but she chose to book with me. I called airbnb and was told that she called earlier and tried to get a full refund (instead of the 50% she first got - according to the cancellation policy.) Airbnb told me not to worry; that they would not be giving her more of my money!! And then they did! I have blocked one of my listing and will be looking elsewhere for a more honest company.

[StayAtJandB0]

This happened to me.  The guest lied and said she had to cancel due to a typhoon.  She cancelled based on her prediction that a typhoon was approaching.  She cancelled 2 days before the typhoon hit.  At the end her flight wasn't cancelled because my city wasn't affected.. The idiot agent who took her call and refunded her didn't realize the typhoon didn't affect the WHOLE country.  It affected the south.  I'm in the north.   He probably couldn't even locate where Taiwan was.  He was so sure of his decision.  I told him to look at a map and read the weather reports.  I spent so much time on the phone but I was really annoyed with both the agent and the guest.  Finally a supervisor called me and refunded me.  You need to be presistent and have evidence to back you up.  Also, it needs ot be done in a timely manner.  Airbnb can take a month to respond but if you are late with your documentation, you are out of luck.

[Pal1]

The more I read about these issues the more I know AirBNB is not worth staying with.

[Barbara540]

To quote @Lizzie0: "for guests is meant to eliminate confusion about our cancellation policies and, ultimately, to encourage more bookings...especially for more flexible listings" --> In reality, what this new policy will do is create LESS FLEXIBLE listings because hosts will look to stricter cancelation times in an attempt to protect themselves.

And: "Guest cancellations are rare" ---> Really?? If this message board is any indication, they aren't rare enough.  Just saying.

To help level the playing field, I would like to propose a reduction in the number of times/year a cancelation by the guest can go forgiven. ONE free cancelation time should be sufficient to help a guest understand that there will be a penalty for additional bookings without committment. A host gets NO FORGIVENESS for canceling on a guest. 

[Pal1]

Barbara don't be so generous. We get penalised if we cancel a guest and I mean bigtime. Guests should be equally penalised. I have not hosted since a bad experience in March and don't intend to do so again until AirBNB improves its practices.

I'm pleased to see that in Australia our Federal (National) government are now starting to regulate AirBNB. I'm sure this will protect the hosts more than what happens now. AirBNB should not be allowed to trade in our country if they cannot create fair and equitable policies. If a provider lacks integrity governments eventually step in. This is what is happening in Australia right now.

[David969]

I don't think this is a thread for government regulation, seeing as hosts from different places wont benefit from any particular regulation in another country.

AirBnB has clearly signaled that improving guest experience is a priority, even at the cost of the host experience.  If AirBnB succeeds they will have more guests and can dominate the hosts.  The best recourse is to deny AirBnB the inventory, you can switch to another platform.  If you really want the send a clear message you will last minute cancel on guests until AirBnB blocks your listing.  If enough hosts did this in protest AirBnB would be forced to recognice happy hosts are a requirement for happy guests.

That being said I don't intend to cancel on anyone.  The reality is that if AirBnB gets an effective monopoly they will dictate the terms.  A business will always try and generate sales, sales are the guests.  Inventory are the hosts.  If you had every single guest you could negotiate a deal with hotels and make money.  If you had every single host but no guests then you would be doomed as you can easily go out and make houses but you can't just go out and make guests.  The houses aren't going anywhere, especially if we hit another recession.  There will be tons more inventory because of less guests and more people trying to keep bloated real estate speculation afloat.

AirBnB also wants to be able to fill your listing even with a cancelation.  If they can get enought guests on the service you should be able to rebook.

In my mind I would acxept being pushed to the top of the listing for those that suffered from a guest cancelling.  This is something that is AirBnB customer neutral.  I also think you should be able to filter people who have cancelled and not even have your listing shown to them.  Both of these would be guest experience neutral.

[Karen313]

@Lizzie Actually it does affect host payout & fees, among other things. Please correct & update this post, on behalf of many hat working hosts.

many thanks, I'm

not much for tweeting.

[Amy38]

Having overseen 4 full time rental houses for 35 years, I long ago came to the rule that adults know where they are going to be at a given time.  Thus, I require two year leases from tenants who tend to stay 2-8 years, usually leaving only when they buy a house or relocate. Luckily, I am a highly desirable area with few actual houses with gardens available.

I have been lucky so far with Airbnb...3 cancellations, 2 far in advance and one for a medical emergency in the middle of the guest's stay and it was completely legit.

"Sorry, my plans have changed" just doesnt cut it with me...not on a long held reservation canceled just befor arrival. Airbnb needs to do a better job explaining just exactly we offer and the real differences from a hotel . The hosts cannot be treated as anonymous chambermaids.  That is not what we signed up for, those of us who rent out our homes and guesthouses.

Perhaps one solution would be for Abnb to seperate the owner occupied or run rentals from the thousands of new investor owned properties. Most of the people I see either want my location (near the universities) or want the real Nashville experience with info that isnt in the tourist literature.

[Deborah256]

Signed up with airbnb 2.5 years ago although I've had my rental since 1998.  I recently discovered that my cancellation policy was changed, without advising me, to the 7 nights 50% return.  This is completely unacceptable.  I rent out my unit in Hawaii sometimes 2 years in advance.  I cannot have a guest cancelling on me a week in advance.  Even a month in advance is difficult to re-rent it.  The typical cancellation policy for Hawaiian properties is 30 to even 60 days advance notice gives a 100% refund minus the small service fee.  I'm much happier with vrbo.  It leaves the owner more in the driver's seat than airbnb and it considers the owners just as important as the renters.  It's had some quirks since it was bought by Expedia but overall it's much better than airbnb.  And none of this hanging onto your money until the day the guest checks in.  That's complete baloney.  With vrbo I get my money when they get it.  I've called airbnb at least 5 times and cannot get a straight answer on why this was dumped on me but not everyone in my Hawaii complex, at least not YET.  I considered cancelling my listing but I'm going to Pause it instead and wait to see how this works out.  I cannot afford to give someone the option to cancel 7 days in advance even if they get only half back.  There are other options out there, folks.

[Pal1]

Yay! Great advice.

Toss AirBNB and move to VRBO.

I might start renting my second room again?

[Ruth7]

Hi . Over the years Airbnb has made changes as they grow as a company and become more efficient and people friendly.

This is great.

I have one issue with the automatic generated messages with titles as "your listing may be at risk" or - you may loose your privalege to host'- (not exact what it said). 

I am struggling with someone who speaks no English and can't change her listing, so I have to cancel one time, an overlapping listing. I have taken this person to the bus stop, driven her places, arranged to meet other people who speak the same language, taken her shopping, taken her on walks in the neighbourhood. Don't tell me my listing is at risk.

For the low fee I charge and the hand holding I do, I really resent these threatening messages.

I love airbnb and have grown to depend on it, but why do I have to feel like a criminal.

Ruth . Toronto.

[Dael0]

I have the same situation!  I'm wondering what would be considered and "excellent host", someone who tucks them into bed at night?  hahaha!

[David969]

I have had a slew of cancellations recently that makes me hate the cancelation policy and understand it.  I have a shared bathroom pair of rooms where my sister stays in one and I AirBnB the other.  Since she is sharing her bathroom we only allow women to occupy the other room.

I get cancellations from men who book the room and ask if it is alright.  Merely asking it is alright shows the people know the restriction and they book and then ask to violate the house rules.  AirBnB has let these people cancel the same day or night before the rental even though I have a strict cancellation policy.  I have told them the most recent time this happened is the last time.  Anyone can rent the room, that is allowed.  Not everyone is allowed to ever be physically present in the room.  A man can rent it and not go inside of it and I don't mind that at all.

To make certain nobody accidentally books the room I renamed it the Ladies Only Suite.  Even after this I get questions about a women bringing her husband and then wanting to cancel.  I think the max occupancy set at 1 would also prevent such behavior.  On every level I get people ignoring my rules.  The room is priced very competitively and has plenty of demand, I think people assume they can ignore all the restrictions so long as they can get the best price on a room.  So far AirBnB is allowing these bargain hunters to rent and cancel with impunity.

This has made me aware of people booking a room and hoping it will work out and then cancelling for another room if it doesn't.  I also know of couples with one account per person.  They book a safety room and then the other searches for a better deal.  They also cancel last minute and the other one books the now price reduced same room also the host tries to last minute fill it.  AirBnB should refuse these scammers any refund and block those users from the servuce.  AirBnB doesn't do this.  These users are the minority but I am in the commodity business of hosting and I get all sorts of people with clever plans to save money.

[Barbara540]

Hi David - You make some good points. My natural tendency is to try to find solutions to problems, so as I was reading about your situation with the shared bathroom, I thought why not install a set of locks on both doors that allows a person in the bathroom to prevent access by a person in the other bedroom; and when in the bedroom, a lock on that side which would prevent entry to that bedroom by someone using the bathroom.  It would be incumbent on the person using the bathroom to then release the bathroom lock when finished so someone from the adjoining bedroom would have access to the bathroom.  By configuring a locking system this way, you would not need the restriction on male guests.

[David969]

One of the doors is a pocket door.  Even with the blocks the issue is modesty.  The woman doesn't want her bathroom kit to he viewed by a man in the bathroom.  She also doesn't want to have to keep all her things locked away in a bedroom or locked drawer.  I will consider putting in locking doors.  That would require about 6 handles being changed out among other enhancements.  It is cost prohibitive at this time.