Christmas week and new year week bookings by guests of mixed households

[Rosemarie99]

I have 2 separate bookings here in Scotland for my 3 bed Lodge both by mixed household groups. I have contacted them to advise of current position, but both seem to want to leave bookings in place on off chance rules change in their favour. Meanwhile I lose out on potential bookings by 1 household groups. But if I cancel the bookings the dates will remain blocked. should I ask guests to cancel? 

[Helen3]

This is a difficult one @Rosemarie99 

Do these current guests break the current regulations in Scotland in terms of exceeding the number of households?

I don’t think you can ask the guests to cancel if by doing so they would lose money i.e. the Airbnb fee.

Perhaps you could ask Airbnb to do a mutual no penalty cancellation? 

i would also update your listing and house rules to indicate max guests and households so that if guests book outside of this you can ask them to cancel penalty free within first 48 hoyrs of booking. 

[Rosemarie99]

Many thanks Helen,

yes 2 bookings both of which are guests of multiple households, which is not permitted here in Scotland where only 1 household groups are allowed in self catering accommodation. I have contacted them both to ask them to initiate cancellation since they are December bookings no penalty will occur. If not, i as you suggest will need to contact AirBnB to request cancellation from my  end,  without penalty. After which I intend to close to guests until easter. This is proving far to problematic and I am becoming increasingly stressed with cancellations and guests contacting for constant reassurance which none of us can give with any degree of certainty.

Many thanks again for your input.

Kind Regards

Rosie

[Helen3]

Hi @Rosemarie99 

Happy to help. 

However I think you misunderstand how Airbnb works -  the guest will be liable for the Airbnb fee if they cancel the booking for December so you can’t ask them to fo this.

I would go for a mutual cancellation initiated by yourself.