Long stay cancellation

[Peter3204]

My guest booked for 82 nights, but after a few days, he did not feel comfortable in the apartment and now doesn´t want to stay longer than the first 30 days.

Any suggestions how I can help him cancel the remaining 52 nights and re-open my calendar ?

Thanks

[Anonymous]

@Peter3204  You can direct your guest to these articles if he hasn't found them: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1361/how-do-changes-and-cancellations-work-for-longterm-reservat...

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/913/how-do-i-change-a-reservation-for-a-place-to-stay

Kudos to your guest for acknowledging the terms of the long-term cancellation policy and giving the appropriate notice. I hope he also has some helpful feedback about what made him uncomfortable, so you won't have an unpleasant surprise in the review.

[Peter3204]

Thanks Andrew. We´ve worked this out and guest will finish the rental as orifginally booked.

[M199]

@Peter3204 

Your guest needs to cancel.  ABSOLUTELY DO NOT CANCEL AS A HOST!  Your calendar will be blocked by Airbnb.

As well, if it was me, I'd be on the phone to CS, giving them a heads up on this reservation of the situation. Hopefully you have everything documented via Airbnb messages.  Do not in not in any way accept cancellation or accept any responsibility.

The guest booked and agreed contractually to your terms and conditions upon booking.

Hopefully, your listing is complete and accurate.

[Peter3204]

M199, many thanks for the reply and advice...yes, I have most of our back and forth via ABB messages.

[Sarah977]

@Peter3204  Your photo gallery is rather meager. There is no photo of the bathroom, and no kitchen photo, just a shot of the stove. Is there a table to eat at? Some chairs? A desk?

If you don't accurately and comprehensively picture the place in your photo gallery, you''ll have more guests not being pleased with what find.

And while your title says "Cozy", it doesn't really look cozy or homey at all- it looks stark. How about some nice textiles, some art on the walls, and some throw rugs? That stuff is so readily available and inexpensive in Mexico. A potted palm, maybe? 

I don't know why your guest doesn't feel comfortable there, as Andrew suggested, you should ask. But due to what I mentioned above, I wouldn't feel particularly comfortable there, either.

[Peter3204]

Thanks Sarah.  Positive comments that will help me improve!

[Emiel1]

@Peter3204 

If you want to refund the guest the unused nights (full or partly), best thing to do is using the "change" option on the reservation and shorten the stay to the desired date. Then click in the price field of the change form and amend the price to what you consider a fair deal. 

If the guest accepts, the calender will be open again from the new check-out date

[Peter3204]

Many  thanks Emiel1. Good advice

[Huma0]

@Peter3204 

I know this issue has been resolved, but for future reference:

1. If a long-term guest cancels before checking in, they must pay for the first month. However, if they cancel after check in, they must pay for the nights they already stayed, plus the following month (or whatever nights are remaining if that is less). At least that was how it was last time I checked. I don't think most guests are clear on this. They usually assume they only pay for one month regardless of when they cancel. 

2. Of course, you can agree to the guest leaving earlier than that and refunding unused nights, but never cancel the booking yourself as you will be penalised. Ask the guest to do it and then refund them any additional funds (you will not be able to refund any associated fees).

3. The easiest way to come to this arrangement is to do an alteration request to the dates instead of a cancellation, as suggested above.

I host long term guests and have rarely had a guest want to leave early (except when the pandemic hit), so I have always been happy to let them off the hook and satisfied that they understand they have to pay for the first month even if they technically owe more. So, I just do a date change.

However, if a guest was checking out months earlier and I felt it was not my fault (they had a change in circumstances, they were complaining about things clearly stated on the listing), I might be inclined to stick to the cancellation policy as they've tied up the calendar for so long. That hasn't happened yet (bar Covid related cases).

With long-term guests, it's even more important to make sure everything is clear on your listing and that you've reiterated the most important points via message well in advance. Make sure they confirm in writing that they've understood it all, especially the house rules and any particular quirks or things that they could take issue with, e.g. pets, stairs, street noise.