Refunds

[Charles1338]

I have been asked about a refund from a person that is having a new house built.  The new house was scheduled to be completed by the end of July, but construction will be delayed and he wants to rent my property for the month of August.  His question is: if the house is completed by the middle of August, can he get a refund for the balance of the month.  As I am brand new at this and Airbnb collects all the money, I don't know how this works.  Help please

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Charles1338 Arguably the guest is being unfair. What he is asking for is that you take your listing off the market for a month but he only stays/pays for maybe 2 weeks at which point it will be too late for you to find a new guest. If August is high season for you this is a really bad idea.

To your original question a guest or host can always change the length of a reservation and, if the other party agrees, the payment will be pro rated.

[Anonymous]

@Charles1338   This is the cancellation policy that automatically applies for a booking of 28 nights or more: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1361/cancellations-of-longer-stays

As the host, you're free to agree to a booking change during the stay and refund any amount you please, but this could mean a substantial loss of potential income for you. I would suggest that the guest only book the dates he's able to commit to, with the possibility of extending the stay into August if the dates are still available. 

[Charles1338]

Thank you so much.  This information is very helpful.  I am so new to this and it seems overwhelming.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Charles1338 It is hard at first. Key questions for you are whether this is a top up to your income or a business where you need to cover your mortgage etc. If the former you can afford to be more flexible - If the latter then you need to run it more hard heartedly!