Extending a stay - cancelling another booking

[Jenni16]

We have a dilhemma! Currently we have a couple staying in the apartment for three weeks and they have come to town to pick up their surrogate baby. The baby is expected to be overdue and they wish to extend their stay by a week. We have someone booked in for that week and they are due to check in the day the couple check out.

I really want to to support the couple during this milestone time by extending their stay and I am contemplating cancelling the future guests booking to accommdate them. I feel awkward about it because this guest booked ages ago and accommodation can be hard to find around here.

I don't know what to do! Any help or advice would be so welcome!

[Vanessa-and-Kurt0]

The right thing to do would be to honor the booking on the calendar. Those people booked appropriately and probably have their whole vacation planned-can you imagine having your vacation housing cancelled last minute with no alternatives-this is also what gives AirBnB a bad name, unfortunately. It wouldn't be fair to cancel them now. Maybe you can assist the baby family in finding another Airbnb for that week.

[Jenni16]

Vanessa & Kurt thank you for your advice. Very helpful! I have ended up retaining the guest who booked and the couple will leave on the day anticipated and head to an Airbnb in the same suburb.

[Vanessa-and-Kurt0]

I am glad it all worked out for you and both guests. That must have been a tough decision, its nice to have a community here to help and support us all.

Best of luck

[Susie5]

@Jenni16 If you do cancel, be aware that AB takes a very dim view of this AND WILL BLOCK the dates, so you won't be able to (legally) allow your "old" guests to rebook. It will have to be off the books, which is not a good idea. 

Cancelling is really a last resort - I had to cancel due to a plumbing problem (no working toilet, kind of a big deal) and AB really hit me hard for a year including losing my superhost status.

If you can explain the situation to the incoming guests, and offer them some compensation in exchange for THEM cancelling (NOT YOU!!!) and help finding them an alternative, maybe they will cancel in view of the situation. Maybe they are great people and will understand.... 

[Jenni16]

Thanks for letting me know! I had no idea it would be so frowned upon. That's such a pain to hear about the ramifications of your plumbing dilhemma. Thanks for your help. The couple have found accommodation elsewhere.