Guest Cancellation After Check In

[Simon--Andrew-and-Mark0]

Hello,

I am writing this question as I am not sure what to do. A guest only booked my property this morning and requested to arrive this afternoon. I don’t usually accept last minute bookings but I stayed at my AirBnB property last weekend so I know it was clean and ready to receive guests.

I agreed to the booking and advised the guest of check in instructions etc.

I received a message a little after 10pm tonight from the guest stating that he wishes to cancel the booking with a full refund because he walked into a spider web when he entered one of the bedrooms, and also because he says the property smells.

I immediately sent a message back advising that the house is regularly sprayed for spiders but that they cannot ever be 100% eliminated. I also asked what the house smells like and added that I hadn’t noticed anything amiss when I was at the property just 7 days ago. 

The guest has not replied and it has been over an hour now. I don’t even know if the guest is still at the property or not - I am a 4 hour drive away so it’s not practical for me to check.

Is the presence of a spider web and an alleged smell reasonable grounds to cancel a booking and seek a full refund at 10pm on the day of checkin?

[Cormac0]

@Simon--Andrew-and-Mark0

My only advise to you is "do not cancel on his behalf" or you'll be penalised.

Sit tight and let the process unfold...

[Andreas530]

Hi @Simon--Andrew-and-Mark0  , perhaps you have some insight for me.  I have a guest who booked my place less than 24 hours before check-in.  He arrived after check-in late in the evening,  and canceled his reservation after walking in the house, he claims it is an "unclean or inaccurate listing" and is asking for $700 (total booking was $867.18).   His exact words were "The place smells. I’m so sorry if this is your family’s home. I can not stay there, walked in and could not stay. At a hotel now."

First of all, his claims are unfounded and baseless, our place is clean and comfortable, no issues.  I have informed the guest of my disagreement with his statements.

Secondly, my question is, I have not received any funds from Airbnb, and the guest is requesting money, I do not agree with his claim and do not want to accept payment to the guest since I have not received any money.  BTW, I have a strict cancellation policy, so should  I still get paid?

Finally, I do not want him to be able to provide a review if he has not stayed in our place.  How do I prevent this from happening?

Any advice or insight you have would be greatly appreciated.  I don't know what step to take next

Thank you for your time!

[Simon--Andrew-and-Mark0]

Hi Andreas,

In my case above, I held my position that a single spider web and alleged smell were not grounds for cancellation without penalty, but advised they were welcome to cancel in accordance with my cancellation policy. The guest decided to stay for the full booking. As I said in my original post, there was no smell evident prior to the guest's arrival, and a check after their departure also revealed no issue. In my case the guest close not to post a review of their stay.

Having not gone through with a cancellation myself, I am not sure what to suggest, however I agree with Cormac above - don't cancel the booking on the guest's behalf as you could be penalized. Let them cancel it if they wish and try to claim their lost deposit back from AirBnB.

If they have checked in late and cancelled after that, I believe they are fully liable for the cancellation fees unless they can prove their allegations (photos etc).

The best thing you can do is send an email or call AirBnB to explain the situation and ask advice. The one time I contacted them, I found them very helpful. Good Luck!

Simon