Guest wants refund for cancellation after seeing room on night of check in

[Tillie0]

 I have two guests a husband and wife that have just 'checked in' to the room and want to cancel the rest of their stay.

They arrived late after 10pm which I found out 2 hours after my normal check in time. I do not mind and happily changed my work schedule to show them to the room. 

The husband turned up with another male friend, not his wife to drop off bags and such, I showed them to the room, asked them how they're flight was etc, they were talking amongst themselves so I said let me know if you need anything I'll be in the kitchen. After some time, they emerge from the room saying they didn't realise they didn't have their own private kitchen and bathroom and the room is too small!

( I'm a 24 year old female, live by myself, work day and nights, and have a pull out sofa bed for a couple of hours when I have guests for myself, which is away and back to a living room/sofa for my guests by 8am everyday. My flat is small but modest size 1 bed, large living room, cute and cosy and full of character, I've never had any issue with any guests before!)  The price reflects for the area and the for room size which is not a bad size room by all means for £30 per night in the heart of the city. 

He said they're isn't enough room in the wardrobe- I have a vintage clothing business so I said I could provide him with rails in the room if he needed more. There's a double wardrobe with 4 large shelves- a triple door wardrobe and a bedside cabinet.

He also said he's never used Airbnb before and didn't realise it was in peoples home and you stay with them. He complained there was no lock on the bedroom door, saying anyone could come in. I explained this was airbnb and my home, how airbnb works and it's not a hotel but you pay quater or less than the hotel prices near by.

The couple were meant to stay for 10 nights and now the two guys have asked for their money back? I'll loose out on over £300 from the booking if it's refunded which is totally unfair as I could have had the dates booked out, I've been busy with bookings all month just beacuse they didn't know how airbnb works!

I don't know what to do, as this is the first time out of all my many guests that it's happened!

[Jann3]

1: Do not cancel. Tell them to submit a cancel/change request via the app - listing the reasons (so you have their "reasons" on file)

2: You keep the money this way...they get the portion back that a "cancel by guest" will allow.

3: Tell them they have every right to talk to AirBnB about a refund - that their contract (wrt cancellation terms) is with AirBnB. (always remembering you HAVE the right to give them full refund but don't have to)

This is the policy that governs your reservation type: (Flexible)

If the guest arrives and decides to leave early, the accommodation fees for the nights not spent 24 hours after the official cancellation are fully refunded.

So, yes, you keep the first night - and in this case the second (i believe) but they get full refund for the rest.

[Tillie0]

That's so crazy! They were a long- ish stay for 10 nights and been booked/ reserved for ages! My room looks smaller in the photos online than in real life also! 

I loose the rest of the nights coz they didn't read what airbnb actually was! 

I am 'flexible' but I thought that meant cancel only 24 hours before not after they check in. I think it's shocking, this is some people's lifeline! 

THANK YOU for your help! I won't cancel anything! I will ask them if they want the place to themselves and ask to sleep on a friends sofa also tomorrow, I need the money. 

[Jann3]

Well, seems like a good time to revisit your property's cancellation policy. That's what "flexible" means unfortunately. I think you probably want "strict" or "moderate." Having said this, remember with the changes to AirBnB's Guest Relations policy (i think that's the name of it) Guests get 3 "free" cancellations/year (i think).

AirBnB dishes these out as they wish and they ARE ABLE to withhold all payments to you until the refund is covered - if, for instance, you get paid for the guest's rental and then AirBnB decides to honor a refund -- even against your wishes.

I know. Bad...

Also, one last thing... changing your cancellation policy will NOT AFFECT CURRENTLY BOOKED ROOM-NIGHTS. Only room-nights booked from that point into the future.

[Sharion0]

@Jann3 Are you sure they get a full refund after checking in? I also have the flexible cancellation policy. I had one guest book my room for 4 nights. On night 2 she sent me a message ( through Airbnb) letting me know that her work schedule had changed and she needed to cancel the last night. I responded back with " I undertand that schedules change but you booked my room for 4 nights. If you cancel that's fine but it's not refundable ( I said it nicer than that but you get the meaning). She then contacted Airbnb CS told them the story, they sent me an email at midnight:( and asked me if I would be willing to let her check out the next morning and they would pay me 100%. I said of course, she left 2 days early and I kept all the funds. I thought that was how it worked.

[Jann3]

It is how it worked. I never said they got a full refund. I just BASICALLY copied and pasted their policy wrt:flexible AND this situation (having checked in and immediately complained) that they LOST the first night, POSSIBLY lost the second night due to the way AirBnB calculates "time of day" vs "reservation time of day" and MAY get refund on the rest. Thats what the link I posted states.

Also according to the new Guest Rules, AirBnB CAN override you and FULLY refund them for "customer loyalty" or whatever they choose. That's why so many hosts are ticked right now cos we dont know where we stand...and yes, I consider myself a host since I sunk 5k into this place to get ready to rent it.  🤔

I can look more when i get into my laptop and search things again but I'm on iPad right now and even though I'm a programmer and LOVE my iPad I just can't multitask the same way. 😉

[Sharion0]

@Jann3 Looks like you're right:). I just found the below quote from CS. I have no idea why they decided to pay me for the entire trip??? But glad they did:) But truth be told, this isn't a good policy, the guests have my room locked in, they cancel before they're departure date and I'm out?? Chances of rerenting the room with no notice are next to none:(

"If the guest arrives and decides to leave early, the accommodation fees for the nights not spent 24 hours after the official cancellation are fully refunded."

[Jann3]

Well, @Sharion0... I know we've been besties for like...what... 4 hours.. but you DOUBTED me? No espresso for you! 😉

Learn from that mistake and go on. 😂

I know - it stinks. I suggest EVERY host move to strict or moderate - cos this is less likely to happen and those that dont will get the awful guests. The ones that want quality will move to those with strict or moderate policies cos we will end up being the only ones to be able to turn a profit...and therefore the only ones in buisiness.  

Right @Tillie0?

[Sharion0]

Hi @Jann3 just saw your message. I may change my policy, I'm pretty new at this so I'm trying to stay with a decent nightly rate and minimum cancel policy...for now. Right now I have to figure out a really nice way to get the nice couple of out my home within the hour...they look awful comfy laid out on my guest bed...:) Darn it...

[Jann3]

Do you have a labradour that you can send into the room and jump on the bed with them? Just a thought. 😂

[David126]

Hoover?

[Jann3]

That's PERFECT 😂!

[Janice85]

Ok, my name is Jan as well.  I have at present a family of two adults and two small children who are complaining about a dirty washing machine and something material that is green in colour that has marks on it.  Now, I had a cleaner come and clean right through and I don't have anything green in my place as my mother spooked me on the colour green.  She was superstitious and thought it to be unlucky !  They want to leave and get full payment returned.. what is my responsibility?  Unfortunately I am on 'flexible' so I will lose a lot of money that I have spent making the place clean, adding new bedclothes etc., even employing a gardener to put new plants and soil and take out old ones (hundreds of dollars).  Seems quite unfair to give them all the money back.  What about the green material they are claiming to have dirty marks on it? Could they have brought it with them.... grrrrr  I am 77 and ran around a lot preparing for them.  That's it for me.. after the next person who already booked, I am DONE !  P.S.  I have never had anyone before who claimed that my place was dirty.