We rented on a strict policy only in our absence, since long before airbnb existed. We need the « less then 30 days out - no refund at all », to arrange our own non-refundable tickets. When this condition was diluted last year, I switched to 28 days minimum stay, even if that is rather too long for my own trips.
It brought me a guest from hell, thousands of damage, not a dime refunded.
This made me delete all listings but the shared room listing, which is on moderate for years.
Had this not happened, I would have deleted them anyway the day I got the notification about the new « strict « policy.
14 days out cancellation with full refund mean I either have to buy very expensive tickets when the booking is finally firm or else risk having planned to accomodate a guest, who will not come and a potential replacement booking may not fit within my firm trip.
If the stay is cancelled after arrival, I could not return to turn over the apartment nor check how it was left. (Not that it makes any difference anyway).
50 % not refundable is not enough. I do not have 50% marge, so if a stay or part of a stay is cancelled, it means a loss.
It’s a mute question for me now, but for the sake of argument: I could live with a 24h cool off period up to 31 days out. That still allows to book my trip and leaving a small profit from the booking.
48h would drive me crazy, as I cannot stand people, who need to think 48h about anything but maybe a life changing decision. A trip? Come on. 48 minutes should be ample time. At the beginning, I would write to some guests, that airbnb is conceived to be easy, prices are lower, because it’s a fast and easy service. The prices do not include lenghty negociations and exploration of “what if ... “ I really do not want to be bothered with variations of ‘what if we come a day early, leave on Sunday, bring the mother-in-law ‘ etc.
Secondly, travel tickets get more expensive every day. Mine and theirs.
As for the information sent before the booking is firm, I think it’s a huge risk. As leaving sensible data in online data bases is always a huge risk. Therefore I would never use functions like the house manual to communicate codes. I send the access information by message, wifi codes rarely at all (only if I know the guest may need it outside the door) and lock box codes by sms. I change lockbox and wifi codes after a stay where I had to send them.
I tested it with the now deleted listing: you can set up a listing with the street only, no house number. In a city, that makes it impossible to find you. There is no check - it should work with the next street over as well. You should stay within the normal pin radius of the map to avoid misleading the guest.
I think it’s rather absurd to offer all those “comfortable “ ways to communicate information and then transform them into a huge security risk. I prefer to be safe and work a bit more.
