Guest wants to leave early with refund

[Jade18]

Guests booked 30 nights and checked in ok. And now they want to stay only 3 nights and ask me to refund 27 nights. ( nothing wrong with my property. For other reason) My policy is Moderate. However I understand 28 nights and more reservation is automatically Long Term with 30 days notice required from the Guest. Is that correct? Where do I stand? I worry that if I refuse they may damage the property or something.

[Krista62]

Of course we have the option to set the record straight for future guests who read the bad review, and we do!  The problem is the star rating.  There is nothing we can do about it and it brings our average down.  Maintaining Superhost status is not easy because you need to maintain 4.8 over all average.  One bad review with 1 star can bring the average below 4.8 fairly easily.  I basically need to get 20-30 5-star reviews in order to counter balance a 1-star review.  I wish this setting could be changed as it is really unfair to hosts that pride themselves on a great guest experience.

[Andrea9]

@Jade18 Just make sure this exchange with their reason is on your booking message thread as record. If not, re-iterate the situation in a message there in case they try to dishonestly give another ( untrue) reason for cancelling in order to avoid losing money.

I hate feeling so suspicious, but the stories out there can be sobering...

[Polly17]

Thanks for your response.

My guest complained by sending me text messages instead of emails on airbnb. She said they would not stay with her aunt because her nephew was vomiting. They would stay in a hotel. She told me she stayed only one night but she would pay me 2 nights. I called airbnb but they had to listen to her for investigation.  

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

@Polly17

If this happens then do not reply by text - send all messages back to the guest via the platform: 

Cut and paste their message into your reply so that there is a trail of what they sent to you by SMS and your replies

[Andrea9]

@Gerry-And-Rashid0

(only saw your reply now after I pretty much advised the same thing. Great minds think alike, haha!)

[Polly17]

Thanks for your idea. Be aware of cunning guests!

[Paul154]

LOL - Even her flesh and blood aunt did not want to host her!

Count your blessings she's gone.

[Suzie26]

My guest booked for a 14 day stay with a moderate cancellation policy.  She arrived on time on Tuesday and late on the Friday night (3 days) text to say she had found an apartment, (she is moving here to live) and said she was moving out early and asked for a date change with a refund request.  I am not sure what the policy is for this so I can work to achieve a compromise.  Can anyone tell me what the policy is please or where I can find this so I can resolve.  Thanks,

[Andrea9]

@Suzie26

This is what the website says about moderate cancellation policy:

https://www.airbnb.com/home/cancellation_policies#moderate

Nothing a host can do unfortunately to refuse a date change, because there is no ABB policy to cover or prevent that. Your guest will have to cancel so that 50% of the accommodation fees for the nights not spent 24 hours after the cancellation occurs are refunded to her (excl. booking fee). 

Edited to include:

If however you granted her a special weekly or other reduction price for a longer stay, then it is normal that you'd charge whatever your price would be for the time she stayed.

If she sent you a booking change request with the reduced price, then decline it and return with one of your own explaining why the difference in pricing.

[Denise277]

Guest booked for 13 weeks.  Stayed 3 weeks and is now unhappy with her room because we had an unnaturally hot week.

[David126]

She can cancel and move on.

[Jim100]

I have a guest who booked seven days and I got my even day rate which saved him two nights fees. He then decided that he wanted to leave after four days and did so. He notified me by email on day 5 that he was in the next state, headed home and asked for a refund on the unused days. He did not notifiy AIrbnb nor did I because he had booked and paid for seven. My facility remained unavailable. Later he contacted Air bnb and asked for a refund for the unused days and they are reducing my payment to give it to him. Airbnb told me my "moderate" cancellation policy dictated this.

Is this normal? If Airbnb wants us to  have lower long term rates, they should not expect us to refund money when guests, by their own choice, leave early.

I am not getting anywhere with Shane from Airbnb.

[Ireland0]

That is very fustrating. I am sorry that you are experiencing this. As a host, I worry that clients will take advantage of my house and time.  If this was a hotel, they would not get a refund.  I think this is a clear message that we should all make sure our policy are strick. I hope you are provided the income they took from you.

[Tali4]

I would have told them to cancel Through Airbnb. Yes they are out the money, but your running a Business hear. Generally, if they are leaving early they dont like your place and will ding you.

[Hannah271]

I have a three night min. stay requirement. I have a couple who wants to check out a night early because one of them got badly sunburned and is ill, so they want to leave.  I gave him first aide for the burn and told them that I can not refund for the third night because of the 3-night minimum, but that I would give them a free night off a future stay. Is that acceptable and reasonable?  

My last guests checked out early because of the threat of a hurricane. In this case, I refunded them for one night because they had booked for 4-nights and met the 3-night miniumn. I could use some advise on this subject.