Smoke & Fire & Cancellation policies

[Colette203]

I changed my cancellation policy from moderate to firm this year. I seem to be getting fewer bookings and wondered if any other hosts have experienced this.

My decision stemmed from multiple cancellations last year due to smoke (but not fire) near my listing in southern British Columbia. Unfortunately, Airbnb handed out refunds to anybody who requested one even if their domicile was experiencing the same smoke issues. They refunded a 4-night stay with one day's notice because the person said they were asthmatic. Climate change is making it difficult to host successfully. I'm only open in the summer, so an empty house for a month can throw me in the red pretty quickly!

I'm considered adding a line to my new booking message asking guests to acknowledge that smoke from forest fires is a newly NORMAL and wholly forseable event during the summer in my area. Anybody have an opinion on whether that might help forestall Airbnb-approved cancellations that fall inside my window. 

https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/2930/weather-events-natural-conditions-and-diseases-that-are-excl...

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Colette203 Many people are reporting lower bookings this year with Airbnb's updates also implicated. I am sure changing your cancellation policy has not helped in getting bookings but whether it is the prime cause is hard to say. Anyway - Even if a flexible cancellation policy gets you a booking the very flexibleness it gives a guest means that booking could well disappear in a puff of smoke.