Cancel Reservation Due to House Rule Violation

[David-and-Ken0]

I had a guest instant book, and then realized that they have a child under 12, which

breaks one of my house rules. I canceled their booking, and now the dates have been blocked out.

How do I contact airbnb to clear these dates. Why am I being penilized for a guest booking without reqading my house rules? Thanks in advance for any help!

Sincerely,

David

[Jim-and-Marcia0]

Airbnb takes cancellations seriously when initiated by a host! There are grave penalties for doing so. Call Airbnb and explain the situation to a support representative. They can undo what you have done and may do so if the guest violated one of the Airbnb cardinal rules. Also, for hosts who allow Instant Booking, you are allowed up to 3 cancellations a year without consequence if done for a good reason. If you acted in good faith, you should be good.  Keep your communications with guests on the Airbnb platform so ABNB can support you better. Call Airbnb right now and have them help you sort this out. Be aware that most guests don't fully read the information in a listing. Don't ever cancel unless it is absolutely necessary, as you can see the penalties are too great and it puts the guests in a bind.

[A2]

For future reference always call AirBnB first.  While the booking will be ultimately cancelled, it's better to give AirBnB a head's up. They tend to take the side of whoever calls in first.  Secondly, they'll either cancel on your behalf in which case, it's not a host cancellation, so it's essentially off the record.  I have my guests copy/paste my house rules and message them to me via AirBnB's message platform prior to arrival.  This ensures that they've read them and holds them accountable.  AirBnB tends to look at violations of house rules in these cases and simple open/shut cases. 

Recap

Call AirBnB first to get ahead of the power curve. 

Discuss options and alternatives.

Get AirBnB to contact the guest and cancel on your behalf.