Cancelations due to wildfires/ poor air quality

[Rachael85]

I have been running two AirBNB guest houses for the summer here near Glacier National Park in Montana. It is a high demand area, and my places have been booked solid for the 4 Summer-ish months since June. Lately the wildfires in Glacier Park and other nearby mountains have caused a lot of air quality issues and in some areas,  roughly 30 miles away as the crow flies, evacuations. I have received a number of messages from guests who booked early on requesting full refunds. My cancellation policy is strict , but these guests feel like due to the wildfires they should be issued a full refund. I so far have been standing by my policy, as I feel like it's the risk one takes when booking so early on and wanting to "get the early worm" here in Glacier which fills up fast on lodging. August ALWAYS brings fire to Montana, and part of me thinks one should do ones own research before planning a vacation and booking a place. It's possible there might have been other guests willing to book and keep their reservation for the same nights, but since they were already booked didn't. Also, at this late time in the season and with the smokey air here, it's likely I will not be able to refill these nights. I put a lot of money and time into creating two excellent properties and cant afford to take the kind of hit it would be to give everyone back all their money. Is anyone else experiencing similar? What should a host do in this situation to be fair and ethical?

[Helen427]

Hello Rachael

There's other discussion threads on CC that you may like to read about where similar issues concerning fires have been discussed, including recent fires in Greece & Australia & the volcanic eruptions in Hawaii as they are similar occurrences.

May I suggest you use search word "fire/s" and they should come up.

It may be an idea to mention it in your listing, if you haven't already.

All the best

[Rachael85]

Thanks Helen, I did search under "wildfire" and "air quality", guess I'll try what you suggested.

[Linda108]

@Rachael85  When there are factors outside of your control and the guest's such as these fires, Air BNB will likely issue a full refund due to extenuating circumstances.  Perhaps you can engage the guest and help them  be able to enjoy their vacation.  I am actually dog sitting for some friends who are at Glacier Park right now!  They decided to go ahead with their plans and have had a great time!  Yes, the air is not great, but they have been white water rafting and have had a close encounter with a deer!  You are there and can help a guest navigate the micro climates that will allow them to enjoy your wonderful state! 

Perhaps you can not make it an all or nothing situation with the guest so you either keep this reservation or at least make it a future booking.  Try to put yourself in the guest's shoes and see what your creativity comes up with. 

[Rachael85]

Thanks Linda, appreciate the ideas. It really is still quite lovely here. We received 2 inches of rain over night! Blessed rain! Hopefully that helps matters.

[Lisa723]

@Rachael85 we've been dealing with exactly the same issue. I have been taking it case by case, depending on air quality and guest concern. We had one guest who left early due to smoke; we offered not a refund but a free night on a future stay. For another guest with a lung condition we offered a penalty-free date change. Of course the AQI is not under my control, but it's not under theirs either so we try to find some way to share the cost. One thing I certainly would not do is offer a refund far in advance; as you know air quality changes quickly and is not very predictable. I agree with @Helen427 that it's probably a good idea to mention this possibility and your policy in your listing for future bookings. Unfortunately.

[Rachael85]

Thanks Lisa for your answer. I have been looking at it on a case by case basis as well. I love your ideas! Thank you for taking the time to help out. I think you and Helen are right, I need to include notice of the possibility of smoke in August in my listing for next year. We did just get 2 inches of rain over the last 24hours, I hope you guys got some out in Oregon as well, it certainly was a game changer for our area.

[Jonathan6]

I have a seasonal property (ski on/off) and have had situation with weather.  There are several things to consider...

1. A renter could always take out insurance to cover the possibility of a natural disaster or poor weather.

2. You are in a service business and you want to be able to capture all revenue.  I have offered guests a credit towards a stay at a later date.

3. You can agree to mitigate (which you have a responsibility to do), where you re-list the unit and if it is rented you will refund them, (it's tricky on ABB, but I have done it with Paypal).

4. Do a hybrid, have them come and stay and give them the option to leave early if conditions do not improve.

You have no obligation under your policy to issue a refund, but ABB may consider it an extenuating circumstance and refund anyway.

[Rachael85]

Thanks Jonathan for taking the time to help, your suggestions are all so spot-on. I have been doing number three all season, whenever someone cancels for any reason, if it rebooks I send them a complete refund. I think it's only fair and right, but that's a personal policy. I love the credit towards a later date idea. I think that would work really well for some, though most of the visitors to Glacier national Park are going to only come during the summer months, which book early and solidly in the spring, and I close up my two houses at the end of September. I like a lot about using AirBNB, but one thing I don't like is their ability to control refunds to customers regardless of the host's stand on a situation. I'd like to think as a host I am more on top of what is going on with my rentals and guests then they are, and as such am best equipped to decide on how to handle certain situations. I think this time I have been saved by the rain we received over the last 24 hours, but definitely need to apply some of these suggestions next year.

[Helen427]

@Rachael85 @Jonathan6 @Lisa723 @Linda108 

How did it pan out with things in your region with the wildfires?

This topic is also helpful for those who have suffered fires in other regions including in Australia