Guest cancellation

[Heloise10]

My confrimed and accepted guest just cancelled his reservation for 2 weeks March. I am totally OK with that but who has to cancel the reservation, me or him? He asked me to cancel it? 

[Marzena4]

Of course, him, @Heloise10. If a guest wants to, only them - remember, never cancel as a host unless you have to. Penalties, threats from Airbnb and so on.

[Marit-Anne0 · Accepted solution]

@Heloise10

If the guest wants to cancel, the guest should cancel, that goes without saying.

If the host cancels, there will be host cancellation penalties that you should avoid at all cost.  Do not accept requests saying the guest needs you to cancel this reservation - this will be treated as a host cancellation. You need to decline such requests within the timeframe given.

[Heloise10]

Thank you. All sorted 

[Helen3]

Hello @Heloise

Please look at the Airbnb Help Centre and useful guides on these forums.

As a host you can get yourself into trouble by not understanding the basics around running your Airbnb business.

For example if you had chosen to cancel  - you would have incurred financial penalties and had the dates in your calendar blocked.

[Wyn0]

My guest has asked to cancel the next day after booking because she realised I have a cat even though it can go to a cattery. She has severe allergies . The cat is clearly mentioned in the description of the cottage.

She says that she has contacted Air B and B and was told I would refund her money. I have advised her to cancel and ask for an alternative cottage but the reservation is still on my calendar.

What should I do?

[Helen3]

Hello @Wyn0

It is up to this guest to cancel the booking. You mustn't cancel or you will face penalties as a host.

You do not refund the guest. Airbnb will do this in line with your cancellation policy. So if you have a strict cancellation policy. She will be refunded 50% of her booking rate. 

Message the guest back and ask her to cancel the booking.

If she doesn't do this call Airbnb and explain what has happened and they will contact the guest.

[Candy28]

My guest cancelled one week before their stay. Now my dates are blocked. Help 

[Matthew285]

@Candy28, are you sure the guest cancelled? Normally, the dates are only blocked if the host did the cancellation.
One common mistake hosts make is that the guest sends the host a message telling the host the guest wants to cancel. So the host does the cancellation, and gets all the expected penalties for doing a host cancellation (including blocked dates).

Sometimes the host is fooled because they get one of those messages that the guest can send that asks the host to cancel. When the host agrees, it is again a host cancellation, and the host is punished for it.

Here is a relevant discussion of the problem:

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Guest-requesting-cancellation/td-p/432351

As a host, you should never, never, never do a cancellation unless it really is YOU who needs to cancel.

No matter what the guest says, if the guest wants the reservation cancelled, the guest must do the cancellation.

[Gail-And-Rod0]

My guest wants to cancel & I'm ok with that and told her she has to cancel. I had a strict cancellation policy and changed it temporarily to moderate to allow her to cancel at no cost. Should this work? She says it keeps telling her there will be fee(s).

[Matthew285]

@Gail-And-Rod0, that is very kind of you to change the cancellation policy like that, but it will have no effect on the cancellation policy that covers her reservation.

A given reservation is always covered by whatever policy was in effect at the time the reservation was confirmed. The current setting of the cancellation policy is not relevant.

(This is so that a guest that reserves under a "Flexible" cancellation policy isn't blindsided should the host suddenly change their cancellation policy to "Strict").

You do have ways to give her some money back after she cancels, though. But to start she will just have to cancel under the terms of the strict cancellation policy.

[Gail-And-Rod0]

Thank you Matthew. Your answer really helps.

[Tamás8]

Hi,

My guest cancelled 2 days before arrival. She wrote that she cancelled due to extenuating circumstances (she was robbed in an other airbnb flat in the same town). The conversation page states that the guest was fully refunded (though I have a strict cancellation policy). 

Can you help me how to know if it is a closed case or Airbnb is still assessing it? Is there a way to get more information? Thank you!

[Helen3]

@Tamás8  Doesn't sound like extenuating circumstances to me, but Airbnb are a law unto themselves.

If they have decided to refund then case closed.

Call them if you like though.

[Yvonne215]

Hi can someone tell me what to do...I am relatively...to Airband b.....I recently had a guest book a room...she then cancelled I received a cancellation notice from  Air B and B... great...   The calendar still showed her as booked...so I then sent a cancellation to air band b trying to get my calendar for the day open..  so now on my site it states "this host has cancelled resevation 141 days"  .... I didn't initiate the cancellation the guest did...I just tried to remove it....the guest has since been in contact ...it is such a mix -up...but not really on my part....how the heck do I get the post from Air b amd b off my main page.....I can't seem to find a way to contact them !!!! Thanks