What happens if the host cancels last minute and I'm already at my destination?

[Jay13]

Hi,

What happens if I as a traveler have reserved a home and the host cancels or just doesn't even meet me once I arrive on site?

Does Airbnb help provide any compensation for alternate housing if there is nothing else available in the same price range?

I booked a confirmed house with a host in Cape Coral. It's a large group. Host has verifications etc. I'm concerned what would happen if he cancels last minute. I know a hotel typically this wouldn't happen with a confirmed reservation. How about Airbnb?

[Tasha0]

Hi!

This is certainly a valid concern and is why Airbnb highly recommends that guests and hosts be in contact via messaging before the guest even arrives 🙂 That way you know the host is responsive. Airbnb actually does NOT recommend you stay at a place where the host has been non-responsive, even if the reviews are good. Good reviews DO say a lot though, so it's a great sign your host has good reviews. It's better than if you're doing a host with 0 reviews or 1 review (who could possibly be a friend, lol)

I am not sure if you've hosted or if you just travel, so as a host, let me tell you something! Airbnb actually rates us by our response time. (Sadly, "accepting" a request, even if you never message back, counts as responding.) Airbnb also rates us by if we CANCEL an already-existing reservation. We will potentially lose SUPERHOST status and also possibly get bumped further down the listings, so most hosts will rarely cancel on you. It reflects badly on us.

Most hosts would rather decline if there's a potential clash with you staying, than EVER cancel, because canceling is bad for everyone- airbnb, the guest, and the host. 

The tricky thing is, if someone did get cancelled on, they wouldn't be able to leave a review saying that happened, since airbnb only allows reviews for completed stays (as far as I know, somebody correct me if I'm wrong!)

If you are VERY concerned, I suggest:

a) ONLY picking Superhosts, which are people who have completed more than 10 guest stays, have a 80% or better response time, and do not cancel on their guests. It'll say on people's listings if they are superhosts and superhosts generally show up first on the listings.

b) Getting in touch with the host and having them respond to you, BEFORE your stay. That's a good sign they won't cancel.

c) If all else fails and the host does cancel, yes, AirBNB can help you.

AirBNB will put a hold on the funds so that the host can't get paid. They'll refund you ALL of your money if the stay falls through. Go to the AirBNB contact page to submit a complaint or request for help. However, understand that this refund does NOT work after the first day so you need to contact AirBNB ASAP. AirBNB CAN choose to give you a credit, but it's totally up to them. I'd guess they may say no, since you'd be getting all your money back anyway. BUT it may be possible to get a credit towards another airbnb place, especially if there were NO other similar-price options and this host totally ruined your plans. Again, all up to AirBNB. 

I hope this helped! 🙂 Good luck on your travels. 

[Lizzie]

Great advice @Tasha0. 🙂

Hello @Jay13, great to hear you are planning a trip. I hope you have found this information useful and it has reassured you slightly.

It would be great to hear your thoughts. 🙂 

[S35]

If a host cancels at the last moment and I incur costs to find alternative accommodation, I am not comforted that the host is 'penalise' or lower in the rankings. I want compensation for my losses. It is a breach of contract and the party who causes the breach and Airbnb as their partner should be responsible for any costs borne by the guest

[Vanessa-and-Kurt0]

@S35 

I believe the terms & conditions one agrees to upon booking is refund only. They do try to rehouse you but since each property is unique in style, location, amenities, size and price you may not get exactly what you want (or maybe you will get better). 

Booking with a Superhost usually lessens potential issues.

[S35]

The law does not permit a company to take away a cusomer's rights by stating so in the T&Cs. This is especially tru if the cancellation, in this case, is based on false reasons. Otherwise this would lead to a 'heads we wine, tails you lose' situation

A booking is a contract. If a contract is breached then the person who has failed to live up to the contract is responsible for the losses incurred by the other party. Would any other outscome be fair?

[Vanessa-and-Kurt0]

@S35,

I hear you. It doesn't seem fair. I have been in this industry since 1989 (ouch, dating myself 🙂 ). The company that I worked for had been sued many times over this issue-suites not available for contract date, leaving people essentially homeless. The law is that we had bring them BACK to whole. Which was to give them a 100% refund. In many cases they had to find more expensive accommodations but legally we weren't responsible for that. Usually the hospitality industry makes an effort for the customer. But if your Uber does not come, they do not pay your cab fare. If your hotel has overbooked, they reimburse you + a small stipend or credit but that does not always cover the inconvenience and extra costs. If there were a law to make AirBnB responsible for losses, there would be law suits all over the place. AirBnB does lose in these situations-they only make money if you pay-if not, they have spent resources creating the reservation and mediating for free. When you multiply that by all the times it must happen (hosts sick, deaths, house issues, bad hosts...) I would venture to guess that is quite an expense.

I am a frequent guest as well as a Superhost. Breach of contract stinks, having to change vacation plans is stressful. But AirBnB fulfills their legal liability when they have issued the refund.

[S35]

Thank you for your interest. You may be a Superhost but, frankly, sound more like an Airbnb employee.

I, too, am in the travel industry, pre-dating you by several years as well.

My legal studies do not bring me to the same conclusion as you in regards to contract law. If breached contracts only brought the situation back to where it started there would be no point in having contracts

A contract, in this instance, is a promise to provide a service. If the service in performed correctly, the service provider gets consideration, i.e. is paid. If the service is not performed, the provided has broken the contract. One then does not revert to 'nothing lost, nothing gained'

In my situation, I lost money specifically because the provided failed in his duty to provide the contracted service. Therefore, he is  liable for those losses because his actions caused it. In this case, even more so as the reasons were bogus

As for Airbnb haveing suits 'all over the place', if they are responsible for losses they should have suits all over the place. If you have a business, you must take responsiblity for your business model. And, yes, businesses have expenses. It seems as if you think that Airbnb has the right to make money but no responiblilty to protect its customers if that protection involves costs

Airbnb did not fulfill any legal responsiblity other than the self-limiting one that it created itself. Airbnb does not make the law, the make policy. Business policies are found to be in violation of the law all the time. I will let you know how the case turns out

[Greg198]

Hi S,

I am very interested to hear how this turned out for you.  I am now in the exact same situation, with a host cancelling my stay on New Orleans Mardi Gras weekend 3 days beforehand.

[Evelyn133]

 Hello S in London and Greg in Great Falls,  I totally agree with S because like you Greg, it has just happened to me and Airbnb do not want to know - all they do is blame the host who in turn says he took the property off airbnb a year ago.  Dont Airbnb have a responsibilty to check?  I would be very interested to know how you both get on.  This was my first experience with Airbnb and we arrived in Cape Town only for the host to ask "who are you"?

[Matthew285]

@Evelyn133 in your situation the host's story does not sound true.

If the hosts removed a property from Airbnb "a year ago" you would not have been able to make a booking on it.

More likely the host had the listing active, forgot about it, and either ignored or did not receive messages about your upcoming stay.

Airbnb does not have to "check" if a property is removed from the system. If a host removes it from the system, it is impossible for a guest to see it, much less make a booking on it.

This change happens the moment a host de-activates a listing.

[Evelyn133]

Thanks Matthew, The host did not respond to two messages and I know now that should have flagged up but it was our first Airbnb and I thought I was dealing with Airbnb who kept sending updates and confirmations, the last being recieved the day we left UK.  So whilst it looks like the hosts mistake, I do not accept that Airbnb is blameless, as I agree with what S says - A contract, in this instance, is a promise to provide a service. If the service in performed correctly, the service provider gets consideration, i.e. is paid. If the service is not performed, the provided has broken the contract. One then does not revert to 'nothing lost, nothing gained'

I want redress from Airbnb for a very difficult start to our holiday but how do I go about it when the airbnb agent has closed the case and washed their hands of us.  Airbnb customers should be made aware that they are not dealing with a reputable and responsible agent - rather a fee taker and profit maker with T&C to avoid blame.

[Julia3460]

Our "host" Ace cancelled our Park City Utah condo 1 day prior to our fully prepaid checkin.  Ace simply said "Sorry".  Apparently Ace had an "inventory" issue.  AirBnB was quite good about getting our refund quickly.  However, it was an extremely stressful night trying to find last minute replacement accommodations that cost us twice the amount of the original reservation.  AirBnB provided a coupon for half of the incremental cost increase which was very helpful.  However, I have not been allowed to review Ace or warn prospective guests.  Nor has Ace compensated us for our extra costs or substantial stress.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Julia3460 whilst it doesn't make up for what this host did to you they should now have an auto-review on their listing saying something like 'host cancelled 1 day before arrival' If I were a guest I would be very wary of booking with a host who has done this to others.

[Julia3460]

Thanks Mike and Jane.  Ace was a very smart host who knows the game...he canceled at 3:30pm knowing that checkin the next day was 4pm.  So, technically, he canceled more than 1 day ahead of checkin thereby not triggering the auto-review.