host needs to cancel after reservation has been made

Scott19
Level 1
Center Harbor, NH

host needs to cancel after reservation has been made

Yesterday I finalized a reservation and today realized that I need to cancel it.  How do I do that and how does he get his money back?

1 Reply 1
Wendy-and-Markus0
Level 10
United States

@Scott19:

 

I'm not sure if you are aware of the various implications involved with host cancelling a reservation? If not, you should know Airbnb takes host cancellations very seriously and aside from you willing to reimburse the guest their reservation fee, you will be penalized in several ways.

 

If you still need to cancel, I would suggest contacting the guest. Explain your predicatment and see if they would be willing to initiate the cancellation on their end. Explain you will fully refund your end of the reservation + offer to pay the airbnb fee that is not refundable if a guest cancels. Whatever the non-refundable Airbnb fee is, will likely be worth it in comparison to the consequences you will face if you as the host cancel.

 

I just read another post with similar situation and @Helga made a great suggestion. Assuming your guest agrees to the cancellation, reduce the reservation to 1 day first. Then have the guest cancel. That way the Airbnb fee will be minimal.

 

Hope it works out for you.

 

Host Cancellation consequences:

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/990/how-do-host-cancellation-penalties-work