refusing bookings- general discussion

[Bob41]

Fairly new host here-  Just wondering: How can we refuse bookings without being penalized?  What are legitimate reasons to refuse bookings?  I have been looking for a general discussion of this and haven't found it.  I would really appreciate it If anyone can direct me to this discussion elsewhere or has specific information on this.  thanks!!

[Branka-and-Silvia0 · Accepted solution]

@Bob41 

in short:

you can set instant booking or request to book.

if you have IB and don't feel comfortable to host the guest who booked you can cancel 3 reservations a year, BUT you should have a valid reason and don't do it by yourself,, call Airbnb to support instead. Valid reasons are for example:

-You feel uncomfortable to host him b/c your guest has bad reviews or intend to break your house rules 

- extenuating circumstances like your house or your area are damaged (flood, tornado, broken water pipe, fire...)  or you / your family are ill or you have death in your family etc...

If you don't have an instant booking then you will get a booking request. You can accept or decline. If you accept and booking is done then you can cancel the reservation only in case of extenuating circumstances and not because you feel uncomfortable to host him.

If you decline too many requests in a row then your search position will drop.You have to decline or accept any request within 24 h or those dates will be blocked on your calendar.

If you get the inquiry and decline then you are not penalized.

If you cancel the reservation without any valid reasons mentioned above then you will be penalized with a 50-100$ fee, blocked dates, you will lose instant booking option and your super host status for a year. 

[Bob41]

Thanks so much for the generous amount of useful information!

[Sarah977]

@Bob41  Make use of the messaging function, whether you opt to use IB or not. As soon as a guest contacts you or IBs, message them, thanking them for choosing your place and reiterating some of the key house rules, and other notable things about your listing.  Ascertain whether the guest has thoroughly read through your listing information, and is aware of everything. Try to get a feel for them and their intentions in renting your place. If things seem off, ask more questions, and if it appears that they are not a good fit, let them know this politely, advise that they can cancel penalty-free for up to 48 hours after booking, and wish them luck on finding a place that better suits their needs. You can often avoid having to decline or cancel a guest booking by taking the time to communicate with the guest. Even if a guest sends aBooking request, which you have to approve or decline within 24 hours, you can message back and forth before that time and if things aren't good,  ask the guest to withdraw the request, so you don't have to decline it.

[Chris-And-Rachel0]

It seems unfair that if we have valid reasons for declining a booking that the date would remain blocked for someone who might *not* tell us they might not have money in their bank account when they book (like this potential guest did) or someone we might be more comfortable with for any number of reasons.