A Balanced Business Model.

[Frederick7]

I recently had the flu. I informed an incoming guest and told them they may wish to cancel. THEY agreed it would be better to cancel despite my still being willing to host them. In the interests of customer service i offered to handle the cancellation.

Airbnb give me this message: You've canceled 1 reservation in the past 365 days. If this rate falls below 90%, your listings might be suspended.

I consider your message inconsiderate, capricious, and rude.

The business model is based on three elements: the investor, the host, and the guest. These should be balanced and each is crucial to the other two. By treating hosts in this way Airbnb do themselves and the guests a disservice.

Airbnb may not like hosts cancelling, but there are innumerable and many unavoidable reasons why they may have to, including doing the guest a favour. That is no reason to treat hosts as third class citizens. Airbnb could gently and kindly encourage hosts not to cancel without threatening or alienating them. Suspending the only room in the immediate area would not be helping guests or Airbnb.

I would suggest in this environment where the knives are out against Airbnb, hosts need Airbnb's support and not dictatorial attitudes.

[Amy38]

There is a way for the host and guest to mutually agree to cancel with no penalty to either.....save youremails with the guest and request a re-evaluation by abnb.

[Maria971]

I also did get that kind of a threat from airbnb last week and a half. I had just listed my property.A guest had just asked for a reservation and almost the same time my sister died. I was bereaved and couldn't go on and host in the circumstances. I explained. What else was I supposed to do?? In any case they were supposed to be condoling with me!