Superhost Cancel Policy is Way TOO Harsh

[Erika-and-Mark0]

I have been hosting for over a year and ONE TIME I cancelled a researvation. Now, I can't be considered a superhost for a whole year. That's harsh. Especially when guests can cancel at anytime with mostly no penalty at all. I've been left out to dry more than once because of this. I know I can raise my cancellation policy, but I don't want to punish mostly all good guests (maybe you really have an emergency) for a few bad apples. Either the penalty should be less for hosts or the penalty should be more for guests. But it should be equal at the very least. 

[Suzanne79]

I completly agree!!!!!!

[Janice14]

I agree. I once had to decline an airbnb booking because I had literally received one from another site at exactly the same time and answered that one first. Although I qualified in every other way I was out of superhost for a year. I have just learned I will qualify in October and live in fear of 2 bookings getting crossed again. Not only that but airbnb does not have any way to explain what happened. 

[Felipe41]

Yep, I had something very similar happen to me.  I had to unlink the calendars.  I was able to rent out the weeks on another site for more money, but it was sad.  

[Azul0]

penalties on hosts are too harsh and there is no defending yourself. I had an abusive couple and they gave me 3 stars on cleanliness. The house was professionally cleaned, I asked what they meant and they said they found a dirty dish. I told them they should have let me know immediately, but they said they hadn't wanted to cause problems which gave me NO change to verify that what they said was true. So they extend their stay from 2 days to 2 months (must have been that dirty) and then they leave a bad rating which I cannot dispute and this of course lowered my future chances of renting. For all I know the bowl I left for their three dogs who where also staying at no extra charge wasn't scrubbed clean.

[Tom-and-Lisa0]

I agree.  The policy seems too lop-sided.  Now I don't believe it should be too easy for a host to cancel, but neither do I think the current policy is appropriate.  Maybe hosts are allowed one cancel with no penalty in a year, but two or more get penalty.  Perhaps an escalating penalty for each cancel.  In another post I suggest "TRIP CANCELLATION/INTERRUPTION INSURANCE---which would do much to aleviate the problem.

[Bryan20]

What do we get because we are Superhosts I have not noticed any  lower Airbnb costs?

I have not worked out what it is good for. My reviews say if I'm a good host or not!

[Patti10]

I agree! Way too harsh!

[Anupam0]

80% 5 star rating is ridiculous. AirBnB should take off the bottom 20% of the rating (excuse me but some people are judgmental and kind of ... you know what) and also the top 20% of the rating (some people are very generous)... 

[Loretta2]

I agree the superhost ratings are too inflexible- in my case, because I live in my Sydney apartment when I am working there, and have a 10 day minimum stay , I seldom have 10 stays per year- and, like some of the people above, I have had a couple of guests who had totally unreasonable expectations and gave negative reviews- despite nearly all my revies being very positive, I lost my superhost status. 

[Odile25]

the bottom line is that all these  self important  Airbnb officers just work completely arbitraily, there is no check on their decisions , nor do they check through the cases properly. The result is they invariably come down against the owners  because they are lazy  and  that is the path of least resistence  and there is no appeal  toa higher authority 

[Deb22]

Agree.  I'm a 5 Star SuperHost and booked guests for 2 nights October 5-7 and then realizied (my bad) I needed access to unit before my normal check-out time on the 7th which was not convenient to the guests. Understanding this, we (I) cancleed. This was all done from booking to cancelling in less than an hour!  PLUS, I researched 4 other available airbnb properties in my neighborhood and gave the guest the links so that she could book another property today. So, she's happy, Airbnb will still get her business and I'm penalized.  Where to contest this?     

[Odile25]

You just have to realise that airbnb invariably favours the guest over the owner,even when it involves contravening their own rules   How long it will be wise for them to do this, is a moot point but for the moment that is how it is

[Marie-Claire3]

I was a superhost for a year when I had to cancel a guest three months ahead, found him another room, etc. but lost my status for a year. I didn't notice any difference in business, I still have 5 stars for everything and a full house all the time. It stung when I lost my status because it was so incredibly unfair, but then I realized that it's just a carrot that AirBnB dangles in front of hosts' noses.

[Jean84]

I agree I dont think in 5 years I have ever cancelled a booking, and have mostly good reviews, but get marked down for things like location, which Iobviosly can.t do anything about.I urge all guests to read all the info on my property, and indeed get them to agree to some before they book.but whether they actually do read the info? I cannot do anything about things they should be aware of before their arrival except comment on this in my reply to their review