Cancel new booking so that current guest can extend stay?

[Rosalie77]

Hi everyone,

I need your help please!

My current guest (has booked for one month) wants to extend his stay for another two weeks, but I already have a booking for a weekend during this time. My guest wants me to cancel that booking, but I'm not sure if this is the right decision. 

Would really appreciate your thoughts on this!

Thank you in advance!

Rosalie

[Till-and-Jutta0]

You could book a hotel room for your new guest instead, and pay the cost.

I did this in a similar situation - and all guests were happy.

Needs good communication with all involved.

[Rosalie77]

Thank you for your reply! That's a great idea! I´ll see if I can do that!

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Rosalie77  in Zagreb is common to know a few other hosts in the neighborhood who could accept our guests in case something happens and we can't host them.

In your situation, I would ask my neighbors if they have an available apartment and if someone does, I would ask my future guest if he is willing to be relocated.

[Katrina79]

@Rosalie77 @You should listen to @Helen3 @advice on this matter. I would also suggest if you want to really go out of your way and be a super host, you may offer to help the current guest find a new accommodation. As @Branka-and-Silvia0 @suggested to relocate your upcoming reservation,  instead help relocate your current guest. This would be easier if you know other hosts and/or property managers. 

[John5097]

@Rosalie77 I would honor the existing booking and let the guest know as soon as possible that its not possible for host to cancel existing bookings without severe consequences. Trying to put guest into a different place other than the one they booked is a common scam. I think its important for both host and guest to both honor existing reservations, and be satisfied with their decision to both rent the space for the advertised rate. Do you want half of your guest to make two reservations just incase the host can rent the listing out for more or longer time?    

[Colleen253]

@Rosalie77 You need to familiarize yourself with the penalties for cancelling on a guest.

https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/990/host-penalties-for-cancelling-reservations

[Rosalie77]

Thank you so much!

[Helen3]

Wow I'm fairly surprised at the advice you are being offered . The guest who has a booking with you for this weekend confirmed in good faith .

why would they want to stay in a hotel when they have booked in an Airbnb and why would they want to stay in someone else's apartment when they wouldn't be covered by Airbnb 

it's pretty outrageous that your current guest is asking you to cancel on a future guest so they can extend their stay. 

my take and what I think is the morally right thing to do is to advise the current guest that you can't extend their stay as you have a confirmed booking with another guest @Rosalie77 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Helen3  theoretically you are right of course, but dont be surprised, guests are more often than not, willing to be relocated especially if they end up in better apartment than they booked 🙂 What they dont like is to relocate in the middle of their stay or if their reservation is cancelled and they have to find a new one. 

[Helen3]

Yes I am surprised. Many guests would see it as a scam if a host wanted them to change their arrangements and stay at another apartment not owned by the host and which wouldn't be covered by Airbnb.

I can see if that Airbnb was willing to work with the host to swop the booking to another listing that the host owns that this could work for a guest. But not where you want to the guest to stay in a hotel as suggested above or a property owned by another host. 

And of course the host would face penalties from Airbnb for cancelling the guest who had the confirmed booking.

[Rosalie77]

I think you're right. That´s what I ended up doing. Thank you so much for your advice!!

[Sarah977]

@Rosalie77   Aside from the penalties you would incur, it's not very professional to cancel confirmed booking. 

And it's really out of line for your current guest to tell you she wants you to cancel  a booking.

[Kath9]

@Rosalie77no, I wouldn't cancel your confirmed booking - it will show up on your profile and those dates will then be blocked, plus it's just not the right thing to do. However, I agree with @Katrina79  - why not put up your current guest in a hotel for the weekend instead?

[Rosalie77]

Thank you all for your support! I'm so impressed and grateful for this amazing community!

What I eventually decided to do is to offer my current guest a different accommodation, rather that canceling the booking. I feel like this was the right decision.

Thanks again!