Cancelling a reservation, six months before the arrival of our guests

[Christine123]

Hello ! 

I'm a super host, mostly thanks to our properties in Spain. So I'm very aware of our duties and obligations. We never cancelled any reservations these last 7 or 8 years we've been members of the Airbnb community.  We also have an appartment in Edinburgh we sometimes rent throught airbnb.

Got a booking for 4 nights in August in this flat but unfortunately I  need to cancel. The building is going to be under renovation this summer and I really can't have people staying there at the same time. So really not the right place for a holiday !!

I'm not sure how to proceed... Should I approach our guests first offering a place to stay in Spain instead ? Should I look for a new place for them in town and suggest to stay there instead ? Should I ask airbnb to help ? I suppose it's not the same to cancel a few days before arrival than six months before. Can I have your recommendation ? Many thanks ! Best, C

[Alexandra316]

@Christine123 If this was an instant booking, I would call Airbnb and ask to use one of your penalty free cancellations, citing the reason that your calendar should have been blocked and it wasn't. I would make sure that the rest of your calendar is blocked, though, before it can happen again. I wouldn't do anything else: the guest knows what they're looking for and how much they want to spend, and I would leave it to them to find a new place to stay. Airbnb will often provide assistance in these situations also.

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Contact-Airbnb-A-Community-Help-Guide-UPDATED/m-p/413245

[Christine123]

Many thanks, Alexandra for your answer. I called airbnb and they cancelled the booking without penalities. I really feel relieved ! Thank you again. Best, Christine