Duplicate listing & switching to instant book

[Sean14]

Hi folks.

I have two questions for y'all.

1) I had a reservation recently for a couple with a dog and a cat. I accepted the booking as I only had about 30 minutes left of the 24 to respond and then realised I ought to check with the other guests in the house. Sure enough one is afraid of dogs and the other is allergic so I cancelled the booking the next day. I didn't realise but I now know my calendar will remain blocked for those dates. Although it's only 6 weeks, it's peak season for me. My temptation is to create another listing available only for those dates. Would AirBnB turn a blind eye or is this just asking for all sorts of trouble?

Due to this I also now see that instant bookings can be cancelled penalty free which leads to question 2

2) For those that made the switch from vetting bookings to moving to instant booking - how much better is it? I like the idea of being able to cancel an instant booking if I'm not comfortable with the booking. Any downsides to consider?

Thanks!

[Andrea9]

@Sean14

It's what other hosts have done. Airbnb doesn't check.

Just make sure you only have those days open and that other dates don't open up by mistake (software glitch that occasionally happens).

[Carol5359]

I have to refuse animals.  I am allergic myself....and I don't want to clean up after them...not to mention other clients who may have a problem with them too.