Guest asks for additional cancellation time

[Shelly126]

My guest has not booked yet but is asking in advance if she can have more than the 48 hr cancellation period. Her reservation request is 4 months out. How can I safely accommodate her request?

[Pat271]

As long as Requests to Book aren’t flying in, Change your cancellation policy for 5 minutes to something like Flexible, Moderate or Firm, and ask her to book during that time. Then change it back. They policy in force at the time of booking will be retained for your guest.

[Mark116]

@Shelly126  I may be mistaken, but I thought the 48 hours for free cancellation from the time of booking was about Airbnb's fees, in which case there is nothing you can do about it.

[Pat271]

@Mark116  No, it is for totally free cancellation - 100% refund of everything paid.

[Sarah977]

@Pat271  Up to 3 cancellations per year. If a guest makes more than that, they forfeit the service fee.

[Mark116]

@Pat271  Yes, but the host can refund their part of the cost at any time, indeed, Airbnb can refund the host's part at any time.  The 48 hours is the window that Airbnb gives to refund their fee, after that, they will keep it.  

[Pat271]

@Mark116  That depends on the policy in force - see my comment below.

[Colleen253]

@Shelly126 You would have to temporarily change your cancellation policy for this person. If you choose Firm, that gives them 30 days. But there is nothing you can do about Airbnb keeping their service fee. Also note that if this person doesn’t book right away, other bookings that come in will be booked with that cancellation policy in effect. 

An alternative would be to simply agree to authorize a refund up to a certain date, say two weeks. They’d have to just trust you to follow through. 

[Shelly126]

@Colleen253 

I was proposing, a two week "free cancelation" but I am worried that

AirBnB will charge me for a reservation commission fee. Is that true? or can I wave that as well?

I just don't want to loose money being nice to this potential guest.

Thank you,

Shelly

[Mark116]

@Shelly126   There is no way for you waive Airbnb's fees.  The only way I know of to guarantee the guest would not have to pay those fees is if you agreed to pay them out of your own pocket.  

[Pat271]

@Mark116 

[Shelly126]

@Pat271 thank you I will try that.

[Sarah977]

@Shelly126  A host is free to refund all of the nightly fee that a guest paid, regardless of the cancellation policy. So I don't see why you need to go through all these manuevers. However, you can't do anything about the Airbnb fees that the guest will lose if she cancels more than 48 hours after booking. You can't change that.

[Shelly126]

@Sarah977 Thank you, yes this is true.

[Brian2036]

@Shelly126 

I would suggest that maybe they should wait until they have made definite plans before they book.

It sounds like they might not be sure of what they really want to do.