Had to cancel due to unexpected admission to hospital - OPINION PLEASE

[Angela611]

Hi everyone, I'd love your opinions please as I am having a hard time making this decision: if you have had to cancel on a guest due to unforeseen medical reasons and they request you to pay the difference between the new accomodation and yours, is that the right thing to do?

Some background on me: I rent out my main bedroom and stay in my spare room (aka home office) when I have guests stay. It is in a security building with no safe place to leave keys for guests so I always make arrangements to be home when they arrive. This has never caused a problem in more than 2 years of hosting (Superhost pretty much from the beginning).

I unexpectedly was admitted to Emergency for abdominal pain due to an infection (possible appendicitis) and released 5 days before I was to host a guest and her friend this weekend, who had booked in advance being the New Year period. I went to my parents as the hospital released me as long as I stayed with someone in case the infection worsened.

3 days before my guests arrival I wasn't getting better and started worrying what would happen if I wasn't better in time/had to go back to hospital so I messaged them and explained the situation, asking if they could please see if they could find alternative accomodation. I explained that if they couldn't, especially with the time of year, I would find a way for them to stay with me but that I was not well. But if they could find somewhere, of course I would refund their total monies (I have a strict cancellation policy).

I should have been more firm asking them to try and find accomodation because they responded that it was too hard a time of year to look for accomodation now ' but don't worry, we will be minimum fuss'. I didn't know how to reply, I really expected that they would at least TRY to find somewhere else first before saying they couldn't.

The morning before their arrival I took a bad turn and so messaged them again and said if they couldn't find any accomodation by tomorrow that I would message them after the doctors and let them know when I would be able to give them access. I then forwarded them 2 places I had found on Airbnb that were available for their dates, near me and for the same or lesser price range as mine for the same level of accomodation. I was just too worried that I would see the doctor in the morning and if they sent me for tests or I was too sick I'd be unable to get home and get everything ready for them as I hadn't been home since going into hospital.

They responded later the same day that they had booked another airbnb, but chosen somewhere other than I had found, so if I could cancel the booking and pay the difference in price between the new accomodation and mine. Every message I sent them was profusely apologising for them being in this situation.

I do understand from their point of view it is a horrid situation to be in...but we are both not in great situations. I really do not feel that I should be paying the guests anything as I tried my best to make the best of a bad situation.

Am I wrong here?

Airbnb have been wonderful with this BTW so a big thank you to them. They acted promptly for both me and the guests.

Thank you for your time reading and your opinion.

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

@Angela611

Sorry to hear you were unwell - not a nice situation when you are worried about guests arriving. 

You probably know this now,  but you should have contacted AirBnB, explained your hospital visits etc and asked them to find your guests  somewhere  to stay. It's not clear to me whether or not either party acually cancelled the reservation or not. If you didn't they are out of pocket for the full amount, plus the booking  fee they paid. I would still contact AIrBnB and get them to handle this for you.

You did leave it very late to give a final no - so I would suggest that you explain it was a siituation out of your control, and you have asked AirBnB to assist them in refunding their  booking fee etc. You could offer them book 2 nights get one night free.....???

[Angela611]

Thanks for taking the time to respond and your well wishes, Gerry and Rashid. I didn't think of contacting AirbBnb straight away, I tried to handle it myself. I will definitely remember to include them in the process earlier than I did if I am unlucky enough to be in this situation again (fingers crossed I'm not..!) 

I did call Airbnb when my guests had said they had found somewhere else to help with the cancellation and make sure they got a full refund from me. They also gave me leniancy on penalties etc. under the circumstances. I definitely cannot complain about the service from Airbnb!

As all refunds etc. got handled, what do you think of their request for me to pay the difference between the new accomodation and mine, is that the right thing for me to do?

[Robin4]

@Angela611

As a host I understand the difficult position you are in Angela particularly if you are protecting a Superhost status but these things do happen and Airbnb have made allowances for it.

There is an extenuating circumstances clause and you situation is covered by that clause. You can cancel penalty free if your cancellation is due to hospitalization.

https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/1320/what-if-i-need-to-cancel-because-of-an-emergency-or-unavoida...

Angela, you do absolutely have a claim under this clause, and if you follow it Airbnb will sort out your guest, that is not up to you!

I understand you feel a loyaly to this guest but you have kept them informed of your condition and given them the opportunity to seek other accommodation which they have chosen to put on the 'back burner' until the last minute.

It is time to look after yourself Angela, cancel this guest immediately and once you have done that you can within 14 days file an extenuating circumstances claim.

https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/1339/how-do-i-file-an-extenuating-circumstances-claim

Here is the link in order to do that....

https://www.airbnb.com/resolutions

I am so sorry to here about your health issues Angela, I hope you can get your stomach infection issue under control quickly, and if you need any help with filing this claim, I will walk you through the process.

Good luck......cheers.......Rob

[Angela611]

Thank you very much for your well wishes and offer of help, @Robin4. I did contact Airbnb to help me cancel the booking and to ensure my guests received a full refund and they they gave me leniancy for cancellation fees etc. under my circumstances. They really were wonderful in dealing with the situation for both me and my guests.

It was my guest's request that, even after they have received a full refund, that I pay them the difference between my orginal accomodation costs and their new one that had me walking the moral/ethical line...I really don't feel I should have to, but am I wrong to think this way?

[Jeff158]

@Angela611 if the roles were reversed would your guests be offering you compensation for loss of income, I don't think so.

[Angela611]

Thanks @Jeff256 

[Robin4]

@Angela611,    under no circumstance is it advisable to get into a personal compensation scheme for something over which you have no control, it sets a dangerous precident Angela!

There is a framework within Airbnb to compensate guests if their reservation is cancelled by the host. The guest automatically becomes elligible for an additional 10% relocation bonus on the money they have paid to go towards the cost of alternative accommodation if that accommodations turns out to be more expensive than that which was cancelled. They don't have to apply for it, it just happens.

There is an argument and a framework to offer guests a refund or partial refund if the guest encountered a problem during their stay, but this guest is being cheeky expecting you to float their outside accommodation costs! And I am sure Airbnb would not sanction this either because it raises liability issues if there is a problem with the subsequent accommodation which you have contributed to!

Unfortunately you won't be offered the oppoprtunity to review these guests because they did not actually stay but, I would say to them in the message stream how disappointed you were that other events prevented them from staying with you but you are pleased that they were fully refunded and helped by Airbnb, but any form of additional compensation cannot be considered by either you or by Airbnb as this would be against Airbnb's payment and compensation policy.

All the best Angela, hope you have a speedy recovery.

Cheers.....Rob 

[Angela611]

Thanks @Robin4 . I'm going to reply exactly that way. Thank you for helping me see this clearly.

[Steve143]

Hello @Angela611,

Just on the request for payment, I think that the guest is entirely unreasonable in requesting that you pay the difference.

I would refuse the request.

The guest can, of course, involve Airbnb support if you refuse and it's a bit of a gamble as to what they may decide. From what you say, Airbnb has supported you when you did contact them so I would fight it by referencing that if a decision went in favour of the guest.

Steve.

[Angela611]

Thank you, @Steve143

[David126]

I have had a few extenuating circumstances cancellations, never received anything so not sure why it would be different the other way around.

So if they booked somwhere else cheaper would they have paid the difference to you?

[Angela611]

Thanks, @David126 , I wonder what they would have said to that 🙂

[Kelly149]

@Angela611 no no no no, consider yourself absolved, no, you owe them nothing. rest & heal well