How do i unblock dates

[Richard154]

OK;

a guest asked if they could cancel cause he had not booked his flights ( putting the cart before the horse)

but now it seems the dates he booked, and i graciously canceled, are blocked so NOBODY else can book them.

How can i make them available again??

Thanks

[Barrie0]

A guest took so long to decide 24 hours passed and they are now booked elsewhere and 3 weeks are blocked on my calendar.  I am unable to unblock these dates manually.  How do I get these to show up as available again!?

[Linda108]

@Barrie0  You have three listings and a great deal of experience, so if you don't know why this is happening, it is probably a glitch so only Air BNB can help.  Good luck!!

[Helen3]

@Barrie0  it's because you didn't accept or decline the request within 24 hours. Another change that BNB has introduced without bothering to let hosts know, at the detriment of hosts.

Call BNB and explain that you didn't know about this change as they didn't tell hosts it was being introduced and see if they will unblock your calendar.

[Christine333]

Hi I cancelled a booking as I had not heard from them and they had problems with their e-mails and I would like to re book them but my dates are blocked by airbnb

[Christine333]

where is their number in australia I canr seem to find it

[Robin4]

@Christine333.....I would love to say there is some way I could help you but, I am afraid Christine, you have been your own worst enemy.

You must read the rules of hosting before you do something that will affect you badly!

You cannot cancel a guests booking!!! The fact that they might have had email problems is no excuse, they had booked your listing and had every right to expect that booking to be honoured.

Airbnb are really firm on host cancellations because it can have a catastrophic effect on guests. When a guest books a listing they, in many instances, will come from far away, and make other travel plans to tie in with their accommodation.

In days gone by hosts would cancel confirmed bookings if a better offer came along and the whole site suffered badly, so now there are strict rules that must be followed.

The penalties you will now have to face are...

1/. The days that this guest had booked for will be blocked on your calendar preventing you from accepting another booking.

2/. You will suffer a financial penalty which will be taken from your future hostings!

3/. You will be inelligible for Superhost status for one year from the date of the cancellation.

4/. On your reviews an automated posting will be placed that says 'this booking was cancelled by the host .....days before arrival'! And this can be the kiss of death because guests tend to stay clear of hosts who cancel bookings.

Possibly there can be a silver lining Christine! I would suggest you contact Airbnb in Sydney on 02 8520 3333 and explain to them that, as a first timer, you were not aware of the proper protocol and deeply regret your action and ask them to re-instate this booking....provided the guest still wants to book. You will find the Sydney office efficient and helpfull and you may be able to get some relief from this situation. 

Yours is not the first post that details exactly this situation....in fact you would be amazed at how common this scenario is, and it all comes about because new hosts do not read up on what they should do in order to host. You will find at the top of this page a box that says 'Search for Anything' Please type in...'How do I get paid'....'How do I confirm a booking' .... Difference between a booking enquiry and a booking request'....'Guest and host cancellations'...'How do I contact Airbnb'

Try and understand the framework that this platform operates under.

It's better to have information and not need it than to need information and not have it!!!

Cheers....Rob

[Mark-and-Carmen0]

Thanks for the passive aggressive response!

[Melissa155]

I declined a guest and now the dates are blocked.  When I go to the calendar they show as available not blocked however they are still blue and no one can book those dates.  HELP... How do I unblock those dates?

[Rolyn0]

Anyone else having problem lsnthe last couple days blocking and unblocking dates on their calendar? The button doesn’t pop up for me any more. 

[Ramzan2]

I have declined the request for hosting and my dates are still blocked

[Belen14]

I want to make a question. How do I unblock dates after a cancellation made by me (host)??

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Belen14 blocked dates are a penalty when a host cancels a reservation. 

[Sarah977]

@Belen14  You can't. You don't seem to have read any of the previous posts in this thread explaining the penalties for host cancellations.

[Karol22]

This is an unfortunate mistake. If an Airbnb guest wants to cancel, it is very important that they execute the cancellation from their end on the Airbnb website. Otherwise, if you cancel the reservation, you are prone to penalties. If you have proof that the guest asked for cancellation in your Airbnb messaging, then you may have evidence to get the dates unblocked. Sorry to hear your situation! I hope this helps!