Increase in host fees for cancellation policies

[Olivera-And-Russell-John0]

Is it just me or does there seem to be no justification for increasing the host fee for those choosing to use moderate or strict cancellation policies - this is just a means of punishment, and these costs will have to be passed onto the customer, certainly in our case as rental is our business,  and so in effect Airbnb is giving us a pay cut!  Until now the host fee was just to cover the cost of servicing payments but  now it seems designed to penalise hosts. 

If guests want the flexibility to cancel at the last minute then there are plenty of options to book a property which has that policy.  We are not in a location that attracts masses of tourists (compared to say Lazio or Tuscany) and the extra time in a strict policy is essential to find new guests.  Given that we have never had a cancellation from an Airbnb booking this is just extra money in the monolithic entreprise that is now Airbnb.

Airbnb is definitely becoming our booking site of least choice compared to the other sites that we advertise on.

I know that as hosts we have no power to influence things and will have to put up with it, but I feel better for having had a quick rant about it.

[Sandra126]

Not sure I understand correctly, are you saying that we pay MORE for not opting for Flexible? Wasn't aware of that, need to know more.

[Olivera-And-Russell-John0]

Yes, you can read it here:

https://www.airbnb.com/home/updated_cancellation_policies_explained?eluid=0&euid=09b2c5df-f234-fefb-...

4% for moderate and 5% for strict.  We use strict and so will have to increase our prices slightly to cover these costs.

[Sandra126]

Link just goes to the normal homepage, tried to search for the words but nothing?

[Donna15]

@Olivera-And-Russell-John0, that's disturbing news. 

The link, though, doesn't seem to be the correct one.

[Andrea9]

@Olivera-And-Russell-John0

Try typing a short description into the text part in pop-up window for the link.

This policy is new to me too!

[Olivera-And-Russell-John0]

Maybe they are rolling it out as the link works perfectly for me.  This is text of the email that I received from them:  You will see that they clearly state that there will be tiered host fees for the cancellation policies, up to 5%.  Effectvie from 18th October

We’re updating our cancellation policies

We’ve heard from hosts and guests that Airbnb’s cancellation policies should be easier to find and simpler to understand. To help more guests feel confident booking with Airbnb, while also protecting you from the hassle of cancellations, we’re updating the cancellation policy options you can choose. These changes will go into effect on October 18, 2016.

Before they take effect, check out the new policies and associated host fee changes, and learn what they mean for you as a host.

See the new policies

What’s changing?

Tiered host service fees In exchange for the extra protection from cancellations, hosts will pay higher service fees for Moderate (4%) and Strict (5%) policies.

New refunds grace periods Each policy allows guests to get a full refund if they cancel a reservation within a set time period before their trip, or a partial refund after this grace period.

Better guest education Your cancellation policy will be clearer and easier for guests to find, helping give them more confidence to book and understand their commitment to the trip.

Waived Airbnb guest fees To reduce hassle for hosts and provide guests with extra confidence when booking, we’re waiving all Airbnb’s guest service fees in the case of cancellations.

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