Instanting booking which does not comply with check-in policy. Can I cancel without penalties?

[Catarina-E-António0]

Hello everyone,

it is the first time that we are put in a position in which we will need to cancel a reservation and so we needed an advise.

We have an apartment with instant booking in which we splicitly mention the check-in time interval 14:00 - 21:00.

However, we have just received an instant booking... and the guests tell us that they will be arriving to the airport at midnight! Sometimes we close our eyes to early and late check-in... but arrival to the airport at midnight means arriving at 01:00/01:30 to our apartment!

Since the guests did not comply with our check-in policy, will we be able to cancel the reservation without airbnb penalties?

Thanks in advance,
catarina and antónio

[Annette33]

@Catarina-E-António0, yes, on IB you can cancel penalty free when guest break your house rules. Still, it's never a good idea to do so. So perhaps, before you do that, how about contacting  the guest, making it clear that their desired check in time is way outside your published check in time, and see if there is any other solution? Like could he/she book one of your other places, where you have no restriction of check in time in place?

Or, depending on how long they would be staying, perhaps ask them to book that arrival night at an airport hotel, then come over to the booked place the next day, and you'd just change the reservation by shortening it one day? Explore those options.

Or, you could ask them kindly to cancel it themselves, as the new regulation offers guests a penalty free cancelling.

[Emma94]

First, ask them to go back and read the house rule regarding the check in time. If they still insist on coming in late let them know they can either cancel the reservation or sleeping outside as you have your own life to live. Be firm and stick it to them. People will do their best to push and see how far they can make you go nuclear. Don't give in.