Best Way to give guests the option of canceling if THEY want to due to extreme heat?

[Francesca-and-Dave0]

Hi,

Looking for HELP with the best way to offer an upcoming guest the option of canceling (or having us cancel for them) without penalties?! I’ve scoured AirBnB resources for the answer, but I’m still unsure of the best way to do it…

Here’s the thing:
The temperatures in our neck of the woods have been consistently running over 90 degrees which is UNHEARD of. Never in 30 years of living here have I seen consistently high temperatures like this so of course we don’t have AC (which is clearly noted in our listing) because we have never needed it before! However, without AC these temperatures can be really uncomfortable for people unaccustomed to it, and downright dangerous for people who are ill or elderly. We tried to get a few window unit ACs installed in the next couple days, but everything that fits our windows is on back order (of course) so they won’t be here in time for our weekend guests.

I want to reach out via Air BnB message to the couple booked for this coming Friday and let them know about the situation to give them the option of canceling penalty free with a full refund if they want to do so because I feel that is absolutely the right thing to do in this situation.

My current booking setting is ”moderate — full refund 5 days prior to arrival”:
1) This is fine if they get the message in the next eight hours and cancel before midnight.
2) But, is there any penalty at all for them with their ratings if THEY cancel?
3) If they don’t get the message and cancel in time, can I cancel for them without there being any penalty for me, considering the circumstances and the fact that I tried to reach out to them?

TYIA!  This is certainly not a situation I thought I would be facing after 20 years of running our own BnB and now 10 years of also renting via Airbnb…

[Mike-And-Jane0 · Accepted solution]

@Francesca-and-Dave0Dont cancel yourself as you will be penalised. Send a message to the guest saying if they cancel due to the extreme heat and potential danger then you will authorise a full refund. When/if they cancel get them to call Airbnb and request a refund. Airbnb will then contact you to see if you are willing to refund in full.

If you are worried about the guest not getting your message then call them on the phone.

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Francesca-and-Dave0 

As @Mike-And-Jane0  suggested, this is the way that I've found easiest for everyone. When there's a fire up here that affects safety  or air quality or if a road goes out, I do exactly this. It is the gracious thing to do, and there's no reason that our guests should suffer.

Best wishes and do try to stay cool!~

[LeighAnn2]

Message and email them urgently about the situation. Encourage tyff we m to cancel immediately. They don’t face a penalty. The cancelation policy sucks. Sorry. Guests don’t get harmed. Hosts do. Airbnb should refund any fees. 

Not to nitpick, but don’t advertise ac if you don’t have ac. You kind of put yourself in this pickle. 

[Kia272]

@LeighAnn2  if you read the OP, you'll note that that @Francesca-and-Dave0  do NOT advertise that they have AC, and they have made that very clear, so they did not put themselves in a "pickle" in any way. They are simply being kind. 

Which leads to the second point: this isn't about AirBnB's refund policy and who it favors. They are offering the refund, and are not being pressured in any way. 

[LeighAnn2]

I misread the OP regarding ac. I thought he said he advertised ac. 

I agree he is being kind. 

my point about cancelations is that they do favor guests. A host gets a black mark on their listing. Guests do not have any sort of cancelation statistic on their profile. They lose money only if the cancel during certain circumstances (if they’ve gone oats the cancelation window) My point was that the host should not make the cancelation. Therefore, I advised the host to have the guest cancel then, he can offer a refund afterward. Unfortunately, Airbnb probably still collects a fee. 

[Kia272]

@Francesca-and-Dave0  It's lovely to see hosts who actually care and put hospitality above money. Kudos. So many hosts here are so money-focused it's unreal. I understand it's a business, but stuff happens, and it's good to be kind and understanding. 

A couple of comments though: I'm not sure when the environment became "dangerous" to humans. People forget that we lived for millennia without air conditioning. Uncomfortable? Yes, maybe. Dangerous? I'm not in agreement with that. We are used to AC, but we CAN live without it. 

And you, as hosts, are not responsible for the weather. A heat spell is a heat spell. Obviously if there were a hurricane or blizzard, then it would be dangerous for guests to be on the road to get there, but higher than usual temperatures? I'm not sure I would be offering a refund. And as a host, I'm pretty flexible about understanding situations that come about for guests, and I try to respond with sympathy/empathy/caring, and a refund if appropriate.