Can I refuse a reservation due to pricing disputes?

[Rica-Cristina2]

A potential guest is insisting on receiving a senior citizen discount for their stay. I advised them to coordinate directly with Airbnb regarding discounts, as pricing adjustments like this are not something I handle manually. However, they keep asking me to apply it through a special offer, even though my listing is already priced low, and the stay is for two nights.

They have not confirmed the booking yet. Am I allowed to decline the request? I’m concerned this might lead to complications during the stay, so I’m considering not accepting the reservation.

[Shelley159 · Accepted solution]

Hi @Rica-Cristina2 

If you get the impression that this guest may not be a good match for your listing, it's probably wise to decline. Many hosts will say that guests who demand discount, often turn out to be problematic in multiple areas.

The guest is right in that you're the one (not Airbnb) who decides on whether you'd like to give a discount. But there's nothing preventing you from saying that you unfortunately have to charge a price that's financially sustainable for you in order to carry on hosting. Of course, there's a risk that the guest will end up agreeing to pay full price 😀

One way to avoid these requests for discount altogether, is to turn on Instant Book, but not all hosts find it a suitable option for their listing.

[Rica-Cristina2]

Hello Shelley,

Thank you for the very helpful response. I’ll definitely keep this in mind. I wasn’t aware that I would be the one shouldering the discount, so I appreciate the clarification. Thank you very much!

[Helen3]

Why don't you just confirm to the guest that you don't offer such a discount? @Rica-Cristina2 

And that if your pricing doesn't work for them they should look for accommodation within their budget. 

Why mislead the guest by saying Airbnb handles discounts when you know it's you as the STR owner who controls any discounts. 

[Rica-Cristina2]

Hi Helen, thank you for pointing that out. I’m still new to hosting and learning how everything works, which is why I asked here. I didn’t mean to mislead the guest—I was trying to handle the situation carefully since I’m not offering additional discounts beyond my listed rate. From my experience, senior discounts are usually handled by the platform, so I wasn’t sure whether this should be covered by Airbnb or by me. I appreciate the guidance and will be clearer with guests moving forward. Thank you.

[Helen3]

No the guest is asking you to give her a discount because she's older 😀.  Either it's a scam or she's confused. 

not a request I've come across in ten years of hosting and nearly 400 guests.

as I said in my earlier post,  just let her know it's not something you offer .