Host Requested to Cancel

[Wa2]

My host said they no longer can host us and told us to cancel the reservation. I then replied that they should be the one cancelling since they can no longer host us. I confirmed with the host that they can proceed with the cancellation and the host still has not cancelled and said they put in a request with Airbnb to cancel. It’s been 2 days, does a host need Airbnbs approval for cancellation? I thought the cancel would be instant and the refund can take a few business days.

[Graham490]

Hi @Wa2 .. that does not sound a good experience for you...

If you booked with a SuperHost, they are penalized if THEY cancel a booking... and is the likely reason why they asked you to cancel. Why they told you they could not accommodate you, may have a good reason and if so, then Airbnb will not pennies them. If they want you to cancel, so that they might accept a longer stay request... then that is a problem. You are correct, if they do not want to honor your  booking... then they need to cancel.

Regards, Graham 

[Patricia2526]

Hi @Wa2 

 Wouldn’t recommend canceling the reservation yourself, as you may not be eligible for a full refund depending on the host’s cancellation policy. It’s usually better to wait for the host to cancel on their end, especially if they’ve already indicated that they can’t accommodate your stay.

If the host becomes unresponsive or doesn’t follow through, reach out directly to Airbnb Support. Share any messages or proof of what the host told you so they can review the situation and assist with a proper cancellation and possible refund. This helps protect your booking and ensures everything is handled according to Airbnb’s policies.