How does cancelling reservations impact Superhost status?

[Jessica52]

Hello hosts

I am the super host and recently decided to sell my Airbnb property.  Just got an offer and very likely to accept the deal.  With that to say,  I will have to cancel my guests' future reservations, will that cause me losing the Super host status?  I appreciate any advice! 

Jessica

[Herman183]

I have one in lake worth booked up until late march. I'm considering selling mine due to wanting to use the money in other investments I have, and wanting to move from internationally. My place is in south florida

[Mar125]

It looks to me that you are assuming an airbnb is less expensive than your own place? it’s possible but not likely. 

if you are not qualified for your own house, good chance you are even further away from an airbnb ownership l…

[Rachid103]

I might

[Marquita3]

What are Airbnb guests to do in a situation where the Owner/Host has put the home up for sale without extending a courtesy notice to its 7 guests?  Further, the sale listing does not state the home as being an Airbnb, and I highly doubt that the Owner/Host has informed Airbnb of this status.

[Sarah977]

Are you saying your reservation has been cancelled, or just that you see that the house is for sale? Just because a house is on the market doesn't mean it would affect the current reservations- it could take a year or more to sell and the current host may make some arrangement with prospective buyers that they can't take possession until booked guests have completed their stays.

There isn't any reason for the sale ad to state that it's an Airbnb, because you can't sell an Airbnb business- all the owner is selling is the house, perhaps with contents- it's up to the buyer as to whether they want to continue running it as an Airbnb. Airbnb listings are non-transferrable- if a future owner wants to Airbnb it, they have to create a new listing from scratch- all the reviews and ratings would stay with the current host's account.

So if it's a matter of you being worried that the house would sell before your booking and you'd get cancelled last minute, that's something you have to discuss with the current host.  And of course it wouldn't be okay for them to take prospective buyers through the place if they have guests in residence.

@Marquita3

[Marquita3]

Hi Sarah,

Thank you so much for your prompt reply.  The Owner/Host has not yet cancelled my reservation, however I am concerned about that happening, again.  It just recently happened to me with a previous Airbnb host (Sept. 2020).  Upon close of the sale, which I knew nothing about, I was given only 30 days  to find another place, which  I did (with current host), only to be met by the same scenario.  Why don't hosts give a courtesy notice to their guests at the time they decide to put their home on the market to sell?  From the guests' perspective, its difficult to find a suitable Airbnb, not to mention search time,  inconvenience, and discomfort.

Kind regards,

Marquita

[Sarah977]

I agree it's pretty rude of the host to do this. It's like they want to milk every last penny out of the Airbnb up to the day the property sells. But on the other hand, you really don't know what the host intends if the property sells- possession could be contingent on waiting until the current bookings are completed. I'd dialogue with the host, letting them know you've been through this scenario before and are worried about it happening again. If you don't feel reassured, maybe the host will agree to let you cancel now with a full refund so you can look for another place.

@Marquita3

[Mar125]

@Marquita3 

Airbnb guest is similar to a hotel guest, and host can cancel a guest any time. 

Airbnb reservation isn’t a lease, and doesn’t have a contract term for noticing guests about the sale of the property. 

However, hosts are subject to airbnb penalties if they cancel reservations for reason that’s not allowed. Selling properties is not a reason for free cancel. 

With that said, I always suggest Airbnb guests start with a 2 weeks stay so both parties have more flexibility.  Hosts and guests both don’t want to deal with cancellations so 2 weeks stay is much easier on both sides. 

Don’t book long term all at once. book 2 weeks and see.

[Rachid103]

Anyone knows how to advise on marketing an RBNB beach pousada in Brazil for sale.

thanks

[Herman183]

info

[Rachid103]

Hi everybody. I am selling my beach front RBNB property in Brazil. Let me know if anyone is interested

[Herman183]

where in Brazil and how much

[Rachid103]

Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro. Capital of surfing in Brazil

[David-and-Gael0]

I'm not believing what I 'm reading here!  I have just sold my property to a buyer who wants to continue with Airbnb.   I have just asked Airbnb how I can seamlessly pass my forward bookings onto the new owner of our property.  "We don't have a mechanism to do that" they told me.  They still do not have any improvements to their system!  They tell me I have to give Airbnb a bill of sale and then they will contact all the forward booked guests and cancel the bookings!!!!

[Helen3]

Of course you can't transfer bookings to a new owner that would be highly unfair on your guests who booked your listing in good faith based on YOUR reviews and the way you run things @David-and-Gael0  You are not selling 'an airbnb' you are selling a property. Listings are not transferable.  The new owner may want to price and manage the property differently.

Really this is something it would have been better for you to look into before you put your house on the market.

If you are selling your property you should have just opened up your calendar three months in advance so you didn't accept bookings you knew you couldn't honour. This is what I did and the new host set up a listing to start from when they had ownership of the property.

The advice from Airbnb was correct if you cannot honour the bookings you need to cancel them and they can rebook should they wish with the new host. You cannot expect guests to necessarily book with an unknown host.

Advise the new owner to set up their own listing (if you want to can give them access to your photos and copy to use, do so) once the purchase is complete, they can let their listing go live.

The only way around this that I can see is if the new owner blocks out dates from his calendar for existing bookings. You can continue to host these dates from your listing and agree a co-host commission. (you would need to draw up a contract with the new owner to cover this. Of course the risk is if he doesn't maintain the property you could end up getting bad reviews.