I want to cancel a reservation

[Madelaine37]

Hi,

I am a host/ owner and I have a renter coming in April. She just asked if we had smoke detectors. I was reading her reviews and they are all good, but 10 years a go she left smoke smell in the place she stayed.

I mentioned the apt and building are smoke free and she said they were not smokers. I don't think I trusted her answer. Should I cancel her. I have air conditions in bedrooms and it would be awful she smoked in the rooms

[Shelley159]

Hosts should only cancel in extreme circumstances @Madelaine37 

1) You'll be fined by Airbnb 

2) The dates will remain blocked on your calendar

3) If only 1% of bookings are cancelled you don't qualify for Superhost

4) It will hurt your listing in the search results

At the moment your listing is also at a disadvantage because the smoke detector and CO alarm amenities have strikethroughs on your main page:

If I were you, I would buy a combination CO/Smoke alarm online (they're not very expensive) and update the amenities list. Then message the guest and let her know that, following her concern about the absence of an alarm, you have now bought one.

You could also place a no-smoking sign in the listing (even if it's just for this guest) if you feel you want to empahsise the rule more.

[Joelle43]

Hello @Shelley159 

That strike through on the carbon monoxide sign is a pet peeve of mine because even if you don't have any gas fittings and you have ticked that one isn't required in the amenities section, when you go onto my listing for example, the first thing guests see on that first page of amenities, they see that strike through as if I haven't installed one through negligence. 

Why waste that all important space to show an amenity that doesn't apply rather than show something that IS offered!  I really find that frustrating and potentially creates doubt in a guest when they see that strike through on my listing page.

OK rant over!  Have a nice weekend
Joëlle

[Shelley159]

Yes @Joelle43 I can relate as I also don't have to have the alarms.

But as you say the strikethrough looks negative, and some of us suspect the algorithm may prefer listings with these alarms.

I have no gas and no relevant regulations, but I noticed US guests showing up with small portable alarms (I know this because twice the alarms were left behind and had to be sent on to the next Airbnb 😀).

I ended up buying battery powered alarms so (1) I could tick the boxes, (2) guests from countries where they're common could relax, and (3) maybe it helps a bit for search rank.

They're affordable on Amazon etc., just a pain to remember to keep checking the batteries before they run out. (Because I'm not used to them, one of mine did once wake a guest at 3am with a low battery alarm 🙈)

[Joelle43]

Well that's really interesting @Shelley159 to know that guests are arriving with their own portable smoke detectors and shows that it is a real concern for them.  

I am also surprised to hear that they are not mandatory in South Africa but having said that, they are mandatory here in France and yet am always shocked to see the amount of listings that have this life saving equipment not supplied!  The battery run ones are not expensive but as you say, you have to be rigorous on changing the battery every year but you've learned that the hard way😃

In some parts of Europe, you have to have smoke detectors connected to the main electricity supply and that must be a considerable cost to the host compared to a battery run one so I won't complain about having to produce one for nearly every room and I'm surprised it's not mandatory everywhere to be honest.

[Christine2602]

@Joelle43 

Il n'y a pas que le gaz mais aussi Les poêles à bois ou à fuel, Les cheminées...

[Joelle43]

Oui on est d'accord @Christine2602 mais à partir du moment où l'hôte indique à Airbnb en cochant la case qu'il n y a ni gaz, ni cheminées etc dans le logement, pourquoi voir cette mention barrée sur l'annonce?  Ou au moins indiquer qu'un détecteur n'est pas requis pour ce logement? C'est un point "négatif" comme le dit @Shelley159 et mal perçu par le voyageur.  Je trouve dommage de mettre en porte-à-faux un hôte de cette façon par principe.

En ce qui concerne l'alarme incendie, il est obligatoire depuis 2015 d'en avoir dans toutes les habitations en France et je suis choquée du nombre d'annonces où cet équipement est barré et je pense qu'il faudrait vraiment faire des contrôles à ce niveau là.  

C'est de notre responsabilité d'assurer que nos voyageurs soient en sécurité dans un logement accueillant du public, tout comme un hôtel donc je suis pour un renforcement des mesures de sécurité pas contre😉

[Emiel1]

If you cancel, Airbnb will penalize you with a fee and block the dates.

But that can be waived by Airbnb when specific conditions are met.

One is : "Proof that a guest intends to break one of the house rules"

I think there is no "proof" yet, only fear.....

So maybe ask Aibnb if they are willing to cancel the booking penalty free.

More to read:

Canceling a reservation as a host without adverse consequences:

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2022

@Madelaine37

[Paula]

Hello @Madelaine37, thank you for sharing this in the community.

Two experienced hosts have shared their opinions. Did you finally decide to cancel this reservation yourself, or did you end up contacting the support team?

Please keep us posted.

[Madelaine37]

@Paula I decided not to cancel and trust she was telling the truth when she said they are non smokers

[Tara0]

---

@Madelaine37 wrote:

Hi,

I am a host/ owner and I have a renter coming in April. She just asked if we had smoke detectors. I was reading her reviews and they are all good, but 10 years a go she left smoke smell in the place she stayed.

I mentioned the apt and building are smoke free and she said they were not smokers. I don't think I trusted her answer. Should I cancel her. I have air conditions in bedrooms and it would be awful she smoked in the rooms

---

I  would guess that her question is more likely a safety concern than about whether she thinks she can get away with smoking at your place - cigarette smoke doesn't set off smoke detectors. 

10 years ago she left a 'smoke smell'. She could easily have stopped smoking since then, and all her reviews are good. I wouldn't worry.

Certainly, I wouldn't cancel. It's the worst thing a host can do. Your listing will plunge to the bottom of search results. 

Install smoke alarms. Install a CO alarm if you have any gas appliances. This is crucial - it's the law here in the UK, maybe not in USA? 

[Madelaine37]

Thank you for your answer. I decided not to cancel. I don't have anything gas and smoke detectors are not law in PR. She says her mom carries one of the place don't have it. I've never heard of this before

[Christine2602]

@Madelaine37 

Même si ce n'est pas obligatoire, c'est une sécurité essentielle à mon avis.

Le site en proposait gratuitement à une période, j'en ai eu un  . 

_______________________________________________________________________
 
Google Translation added by Community Manager:  

Even though it’s not compulsory, in my opinion it’s an essential safety measure.
The website offered them for free for a while, so I managed to get one.
Christine
Good humour is contagious. 

[Tara0]

@Madelaine37  I'd be surprised if smoke alarms are not mandatory in USA rental properties. They are life-saving if a house fire occurs in the night when you're asleep. You need to install them even if non-mandatory. Also check your short let insurance, as most likely you need them to protect yourself against public liability claims.