Issues with guests requesting refunds due to needing to cancel

[Stephanie2354]

Hello, 

It seems like recently I have had multiple guests ask for a refund for a trip they had to cancel after the trip had started. None of these were due to issues with our place but rather the guest having a conflict and needing to cancel. Our current policies are set to Moderate for short term stays and Firm for long term stays. In addition, sometimes the guest is able to leave a review, and I am afraid they will leave a negative review if I do not allow the refund. I also feel guilty telling them no, but it has become frequent enough that if I keep allowing refunds outside of our cancellation policy, it is starting to really affect our income. Any suggestions on advice or how you handle these situations would be appreciated! 

Thanks, 

Stephanie 

[Joan2709]

@Stephanie2354 

Well...it depends on the reason for the cancellation for most Hosts. If it is a family issue or medical emergency:

Some will provide a refund for the days cancelled

Some will offer a discount on a future stay 

Some will offer to refund them if the Host is able to rebook the dates 

Some will NOT provide a refund, as the guest could have purchased travel insurance which would have covered them in most cases

In any event, a long term stay is difficult to rebook and involves a large sum. Short term stays don't involve the same amount of money. You could also offer the non-refundable option to guests, but we have found the guests will make up stuff in order to get Airbnb to refund them once they realize they can't cancel and get a refund.

I usually caution new Hosts to do everything they can to avoid a negative review. You have over 100 reviews, so a negative review can be absorbed. 

You'll have to decide which options works best for you and how much risk you are willing to take.