Seeking Guidance & Admin Help: Host Cancellation Fee Due to Honest Mistake and Policy Misunderstanding

[May2564]

Hi fellow hosts and Airbnb team,

I'm writing today to seek some advice and hopefully get the attention of an Airbnb admin regarding a cancellation fee that was recently applied to my account.

I want to start by acknowledging that the initial error was entirely mine. I have a listing that is usually occupied by long-term tenants. After a recent tenant moved out, I unfortunately forgot to block the calendar for a period of necessary renovations, and a guest was able to Instant Book the property while it was uninhabitable.

I messaged the guest, Thomas, within minutes of the booking. In our conversation, which is fully documented in my Airbnb message history for any support staff to review, I explained the situation and apologized sincerely for my mistake.

Here is where my crucial misunderstanding of the policy came in. My listing has a Flexible cancellation policy, which means a guest can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before check-in. Because I knew he would not be financially impacted, I genuinely believed the correct and simplest procedure was to ask the guest to initiate the cancellation. I now understand this is against policy and not the right way to handle things.

The guest was very understanding but correctly suggested that it would be better for me to cancel on my end. Still operating under my mistaken assumption, I explained that I couldn't. Ultimately, the reservation was cancelled by the system, but it was recorded as a cancellation initiated by me, which resulted in the fee.

While I fully support Airbnb's penalties to protect guests, I am hoping an admin can review my case with empathy. This was a genuine scheduling mistake, followed by an honest misunderstanding of the process. The entire exchange is available in my message thread with the guest for full transparency and context.

Any advice on how to best proceed would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time and help.

[Oksana127]

Hi! Here’s how I’d approach this:

-Contact Airbnb Support directly – Explain clearly that this was a genuine mistake and that you acted in good faith. Mention that the guest was understanding and that all communication is documented.

-Request a goodwill review – Ask politely if the cancellation fee can be waived given the circumstances. Highlight that it was an honest scheduling error and a misunderstanding of the cancellation policy.

-Provide full context – Include links/screenshots of your messages with the guest showing your immediate attempt to resolve the issue and your transparency throughout.

-Learn and prevent – For future bookings, block the calendar immediately whenever your property isn’t available, even for renovations. This shows Airbnb you’ve taken steps to avoid repeats, which helps your case.

-Stay calm and professional – Being courteous and factual increases the chances of Airbnb supporting you.

As a Superhost, I’d also add: it happens to the best of us. Showing honesty, documentation, and corrective actions usually works in your favor.

[May2564]

Hi,

Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a thoughtful and detailed reply. As a Superhost, your advice is spot-on, and it's exactly the path I ended up taking. I'm happy to share that the issue is now resolved! An Airbnb case manager reached out shortly after my post and kindly waived the penalty as a one-time exception.

You are absolutely right—honesty and clear documentation made all the difference. It's also very reassuring to hear you say, "it happens to the best of us."

Thanks again for your support and for helping out a fellow host!

[May2564 · Accepted solution]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to post an update and close the loop on this issue.

I'm happy to report that a Senior Case Manager from Airbnb reached out to me after seeing my post. After reviewing the situation, she very kindly agreed to waive the cancellation penalties and refund the fee as a one-time exception.

I'm incredibly grateful to the Airbnb support team for their understanding and quick resolution. This has been a valuable learning experience for me regarding proper cancellation procedures and the absolute importance of keeping my calendar meticulously updated.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to read my post.

[Bhumika]

Thank you so much for sharing this update @May2564 and I am glad to read it got resolved. I am also tagging @Oksana127 so she can view the update. 

Every hosting experience brings its own set of lessons. Were there any insights or takeaways you gained from this particular situation that you’d be open to sharing?

[Joan2709]

@May2564 

So glad you were able to get this resolved.

If you are going to do long term stays, I suggest you TURN OFF Instant Book.

This gives you an opportunity to ask questions and see a potential guest's past reviews before accepting. I would not accept a new guest with no reviews for a long term stay. Having Instant Book on for long term stays is pretty risky.

There are also other platforms that have more protection for Hosts doing 30+ stays including Rental Agreements, Security Deposits and background checks. Airbnb doesn't provide any of these to Hosts who accept long term stays.

Here is a Guide to Monthly Stays on Airbnb that explains some of the pitfalls:

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Host-guides/Monthly-Stays-on-Airbnb-Guide-Revised/m-p/2066547#M2...