What to do to avoid last minute cancellation

[Prashant98]

What if my property has a maintenance issue and I have to cancel a guests booking last minute. If the guests have booked well in advance it can disrupt their plans. What could be the other practical solution to avoid a cancellation and possibly also avoid a bad review from the guest?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Prashant98 if it is a true maintenance emergency then call Airbnb and ask for an extenuating circumstances cancellation. You might need to provide proof of the issue that has happened.

Depending on what the issue is you can also ask the guest if they still want to stay for a discounted rate.

[Alicia753]

Hi @Prashant98 

I hope these recommendations help. Facing a maintenance issue that might lead to a last-minute cancellation of a guest's booking is challenging, especially when the booking was made well in advance. To handle this effectively and avoid both cancellation and a negative review, you may consider these. 

1. Make sure that you have Prompt Communication with your guests, if a maintenance issue arises, inform your guests as soon as possible. Transparency is key.
2. Alternative Accommodations: If the issue can't be resolved in time, consider arranging alternative accommodations for your guests. This could be another property you own or manage, or a partnership with local hosts or hotels. 

3. As a gesture of goodwill, offer a partial refund or a discount. This can help alleviate the inconvenience caused to your guests.

4. Proactively offer your assistance to your guest, such as assisting your guests in finding another Airbnb listing even if we know that Airbnb will provide rebooking to guest. The guest will feel that as their Host we show that we care and value them. 😊