my host asked me to cancel

[Jessica3692]

Hello I booked for mid-July to end July, The price was a great price.

My host asked me to cancel that the summer rates have not registered yet. meaning he wants to rebook it for more money?

I've already booked my flight and rental, and I don't' know what to do?

[Martin3344]

@Jessica3692

There is no reason for you to cancel your booking if you don't wish to do so. The host is only asking you to make the cancellation to suit his own purposes and to avoid damage to himself by doing so.

If he no longer wishes to have your booking he is free to cancel it himself. However he will then incur a penalty charge from Airbnb and a highlight of the cancellation will be visible in the reviews to other potential guests. This will make him appear unreliable as a host and thereby potentially deter future bookings from guests who won't want to find themselves in the same position as yourself. That is why he is asking you to put through the cancellation instead rather than by him, in order to avoid these penalties.

You have done nothing wrong so there is no reason to make things easier for him when he is going to mess you about in this way and you have made your booking with him in good faith. He may well still cancel on you and take the hit, in which case I'm afraid that you will then need to find alternative accommodation. However he may decide that the cancellation penalties are not worth paying and he will allow your booking to stand.

[Robin4]

@Jessica3692 

Jessica, do not under any circumstance cancel this booking yourself. 

We hosts hate unscrupulous hosts who will cancel confirmed bookings to chase the better price they should have declared in their listing when you booked.

Firstly Jessica keep all communication with this host in the Airbnb message stream! As much as he will try to influence you privately only respond through the message stream so there is a record of it!

Hosts who do this need to be punished! This host possibly knows he can  get away with a penalty free cancellation under certain circumstances and may try to use that if you refuse to cancel. Whatever, the reservation now becomes uncomfortable for both you and the host.

If the host insists that you cancel, get onto Airbnb and tell them the host is pressuring you to cancel so he can rebook his property at a higher price.

Tell them as much as you wanted to stay, flights are booked and you are committed to travel but, this host has put you in an uncomfortable position where the stay, if it proceeds, is going to be very stressful and ask if they can relocate you to another property at the hosts expense because the host is breaking Airbnb's rules. 

They won't do that of course Jessica but,  they may put the reservation cancellation obligation back on the host, put it through as a host cancellation and give you a 10% relocation bonus.

Good luck with this Jess, we feel sorry for you, this should not happen and Airbnb do try the utmost to look after guests. If you need any further help let us know. We can't affect  Airbnb programming but as a group we can offer advice.

Cheers........Rob

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Jessica3692 I think you need to get Airbnb to get Airbnb to confirm with the host that they will honour the booking. The last thing you need is to get there in high season and find there is nowhere to stay.