Which charges is a guest responsible for if they cancel a week before their reservation

[Gail60]

I had a potential guest as me, hypothetically if they cancel within a week, besides the rental amount do they still have to pay the cleaning fee, occupancy tax and service fee.  Personally, I would not expect them to pay the cleaning fee as I wouldn't need to have it cleaned.  I'm assuming the occupancy tax would need to be paid because I would still receive the rental fee.  I'm not sure what Airbnb's policy is on their service fee.   Does anyone know?  Am I on target about the tax and cleaning fee.    Thanks

[David126]

Strict: 50% refund up until 1 week prior to arrival, except fees

• Cleaning fees are always refunded if the guest did not check in.
• The Airbnb service fee is non-refundable.
• Accommodation fees (the total nightly rate you're charged) are refundable in certain circumstances as outlined below.
• If there is a complaint from either party, notice must be given to Airbnb within 24 hours of check-in.
• Airbnb will mediate when necessary, and has the final say in all disputes.
• A reservation is officially canceled when the guest clicks the cancellation button on the cancellation confirmation page, which they can find in Dashboard > Your Trips > Change or Cancel.
• Cancellation policies may be superseded by the Guest Refund Policy, extenuating circumstances, or cancellations by Airbnb for any other reason permitted under the Terms of Service. Please review these exceptions.
• Applicable taxes will be retained and remitted.

7 days prior

[Cynthia-and-Chris1]

@Gail60  You can read more about Airbnb's cancellation policies here:  https://www.airbnb.com/home/cancellation_policies

[Peer-Olaf0]

The occupancy tax is a tricky subject and might be handled differently from location to location. Some places require the renter to submit that tax direclty, at some location AIRBNB is collecting the tax. The logic behind the practice to keep taxes and remit them to the authorities even for cancellations is questionable though. It is not an " income-tax" based on the rental income, but a tax that is due if a foreigner is staying in the community and pays someone for it. To collect this tax with noone visiting the community seems a strange thing. Not sure that AIRBNB is with this in legal grey zone. Otherwise the logic of that tax would be that the "intent to visit" in the from of a reservation is taxable. A tax like this does and should not exist.

I had an example with a stay in Paris were I had to cancel, but still had to pay half the rental fee and the AIRBNB fee. In Paris the Occupancy-Tax is collected by AIRBNB and they did not refund that amount initially. After a couple of emails and contact with customer support they finally agreed to refund the tax and refund the booking fee on top of it - more or less as an apology.