This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
You haven’t explained this well. Did these guests cancel less than 5 days before check-in, when you normally should have received 50% based on your policy?
If so, you should read carefully through the updated EC policy, which states that guests can only get refunded if there are travel or lockdown restrictions which make it impossible for the guest to leave where they currently are, or the host is not allowed to host. Or if the guests themselves are sick with COVID.
In both circumstances, documentation supposedly has to be provided. The problem is, that Airbnb can just tell you the guest provided documentation, and you have no way of verifying that.
If they cancelled more than 5 days before check-in, of course you aren’t entitled to get paid no matter what the guest’s reason was.
Out of 6 cancellations before the May 31 deadline on ly one was within 5 days of arrival date. My understanding is it is not only guest but hosts who can be compensated for lost bookings. Also that airbnb had put aside 250 mil for this:
The company will also pay $250 million to hosts to cover the costs of coronavirus cancellations. Specifically, Airbnb will pay hosts 25% of what they would normally receive through their cancellation policies.
And you misunderstood them. Hosts were paid 25% of what they would have received had their cancellation policy been upheld. So for the 5 bookings that were cancelled more than 5 days before check-in, you would not have received anything for cancellations, for whatever reason they were cancelled. Therefore they weren’t eligible for any Airbnb payment.
For the one cancelled less than 5 days before check-in, you should have been paid 25% of what you would have received under your moderate cancellation policy, which is 50% of the booking. 25% of 50% is 12%.
But it’s all a moot point, because that ship sailed long ago.
Its really made me think to switching to strict cancellation policy, have you done that did it negatively affect the amount of reservations ? I’m thinking it might be the way togo for the long term.
I’m in a busy metropolitan area and get 80-90% occupancy under a moderate cancel policy. I would say i get an actual cancellation on 1 out of every 17 bookings on average.
We had a total of 42 cancellations due to Coronavirus prior to May 31st, only one had canceled within the 5 days prior to arrival, so we only got a partial refund for that one.
In total, we’ve had 49 confirmed cancellations due to Coronavirus at one of our listings and 35 at the other listing. That would have been a lot of money to refund us if in fact they were refunding all canceled reservations. I wish!
Yes its made to sound great that hosts are being compensated when infact, they are only get 25% of cancellation fee which is only when they have a strict cancellation poilcy or within the 5 days. So not really supporting the hosts much at all but making it sound like they do, a familiar theme I have found.
Same as the Open homes program, hosts giving their listings for a lower price or for free and Airbnb taking the Kudos. I can’t afford to be a charity and if Airbnb want to give away accommodation, then they can pay for it first!
They are all about “appearances”
