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!
I had a guest who arrived at my airbnb the beginning of march. they booked for 4 and a bit weeks. about 3/4 way through that time, we went into lockdown over here, so the guests left back overseas they day before the lock down began. its been 2 weeks since, and I just got an email saying they want a refund for the 10 days they didn’t stay.
i thought they chose to leave early out of their own choice, they never canceled their booking when they left, so my calendar was full, I could have rented it to someone else during that time.
I’m positive that Airbnb would’ve refunded them if they had cancelled on or after March 14, but since they didn’t actually cancel, I’m not sure what Airbnb will do.
Anyway, tell them to contact Airbnb for a refund, what you don’t want is to give them a refund and then they petition Airbnb for a refund, and they get double their money back and it comes out of your future payouts from Airbnb, plus if Airbnb handles the refund under their COVID EC policy, then you’ll at least recoup 25% of your money through the $250M host assistance program.
I find it odd that neither you nor the guest thought about those extra 10 days before now. Airbnb may very well call it closed since you’re now 4 days past the end of the reservation.
How could you have rented it to someone else if your area went into lockdown the day after these guests checked out? Or would you have ignored the lockdown orders?
They could have rented it to a medical professional or someone local that needed a place to stay for the lockdown or self quarantine.
They should have cancelled if they wanted a refund.
I generally support refunds for guests even before this covid mess but not if they don’t cancel. Not only did they not cancel their reservation but they waited for 2 weeks to request a refund. Personally, I think they’re taking advantage and would say “no” in this situation.
Sure airbnb could refund anyway but I actually think they may not in this case because the guests didn’t cancel and waited 2 weeks, but they feel like they have to ask the host. Just say no.
Guests with 3.5 week reservation left one week early due to US/CAN border closing. Our Airbnb communication thread documented their reason.
After they were safely home & the reservation ended they contacted Airbnb for a refund. Airbnb issued a refund for the unused stay days based on our Airbnb correspondence
The refund was the right thing. They wanted to stay but our global covid-19 situation prevented it
yes they never cancelled, so i assume they left knowing they would lose the money, not want a refund as well. as ive had others in the past do, if they wanted to travel somewhere else or go home.
yes they never cancelled so i assume they left knowing they would lose the money, not want a refund as well. as ive had others in the past do, that wanted to travel somewhere else or go back home etc…
My guests were probably in their late 70s early 80s and rattled by everything occurring around them
This is an extraordinary time. Also as we get older it is natural that we have trouble handling the unexpected. (I’m 60 and have noticed changes in coping).
From the time of departure to refund request was 10 days. Their first focus was to safely get home and get provisioned for a 2 week isolation.
The normal rules don’t apply any longer to anything. They’ve already asked that we have another rental in 2021.
Treat others as we would like to be treated and try to stay healthy is the best we can do.
Of course. But that includes communication. If I abandon (that’s the legal term) an apartment and don’t cancel the reservation, I don’t expect a refund. Especially if I wait for 2 weeks to ask for it. Yes, there’s a pandemic, but, no, that doesn’t absolve us of individual responsibility. It’s not a free for all.
In normal circumstances, I’d say that guests who only ask for a refund 2 weeks after checking out should not be refunded. But these aren’t normal circumstances. They didn’t leave because they just changed their mind about staying, they left because your area was locking down, there is a serious pandemic, and for all you know, when they got home, they had to go into lockdown mode themselves. So between travelling back to their own home, and possibly get themselves prepared to self-isolate, I could see 2 weeks passing quickly before they thought to ask to be refunded.
Of course, someone could have just said to them “Well, why aren’t you asking for a refund, if you paid for 10 days you didn’t use. I’m sure Airbnb will give it to you, they’re refunding everyone now” , but you don’t really have any way of knowing.
Actually it’s not. I am not the OP. And I agree. It is not a normal circumstance these days and so it is important for everyone to consider others (guests too).
I had a kid book for 3 weeks as the dorms closed at the university. They were stranded.
However, after 9 days, he and his sister decided to make a dash for their country before it locked down. We rooted for them and followed their 3 flight connections across the world until we knew they made it home safely.
He asked me what he should do about the rest of the reservation. I told him just to cancel. And he did, only a few seconds later (it’s not difficult and it doesn’t take long, we all know that I then provided a full refund - not only for the days not spent but actually for the entire reservation. I was grateful to have been able to provide these kids some shelter and was just glad they made their way. So, I am certainly not against refunds.
Then 3 days later, I rented the same apartment to a doctor who desperately needed a place close to the hospital for a couple months. I could only provide him a place because the others had cancelled. There were not really any other options for his particular needs. If I’d had OP’s guests, my calendar would’ve been blocked and unavailable for this doctor.
OP’s guests strike me as selfish to not cancel if they weren’t staying. Someone else may have needed the accommodations. And they seem opportunistic to request a refund 2 weeks later. It is actually faster and easier to cancel a reservation (easily done while loading onto a plane) than it is to request a refund 2 weeks later (especially during a pandemic). It smells to me, that’s all.
I don’t think you owe them a refund for something that is not your fault, especially if your contract states as much. I might have offered them credit but if the lockdown here and back at their home is the same then they had no reason to leave when they did. Really depends on the extenuation circumstances but leaving early does not warranty a refund in my opinion.
This seems like the most likely scenario. They left not expecting a refund or to even ask for one, and they later they heard or read about Airbnb’s extremely lenient cancellations for COVID, so they’re jumping on the train. Based on what @Annet3176 said, Airbnb is likely to refund the unused days. Airbnb may contact you if there is no documentation on Airbnb’s messaging system of when they left.
Greetings:
I am a repeat Airbnb guest with top ratings. We are not out here jumping on any “train” to make money.
Actually, we are the reason Airbnb exists but I have learned through this COVID-19 pandemic that it’s really about making Airbnb and the hosts rich… at our expense.
Honestly?
I’m looking to create a Union of Guests to protect us from all of the terrible things going on around using guests for money and not respecting us or our situations.
Peace.
I then provided a full refund - not only for the days not spent but actually for the entire reservation. I was grateful to have been able to provide these kids some shelter and was just glad they made their way. So, I am certainly not against refunds.