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I’m wondering if anyone can help. I am a live in host and I have a couple more reservations at the end of May and in the middle of June. I’ve been asked to travel for work and it’ll be an extended trip over the dates those guests would be here. Normally I’d just leave the key in my lock box but I’ll be unable to come home in between guests to clean for them and due to the demands of my job I won’t be available if they have any problems during their stay. I’m single so no spouse to help, no other family nearby and not really sure how to honor these. I have tried asking friends who are close by to do me a favor even for pay but people have vacation plans & other obligations so they can’t help.
I don’t see anything like this under extenuating circumstances however.
Do you think they’d count this as one and if yes, would a letter from my employer suffice as evidence? I’d only need 2 guests cancelled, otherwise my calendar was blocked for another reason (thankfully).
Any superhosts nearby that could fill in for those two guests? I think there is a spot on AirBNB’s website to locate one who is interested in being a co-host.
No, business travel is not considered an extenuating circumstance. Here is a link to the extenuating circumstances policy. You could hire housecleaners to come between your guests.
I think it is much too risky having guests in your shared space while you are away, especially since you will be unavailable to assist even in an emergency and you don’t have anyone to call who could step in.
With a guest-turnover situation, how would you know which guest did what (removed items, caused damage, flooding, etc.). All in all, not a good idea.
Is there a similar listing to yours where you could convince your two prospective guests to make a switch or voluntarily find some other accommodation? I would give up the cost of the service fee, or whatever would have the least impact on my listing stats.
The issue I have here is I’m a live in host. If I won’t be there how do I know they haven’t taken any items out of my house with them, gone into off limits areas like my office, bedroom etc?
I have antique doorknobs but no keys to keep people out but when I’m present it does. So it’s not so simple as lock them out of off limits rooms.
I cannot afford a cleaner for in between - if I did that I’d have to increase my cleaning fee to $100 per guest. Already looked into hiring.
Well, if you completely cancel them you’d make no money at all, so for these 2 it may be worth it. But there’s also the risk factor that money can’t cover. I too would contact them and tell them the situation and ask them to cancel and fully refund them. They won’t lose the Air fees and it doesn’t hurt them the way it hurts hosts.
I did not but I called Airbnb and they had to open a case about it. Now I have to wait on a return phone call.
I did want to ask the guests to cancel but only if I can send them compensation above their usual refund and when I tried to do that in the resolution center to test if it was possible, it wasn’t. So the only option was to call Air.
OK so Air called me back. I have now e-mailed them my job’s offer letter as proof of extenuating circumstance (turns out they were willing to call it that). I should hear from them again tomorrow about whether or not they have approved the cancellations.
I will know about future work trips with enough notice to block my calendar, but these guests booked back in January and February before I was hired at my job at the end of March. Such is life. I am going to lose SuperHost on July 1 regardless because of a cancellation I made from the host end that also fell during this time period - but I cancelled that one for a different reason unrelated to work. So I will still be “penalized” in the end for having to do this anyway.
They can’t consider it an extenuating circumstance but they will waive host cancellation penalty fees for me. I’m now trying to find out if Air will cancel them or if I should. I’m happy with this resolution.
