I’m a host and have never canceled a guest. But, I need to this once. The booking is 2 months out. I feel bad to do it, but I’ve really got to do it. How bad is the automatic review that Airbnb puts on the listing that says I canceled going to affect my listing? Thanks!
Call Airbnb and have them cancel it for you. Depending on your reason, they might not penalize you. I had to cancel because contractor was running late due to bad weather. Since it was something beyond my control, Airbnb waived the penalty and I did not get that “host cancel…” review.
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Does the reason you need to cancel come under Airbnb’s exceptional circumstances policy? @servicedoc
It’s not that bad, but it can make guests nervous about booking. Do it earlier rather than later, as it usually says “host cancelled this stay X days before arrival” or something to that effect.
I agree with the others - if there’s a reason you could get it waived, call in to Air CS. “Extenuating circumstances”
(I once had a double-booking they cancelled without penalty because it was a unique circumstance. Worth a shot.)
Hi I’ve done that once when I was a brand new host and inexperienced. So what happened is that I lost business and it was very difficult to recover after a year. Your listing won’t be displayed in searches so you’ll get less business. It will last a year. It’s not the end of the world, but this has happened to me. I learned my lesson.
It kinda sounds like you are asking the question to see if it’s really worth cancelling or not? If that’s the case, do you really have to? Would you mind sharing your reason, maybe other hosts here can advise you on whether Airbnb will accept it as penalty free due to as extenuating circumstances.
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Thank you all for your replies.
I just talked with Airbnb and they were absolutely professional, understanding, and helpful. Thankfully, the issue was resolved without any negative consequences. The take-away is that I would highly recommend calling to Airbnb when you need need advice, support, or need help, rather than just go it alone, as I started to. Find out from the source.
Again, thanks community for your support.
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