I just saw a video on how Airbnb prefers those listings (with Flexible). I’m on strict just because my listing is a vacation one unlike where people go to stay in a city for work or such.
How do you go about it? What’s your opinion on this?
3 properties. All drive to locations.
2 in coastal area moderate. I can usually rebook.
The 1 inland is flexible because the area doesn’t have a special draw like a beach or big city
I was on moderate, but just had a guest cancel a large reservation for next week just before he would have incurred the 50% fee. I changed my policy to strict for the slower winter months because I can’t afford to lose reservations to flaky guests.
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Flexible. For most of the the past 4+ years I’ve been one night, road tripper types and I get lots of last minute (just a few days before the stay and I allow same day bookings). This summer and fall I am getting more 3+ night stays. They still aren’t vacationing, they are in town to visit someone or for work. I still don’t forsee changing my policy.
I would not do Flexible if you paid me. I have no patience with “lookee-loos” who look-book-cancel-and book somewhere else.
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We are live in hosts with 3 rooms we rent out in a Latin American capital.
We are on flexible, because supposedly with flexible you end up higher in the search result. We haven’t experienced real problems.
We recently had one guest who canceled. He made the reservation for 1 night, 1 person, immediately started talking about “WE”, I sent him a change of reservation for 2 persons, he took quite a few days to accept, finally did accept, canceled a week later, with the reservation still one month out. All in all no big deal, but then two weeks later he all of a sudden sent: “Today I do want to stay in your place, do you have a room free?” We had rooms free, but I really didn’t feel like it anymore, so I said “Computer says NO.” 
(I just told him everything was occupied 
.)
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I really want to try this and see if it really brings more bookings but the thought of someone canceling days before for no fee… it’s 10% chance for me to be able to book these days. Seen it before.
Why AB thinks it’s ok when someone canceling so soon and we just need to take it? Frustrating!
I don’t quite understand that. We’re in a resort but I use flexible. I never thought that the location would be important. Why is that?
You can try flexible for a while and change it whenever you wish. See how it goes.
Any reservation booked under flexible will remain flexible if they occur after you make the change to moderate or strict.
The converse is true too: any reservation under strict will stay strict if they cancel unless you over ride it.
For my beach rentals, I think flexible vs. strict doesn’t really affect how many bookings I get, only how far in advance guests are comfortable booking. I think few people are willing to book in January for a July trip to a drive to destination with no chance of refund.
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