Is this new? AirBnB tells me "Guest no longer needs accommodations for" dates of their inquiry - Question is answered

I had someone ask me a week ago about staying for less than my maximum in next years’ high season, and I told them “no” - politely, of course.

So this afternoon, I get a note from AirBnB that they “no longer need accommodations”. That means they [presumably] booked someone else - but I’ve never gotten this notification before. Is this new?

I’ve seen it when a guest did a request to book then booked a different listing before I accepted the their booking

This was definitely just an inquiry.

@PitonView, that message comes up when a guest sends an inquiry, does NOT ask to book, and then books another place through Airbnb for the dates that the guest requested from you.

This has been around for at least 2 years.

1 Like

I’ve never seen it before. We don’t get a lot of inquiries or bookings through Air, so I guess I should not be surprised.

I’ve been sent this on several occasions, after saying “no” to an enquiry for certain dates. I’ve often wondered if it’s Air trying to make me feel guilty.

What’s that saying? “Just because you’re paranoid, it doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.”

2 Likes

I’ve gotten it, most recently from a guest who inquired instead of IB. It was a same day inquiry and I told her the room would be ready after 4 pm. A while later I got this message. I appreciate knowing they aren’t going to be booking my place. It could even be that they cancelled their request without booking anywhere?

I get it a few times, I have IB, I assume they booked elsewhere.

It’s definitely not new. I’ve had it a few times but not very often. Mind you, I use IB.

@KKC
I think you are right. It can be if they just cancel the request regardless of whether they book a different place.

So it seems booking requests or inquiries cancelled either because the guest was “just looking” or has booked another rental, this message goes to the host.

As a guest, you have an option to let the potential host know you booked another place. It offers you an option to send this kind of message.

1 Like

@Inna, are you saying that the guest has to deliberately send this notification? If so, then I am happy I turned down their request for a stay below my minimum. It was a group of 30-ish women looking for a birthday party place in the highest of high seasons for us, and they asked for 5 nights instead of my minimum 7. If I had said yes, I would almost assuredly have lost around $1500 US in revenue, because it’s almost impossible to book only two nights in our area in high season.
If she did this on purpose, then she was probably being petty and trying to make me upset that I lost her business. it didn’t work.

I had a request to book yesterday, as opposed to an inquiry. As per usual, he hadn’t read the listing/HRs. and they were bringing an 8 yr old. I responded with a polite not possible in my message, including reasons, which he graciously understood, and without my clicking on approve/decline. I then received several messages on various gadgets, flashing in red, from Air saying that these dates would remain blocked on my calendar until I declined. So damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Then I remembered the “Guest no longer needs accommodation for…”, so I messaged the person again, asking politely if he could withdraw his request as my calendar was blocked until he did so. Well, the “Guest no longer…” message came through at speed, with the request now cancelled. I can’t be sure if he did cancel, or the message came through because he booked elsewhere, but the blackmailing blocking of calendars like this seems new.

Yes, after you books somewhere else, there is an option “Do you want to notify other hosts that you no longer need accommodation for these days?” or something like that. People sometimes do it in order to be petty, but I’m always choosing it so that the host wouldn’t count on me anymore and I would save him a job of sending me a message, asking me if I’m still interested (some hosts do so, especially newbies who are desperate for some first-time bookings).

1 Like

In that case, I’m all for the pettiness; bring it on! I can move on with an unblocked calendar.

1 Like

I’ve used it as a guest and I definitely wasn’t being petty – I was trying to ensure the host knew I had booked elsewhere as a courtesy…seemed easy to just click yes and then I didn’t have to worry about writing another message to the hosts I had been talking to.

1 Like

It’s annoying. In the past I’ve responded “lol” Now that I know it’s a choice the inquirer makes, I’ll make sure that lol is my default response every time.

You aren’t even kidding are you? LOL.