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Some here are skeptical because the written policies don’t make that clear. Even when Airbnb has clear written policies, the CSR often doesn’t know what those policies are. Then the host has to send it to them, message multiple times and so on.
Airbnb needs to tighten up on hosts who cancel on guests but I don’t trust Airbnb to consistently and fairly enforce policies.
That certainly seems to be the intent of the policy. But is that like being assured that parties won’t be tolerated and that Airbnb will be supportive of hosts who boot the offending guests out? Or like being assured that a guest who never showed up or trashed the place will have a review they write removed? How about being assured that AirCover will protect you in case of damages?
Airbnb’s assurances mean absolutely zero, sorry.
As KKC points out, it isn’t the stated intent of the policy that’s at issue, it’s the arbitrary interpretation and decision of some CS rep that is.
So far as both a guest and a host, I’ve been completely well taken care of by ABB Support. My recent guest problem resulted in a $107 refund which satisfied me because I felt listened to regarding the missing amenities. My host problem was similarly resolved, blazing fast, with full reimbursement for guest damage (that guest admitted to).
Photos, receipts, documents really help. They immediately ask for evidence. Get video of a party if you can.
As suggested by others I video the place before the guest checks in, in most cases, to help protect my interests in the event of damage or theft.
Of course many hosts have gotten what they feel is appropriate and good service from Airbnb. But many have not, even when doing exactly the same things you said you did. Everyone’s experiences with CS are anecdotal, not reflective of policies being applied equally to everyone with similar issues.
That’s my point. It’s inconsistent and arbitrary and therefore can’t be trusted.
While there are anecdotal good reports, we have to plan for the worst case scenario such as airbnb providing refunds to guests under “humanitarian grounds” although it goest against the T&Cs. I have lost a lot of money until I started reading this forum and understood that the CSRs can’t be trusted.
Are you aware that when the guest admits to damage, it is usually quickly resolved? When the guest does not, which is often the case, even though it’s evident to the host and from photos that the guest caused the damage, it’s a different story.
And there’s also somethung curious I have noticed over time when reading posts from guests who have been accused of damage. Some guests sound totally believable as far as having a scamming host who tries to charge them for damages they really did not do. I say they sound believable because the type of guests I’m talking about have used Airbnb extensively, have lots of good reviews, and say they have always had good experiences with hosts and places they have stayed. Or they will say that yes, they got a small stain on the sofa, let the host know, and agreed to pay for specialized cleaning, yet the host is trying to collect for an entire new sofa. Yet Airbnb charges those guests for the supposed damage they caused, including a brand new sofa.
In another case, a guest said they were being asked to pay for a throw pillow they supposely burnt a hole in. He posted the photo of the pillow he had been sent by the host, which to me looked like some old ratty throw pillow- it had tassels on the corners, but the tassels had obviously seen better days, one of them was entirely missing. The guest said that they never even saw that pillow anywhere during the stay, that he was there for 2 nights with his wife and 2 young children, that he and his wife don’t smoke and never had or used a lighter or matches at all during the stay, so that they burnt a hole in the pillow was impossible. He wasn’t that upset about what the host was trying to charge him, it was something like $25, but he was distressed about being accused of damage he certainly didn’t do. It really sounded like the host was scamming and sure looked like it from the photo.
But other guests, sometimes newbies with no reviews, are let off the hook, Airbnb refusing the host’s claim.
It almost seems like Airbnb assumes that long established good guests will be more likely to pay to remain a member in good standing.
Bingo. That makes perfect sense.
my thoughts exactly. They certainly are not spending that money on customer service
A friend of mine currently has a “real emergency”. Underneath her house is failing and she have joists repaired. Because of the location, the entire kitchen also needs to be redone. The soonest she can get a contractor is October and she is afraid to wait any longer, because this is structuarly serious. Her out of pocket will be more than $60,000
I have seen the daunting cartwheels that AirBnb is putting her through. They are demanding all sorts of proof. The massive amount of documentation, proof, estimates, time frames, etc. They basically are approaching this by assuming she is lying and needs to prove otherwise.
All this while being judged by a CS in another country and juggling real life.
It is unsettling and overbearing.
That sounds awful. My heart goes out to your friend. May it all end well.
Good luck to your friend. The stress of having to have all that done AND justify yourself is awful.
Here’s an example of CS making a decision that flies in the face of all logic. Guest admitted to leaving water on, it flooded the house, causing extensive damage, the plumber verified that was the cause, and CS says they reject the claim because it wasn’t due to anything the guest did.
https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Host-Circle/water-damages/td-p/1657048
We recently had a guest who had booked one of our busiest weekends of the year, then four days before check-in messaged us to say a tree fell on their house and while they would not be staying their friends would be. Since airbnb doesn’t allow third party bookings I was nervous about continuing with the reservation. Would airbnb cover damages if they happened, would i get penalized for accepting a now third party reservation.
CS was a nightmare. Even though they agreed that it is airbnb’s policy to not allow third party bookings they wanted me to keep the reservation. I’m guessing because we raise our rates significantly for that weekend. I spent a couple hours on the phone with several cs reps and finally got one to send me a message stating that I would not be penalized for continuing with the reservation and that aircover would cover any potential damage.
It was so frustrating to have a cs rep literally say “this does violate our rules, but you should keep the reservation and if you cancel we will penalize you”
Luckily their friends were great guests and it all worked out, but what a hassle.
Oh dear - what did he do? @justMandi
I’ve posted about this new policy elsewhere and most hosts who run their rentals like a hotel didn’t seem to mind it or pointed out the existing search rank related penalty we already incur for cancellations a guest stay. That’s all true, but personally I find it reprehensible, for several reasons:
All in all just really disappointed in the way AirBnB has implemented this policy, one that continues to show their naïveté and lack of concern for host homes as the heart of their solution.
I don’t think they are naive, they simply don’t care. Lack of concern for hosts has been their MO for a long time now, I don’t really expect any different. Sure, sometimes hosts end up feeling they have gotten good service, but it’s no longer Airbnb’s general mode of business to make sure hosts are treated well. They seem to have decided quite awhile ago that we are expendable.
It’s going to be terrible after they implement these policies.
I just got a profitable booking 2x my average rate because another host canceled. The new policy will put an end to this 
If the new policy actually works as intended, it’s much better for all hosts to have hosts who cancel on guests because they got a better offer, etc, be discouraged from doing so. Those cancellations give Airbnb a bad name, which affects all hosts. It’s not all about you and gleefully being able to charge double to guests in dire straits.
I have always booked three months out. Because of the new policy, I’m changing to two months. AirBnB only allows three-month increments, so I have to do this by blocking dates myself on my calendar. I suggested to CS that they allow for two-month increments and she said o good idea, I’ll submit it, but now I’m skeptical that any changes will come about that support our perspective. With two grandchildren nearby and one on the way, I haven’t been paying as much attention to the business end as I should. The comments on this site have helped a lot!
I had a guest recently who booked after a host canceled on her. Christmas time period, so my guess is the host cancelled to make more money.
She said my price was double what she had paid originally. Airbnb did not cover the cost of finding alternate accommodations for her. They only gave her a refund of the original reservation. So it seems like the promise of Airbnb finding and paying for alternate accommodations is empty (like all Airbnb policies).
I took two other bookings in Dec and Jan from guests who had hosts cancel their reservations. It seems like hosts canceling on guests has not changed after this policy. I hope to continue getting last-minute bookings from guests who had reservations canceled by hosts. They are some of the most grateful guests and leave great reviews.
