This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
Just had a text msg from Airbnb that guest wants to change reservation from tomorrow to 3 weeks later, to include twice the number of days. Asks that I log in to approve or decline. When I log in, and go to inbox on lh side, the message gives guest name and states change request sent. Clicking onto that brings me to the message thread with guest where current message reads simply, “alteration request”, which is not clickable as no link is available. Underneath that is a box - “Type a Message” and that is it- i.e., NO option box to accept or decline!
I am suspicious that guest want to avoid penalties for cancelling current reservation by booking what seems a longer reservation for a later date and then cancelling the new one a week or more before arrival. I would like to decline the change but offer to make a full refund if those days get booked, but on condition that payout would be after that new booking has completed. To do this I would have to ask guest to cancel current booking in order to free up calendar.
If I do not respond at all then Airbnb will penalize me, but as I do not have the option of accept/decline maybe I should message that we decline the change, as that way at least we have responded.
We have been Airbnb hosts for many years, but there is always something new but the new thing here is Airbnb site not showing the accept decline box. Anyone else run into this?
as I normally have done. Just a week ago we had a booking inquiry to which I was able to accept or decline and message in normal way. I am not going to call airbnb and waste time getting frustrated but will advise guest to contact them.
This was my response to guest
Hello (Guest name)
Airbnb have sent message as follows: " (Guest name) would like to alter Airbnb reservation to Apr 25 - Apr 30. Please log in to accept or decline." On logging in, there is no option box to Accept/Decline. Only option is to send message which this is:
Sorry the dates booked will no longer work for you. Please log on to Airbnb and cancel that booking as that will free up our calendar. If we then get a new booking for those dates we would be happy to refund you two days after that new guest’s completion and departure.
In the event that we are not successful in that, please feel free to book your new dates from Apr 25 to 28th and we will let you stay for 28- 30 for no charge. In that way you would not lose anything.
As soon as we receive your new booking we will block our calendar for the following 2 days (28-30).
We want to be fair and reasonable do not think we can be fairer than that.
Personally I can see no reason for you to offer them two free days they are the ones wanting to make a last minute change without even having the courtesy to let you know why they needed to make the change.
I would just have suggested they cancel if they can’t travel this weekend and you will refund if you get a replacement booking.
And suggested they send a new booking request for the dates they want.
This is mostly likely a way for the guest to change their reservation in the future so that they can cancel and get a full refund. I do not allow changes to reservations after the date when my cancellation fee pays out 50 percent.
FYI - last week I accepted a reservation that had no way to message the guest via the airbnb platform and the guest was not replying to text messages nor phone calls. CS said that it was an engineering issue and sent it to get repaired. I had CS cancel the reservation because I couldn’t reach them, there was no info after I accepted and the profile pix was a Ferris wheel.
And in regards to the change of dates, as I mentioned above, it’s a know scam to get a full refund but I think you know this. I too had a recent reservation that wanted to modify their reservation and I declined, they also refused to provide me with info required in my house rules. I too offered that if they cancelled and I rebooked I would give them what I made from the booking (excluding fees) and also told them they would get back their cleaning fee. Well he never cancelled and his reservation has come and gone and I got the full amount.
Good luck. It’s been a weird few weeks for me with guests.
Have had response from guest claiming that they never tried to change anything and plan on arriving per the original booking. This could have been an Airbnb glitch.
We had a bad one about 3 years ago when Airnnb cancelled all our bookings and then claimed that it was us who had done so. Found out that a lot of other hosts across the world had a similar experience. Never did get an apology nor reimbursement for what we lost through their supposed “glitch”. All they did was remove the penalties and restore our superhost status. However, I will not respond further to that issue. If you want more on that just look it up. Our experience as hosts have been negative as it is never their fault and guests are always right even when proved wrong. If these guests turn up as scheduled we will never know the truth.
BTW the message originally came through on my Android text. I logged into PC Windows 11 to Airbnb on Microsoft browser and saw the same message there on inbox to the right was the date centered and below that “Alteration Request” which was not a link. I therefore sent guest my message thru Airbnb message system.
You don’t have to accept or decline a change request, you can just ignore it, unless you want to accept it.
If you do nothing then there will be no change. There is no penalty. Neither hosts nor guests are obligated to do anything at all with a change request. It is not the same as a reservation request.
