I would keep the cancellation fee but offer them a discount when they rebook with you in the future. This way, everyone wins and you’re sort of guaranteed another booking.
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No. The host’s “cost” for a strict refund policy is all the bookings the host did not receive. That is, all the potential guests that did NOT book because they wanted more flexibility.
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I know what you mean about PC and I agree that women do seem to think differently about these sorts of things overall. I’m female and am in the refund camp.
Also not PC, I’d like a poll on how many people ID as followers of some religion that adheres to the golden rule: treat others the way you want to be treated. I’m most familiar with the western tradition represented in the Bible and it seems to me that teachings about this weren’t separated into “act this way when it’s a business, and act this way when it’s personal.”
People who say it’s fine to keep someone’s money even though they didn’t lose any money and didn’t provide any accomodation remind me of my high schoolers who thought it was fine to keep things they found, like a wallet. “Finders keepers, losers weepers.” I try to understand but can’t.
It’s a crazy world.
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I have flexible cancellation as my contribution to “nice-guyness” (speaking as a cis female here), but also as a recognition I’m competing with local hotels.
I would not refund. The guests chose to accept the cancellation terms. They were free to seek out other lodging. Akin to picking a cancel anytime hotel rate or a no cancellation lower hotel rate.
It’s my side business, so I treat it as a business. I even charge family members outside of immediate family a low good buddy rate to stay in my Airbnb, in order to stay under the 14 day limit on private use and not lose expense deductions. It also seems to have a good psychological effect of them not feeling they should do something in exchange and is easier than arranging to buy me dinner or picking up groceries or whatever else they would do to help out. Of course I feed them and take them touring and all that. Your family may operate differently and you may think this is appalling!
My do-goodery is expressed via other means.
Whether the whole private-property, capitalist system should be dismantled is a bigger topic for discussion!
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This…we as adults must decide our personal ethics & values. Ethical doesn’t mean act one way personally; act another way because “it’s business”.
Trivia for the day: Many years ago, I took a college class about religions of the world. There was a lively discussion about the golden rule (or close variation) being part of almost every religion.
As I said earlier, this host wasn’t really inconvenienced by the cancellation & rebooked quickly so refund. If there had been no rebooking stick to the policy. It’s how I would want to be treated.
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But in this case the host managed to rebook the dates quickly. So the host hasn’t lost any money.
I had this happen. I would have been happy to refund but they never asked.They Cancelled never said why and I never asked. I’ve given back guests their money on every occasions one ladies car broke down and couldn’t make it for 2 days. I was very understanding.
Generally if the guest is nice about it and I am able to rebook I refund all but 1 night. That is basically the hassle tax. Guests are always grateful as my cancellation policy is strict…
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No, the “loss” with the strict policy are the bookings you never received at all. The blank days that may have been filled had you not had the strict policy. I have already “lost” money in advance of this guest. I have the strict cancellation policy on my listings. I understand and accept that many people will not book my places because they need more flexibility than my policy offers. I accept that trade off for the security of the strict policy.
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I don’t have a problem with refunding for a cancellation. The reason for this is that I can remember only very few instances when I couldn’t fill the vacant spots.
The guest who cancelled with you chose you once - if they believe that you’re being gracious in refunding then they might book with you again or recommend you to friends and colleagues.
Most times I’ve filled the vacancy but once or twice a day has been missing. For example, the original guest booked for 7 days starting on the 7th - the replacement guest booked for six days starting on the 8th. That’s fine - I can use that day for overdue maintenance.
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You didn’t seem to understand my post that you responded to. The OP on this thread had the cancelled dates rebooked almost immediately. They didn’t "lose"anything except however much time it took dealing with the original booking.
I never suggested that hosts with strict policies refund guests in contravention of the policy if they are unable to rebook the dates that were cancelled.
I think @DeirdreTours has an excellent point and I don’t think she missed yours at all! The losses she mentions are a bit less tangible but not less real.
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Ah, I understand what she meant now, thanks for pointing it out. That some guests won’t book at all if a place has a strict policy.
But that wasn’t the subject of this thread. The question is whether to refund if the dates get rebooked.
To my mind, that has nothing to do with guests perhaps shying away from booking a place with a strict policy.
Individual guests aren’t responsible for a host’s choice to have a strict policy and the possible effect that has on bookings in general.
So it doesn’t sound like an excellent point to me, it sounds like a rationalization for the ethics of getting paid twice for the same dates’ booking.
Which isn’t a judgement on my part- it isn’t up to me to dictate what others feel is ethical or how they choose to run their business.
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Good grief! 
…yeah, it’s totally judgy.
No, it isn’t. It’s the way I see things and would handle things myself. I don’t expect everyone else to agree or see things the way I do and that doesn’t make them a bad person in my eyes.
If it did, that would be judgemental.
I notice that hosts who are of the “never refund a cancellation” mindset get very prickly if anyone mentions that wouldn’t sit well with their own ethics. Stating how I view things isn’t an attack on others who don’t hold the same point of view.
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The OP asked for opinions. My opinion includes my judgements. No one here has said “the host shall behave this way or be judged to be unethical”.
As requested we’ve shared refund or not & why.
As long as we hosts are abiding by our published rules then ok. If we want to be a bit more giving, that’s ok too
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I am proud of who I see in the mirror. A businessman who puts his family’s needs first. A person who actually believes that a contract is your word and should be honored.
RR
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No one knows that intangible cost. The host chooses the cancellation policy. If it deters guests from booking that is a host decision and risk to make/take.
If the host chooses flexible and guests book who cancel last minute, again host risk & decision to make.
Personally I will not book anywhere with a strict policy which is my choice as a guest. I don’t intend to cancel but life can be unpredictable.
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Your choice to make.
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@Annet3176 I’ve not yet travelled as a guest, but back when I first listed in 2016, I decided on a moderate cancellation policy, which I’ve kept with no real problems, because I tried to put myself in the place of a guest and thought like you- unavoidable things can happen.
And I’ve only ever once had a cancellation to late to rebook, and got paid the 50%.
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