Guest Cancells After Check-In on Airbnb [Explained]

Not only are cancellations by guests after check-in disheartening but also bad for your business. While cancellations before check-in are common, dealing with a post-check-in cancellation presents its unique challenges.

For example, you might need to argue your case on Airbnb’s Resolution Center, which can be draining and time-consuming.

Luckily Airbnb provides several cancellation policies that you can use to handle such cases.

This article looks at different ways to navigate post-check-in cancellations so you can part ways with your guest amicably. Let’s get into it.

What Is Airbnb Cancellation?

Airbnb cancellation is the process of canceling a reservation. Airbnb provides different cancellation policies which will dictate the amount you receive after the cancellation.

In addition, you part with a cancellation fee depending on the length of stay and when you confirmed your cancellation.

There are many reasons why a guest can initiate a cancellation after check-in. They include health issues, natural disasters, and financial issues.

Whichever the case, Airbnb provides several policies with which you can deal with cancellation.

What Causes a Guest to Cancel a Booking After Check-In?

There are many reasons that can cause a guest to cancel their booking. They include the following:

Host’s Unresponsiveness

If you don’t communicate with your guest regularly, they might decide to cancel their booking after checking.

Ideally, a guest wants to feel at home far from home. Not answering their questions promptly or guiding them on how to use specific items can increase their cancellation chances.

Unsafe And Unclean Property

Well, nobody wants to spend a night in an unclean or unsafe property. If a guest checks in and finds your property untidy, they may request a refund.

Likewise, if the property increases their chances of contracting diseases, they might as well ask for a refund.

Wrong Property Description

If you want to increase cancellation rates on your listings, giving the wrong property description is a sure bet. As you’d expect, claiming a property has a deck while it’s just a veranda is a turnoff.

How Do You Deal with Guests Who Cancel After Check-In?

To part ways with your guest amicably, you can use the following tips:

Check Your Cancellation Policy

Your cancellation policy will determine how much the guest will pay when canceling their booking after check-in.

If anything, the guest will have to pay for the first night and any additional fees. If possible, communicate this to your guest when they are making a booking.

Contact The Guest

When the guest cancels their reservation after check-in, you need to contact them immediately. Seek to understand their reason and communicate to them the consequences.

If they have legitimate reasons, make sure to find common ground. For example, you may allow them to reschedule their stay or refund half the amount. While at it, make sure to consult your cancellation policy.

Once you find a way forward, request the guest to vacate the listing for others to make a booking.

Follow Airbnb Guidelines

If, unfortunately, you don’t reach an agreement or the guest ignores your messages, you must follow Airbnb’s guidelines. They help to resolve the issue quickly without many hiccups.

Ideally, Airbnb will often favor the host when the guest cancels after a check-in. As such, you’ll receive the whole booking fee. Otherwise, Airbnb will find common ground to see who is at fault.

Document The Process

While most guests overlook documenting everything during such as situation, it is crucial to do so, especially when you need to file a dispute with Airbnb.

Keep a record of the conversation between you and the host. You can also include images and videos of the property.

What rights do you have if a guest cancels after check-in?

• Ideally, you should receive payment for the first night’s stay and any applicable cleaning fees. The guests should also pay for any night spent.
• The guest should vacate the listing.
• The host can claim damages from the guest.

How Can You Protect Yourself from Airbnb Cancellation by Guests After Check-In?

So, how can you reduce cancellations? Let’s find out.

Choose The Ideal Cancellation Policy

First, you need to choose a policy that will allow you to get a refund when the guest cancels after check-in. If you want to be lenient with your guests, the flexible policy may be your ideal choice.

That said, it may increase the chances of cancellations. On the other hand, you can choose the strict cancellation policy if you want better protection. The downside, not many people will book your listing.

Screen Your Guests

Before accepting a booking, screen the guest to see if they are a good fit. Go through their profile, reviews, and ask them questions. This will also help you gauge whether they are likely to cancel their booking after check-in.

If something feels off, request additional information such as reasons for traveling and the number of guests.

To unnecessary conflicts with guests, you can use the Instant Book feature, which allows you to set specific requirements such as a government ID.

Communicate With the Guests

If you accept their booking, communicate with them regularly. For example, you can answer their questions, inform them of any changes to your listing, and let them know you appreciate their booking.

This will help build trust with the guest, mitigating the chances of cancellation.

Be Flexible

If the guest decides to cancel their booking, be flexible and try to offer a suitable solution. As mentioned, you can allow them to reschedule their booking.

Such acts of kindness can cause the guest to book your listing in the future.

How Can You Cancel a Booking After Checking-In as A Guest?

You need to first communicate with the host. Message them through the Airbnb app, stating the reasons for your cancellation.

If the host finds your reasons viable, they may initiate a full or partial refund, depending on their cancellation policy. Remember you have to pay a penalty if your reasons are not extenuating circumstances.

When To Involve the Airbnb Customer Support Team

You can contact Airbnb’s customer support team if you are unable to reach an agreement with the guest. If their decision does not satisfy you, you can appeal it to Airbnb’s Resolution Center.

The Resolution Center is a platform where the guest and the host can negotiate a solution without Airbnb’s input. If you are unable to find a solution at this stage, you’ll proceed to arbitration.

The arbitrator will make a final decision, which cannot be appealed.

Conclusion

Airbnb cancellation by guests after check-in can be a time-consuming issue, especially if you don’t have the right cancellation policy.

Fortunately, all policies allow you to get a cut of the booking fees if a guest cancels after check-in. While rightly so, you don’t want to be dealing with cancellations often.

As such, make sure to choose the right cancellation policy. Also, screen your guests before accepting their bookings. If the cancellation after check-in is inevitable, contact the guest, get to know the reasons, and find a solution.

This way, there’ll be a higher chance of the guest leaving a positive review and booking your listing in the future.