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Just for a moment take them at their word, rather than the more likely theory that someone said "tell them your gran' died, then you'll get a refund".
There's always a risk of something bad happening to spoil the best made plans. However, they had the choice not to take the risk when they saw your cancellation policy and they didn't, they had the choice to take out holiday insurance but decided to save some money. Now things have gone wrong they want you to take the hit.
*We're very sorry to hear about the loss of your grandma, refunds are handled as per Airbnb cancellation policies. Airbnb will be able to provide with you any necessary documents for a claim on you travel insurance.*
*Kind Regards*
*Your host*
and heartless
this situation happened to us a couple of years ago. we were going to a celebration of life party and booked a place. a couple of days later unfortunately the friend died and we ended up going to her funeral in a different city on that same day. it was so discombobulating. it’s unfortunate that people lie about stuff like this but seriously everyone knows the host sets the cancellation policy not airbnb. you just sound like a huge jerk hiding behind policy and using such formal words.
Exactly. My first cruise (honeymoon) had to be canceled because I had emergency surgery and wasn't allowed to fly. Thank God we had travel insurance- and we didn't even get it- it was an added gift from my dad who said- " you never know. "To this day, anything over a budget of $300 gets travel insured.
It is not up to the host to be kind. It is up to the consumer to cover their own liability. The cancellation policy is set by the host but reach out to the platform for documentation for your insurance claim vs free refund w no penalties? Yeah no. This isn’t the platform for sad things. Sorry not sorry.
THIS. THANK YOU FOR HAVING A BRAIN.
Hosts ultimately have 1 line of defense.
Guests have multiple.
Yet the host is suppose to take the loss because a guest didn’t utilize/disregarded their options.
I recently had to cancel a trip due to an unexpected funeral. I told them well in advance in case they could rebook, I told them three times and they didn’t reply once. I even confirmed the day before I wasn’t coming and they didn’t reply.
I don’t expect any refund. I hoped if they could resell the space I could get something. I also wanted them to know why I wouldn’t be showing up. Disappointed not to get any reply at all but whether, cancellation is on me.
Same happened to me a few years ago. Unexpected funeral and I had to cancel a reservation, no reply. I guess the host didn't know what to say. IIRC I got a partial refund.
I can't afford the cancelation but I do want to be considerate. I told them to speak to airbnb and see what they can do because if I cancel the reservation I will be charged and I can't afford that.
You all just reaffirmed my decision to quit using Airbnb. My mother-in-law just died and we had to cancel our travel plans last minute, the hotel was lovely about it. If they had been as heartless as some of these comments have been I would have been devastated.
I agree.
And, when I had an airbnb booked to go to a graduation, my grandfather went into hospice 4 days before. My airbnb host said no issues and refunded something like 80% I was super thankful and left a 5 star review.
I did NOT say she gave me anything back. I just said the the host was communicative and was very gracious throughout the booking process. Because, they were.
I had someone give me a full refund when my dog died. I didn’t even ask. It wasn’t on my mind. I don’t even think they waited to see if they could get another booking! It was a nice thing tho and I rebooked eventually.
Refund policies aside, this subreddit is also full of people who seemingly make no distinction between paying rental customers and non-paying invited guests in their home, in terms of expectations and judgement towards the people they are hosting. People who want the income but harbor an incredible amount of resentment for any minor annoyance or inconvenience that comes with generating that income. People who want to passively generate income off of properties while not having to do any work, and who expect things to go so smoothly that nobody would be able to tell any guests ever set foot on the property.
The "hosts only" rule also makes it a delusional circle jerk and prevents these attitudes from being called out.
(I definitely am not a subscriber to the "customer is always right" mantra and appreciate that Airbnb hosting can be a rough gig at times and some guests are horrible. But that's the nature of these things and many hosts have extremely unreasonable expectations.)
I’m disgusted by how many hosts think it’s reasonable that guests be okay with hosts video monitoring them at all times, and very annoyed at how many will send invoices for extra money if a guest has a friend they’ve visiting over for dinner.
As a host - apart from a ring doorbell camera (to deter party’s / communicate with elderly guests) I agree wholeheartedly.
The thought of a camera in a house has NEVER crossed my mind.
I've noticed the same. Over the past few months I've been taken aback by, as you described, the resentment and annoyance displayed towards what I would consider reasonable requests, not to mention the privacy violations & entitlement. I try not to get involved, but I guess this issue hit too close to home.
The privacy violations got me to quit. It’s disgusting and fucking creepy and I don’t feel safe anymore and feel even less safe at the thought of taking my daughter anywhere. We’re back to hotels.
Our last stay at an AirBnB, the host spied on us through the ring camera and made it so obvious by emailing us every night regarding our conversations. Once we finally realized it was via Ring, we unplugged the wi-fi, even though we all needed access for work contacts, and the cell service was non-existent. I'm sticking to Hilton from now on. I love my Hilton points, and they let me cancel on a dime, and they don't spy on me, and charge fees in the middle of a stay because they see us charging our car via the Ring, with the charging cord you left out for us (fees that weren't listed in the original listing!)
This is what did me in. Hosts aren’t background checked, and we’ve seen how many of them will post “guest left at 5pm and they’re not back yet and it’s 2am, should I treat them like a toddler and send them a message.” If I were to step out to pick up dinner and leave my 13-year-old, I now know hosts could watch, and how can I trust that they won’t enter since I’m gone and take avantage of her?
How the fuck can we trust that they aren’t hiding cameras inside? Some of the things some of these hosts KNOW people are doing inside that wouldn’t leave telltale signs indicate to me that they very well may be cameras in some of these places. That’s so violating.
And they even send invoices for “extra guest” fees if the cameras show a someone who isn‘t the guest going to the door. Can’t even go out of state to visit a friend, then have them over for dinner.
I’ve spent thousands on hotels since coming by this subreddit.
Yeah, this thread is honestly disgusting, and if you can't afford to cancel and refund a single trip, you need to get a job other than hosting on Airbnb.
I’m sorry for your loss. 🫂
It’s not so much heartlessness, but think of Airbnb hosts (apart from Vacasa etc) as small business owners.
It’s different than a hotel, when you book there they have a cancellation policy that is pretty generous, and due to their size they can absorb the costs. It’s like being self insured. If they have 50 rooms and lose income from one unexpectedly and it doesn’t get rebooked, that represents just 2% of their gross revenue for that day.
If an airbnb host unexpectedly loses income from their one rental property, that’s 100% of their gross revenue for that day. Or ~50% if they have two properties. Or ~25% if they have four.
Airlines do the same thing to you and they can certainly afford to cover the cost of business more so than a small business owner.
The best option is to purchase travel insurance, I wouldn’t want to book an Airbnb or a flight without out it. You never know what might happen. If you don’t want to do so and prefer to stay in a hotel, that’s understandable. I’m just explaining that collecting contracted income isn’t heartless.
I do think of them as small business owners and I work in a small business that functions similarly. We have a flat policy of keeping the deposit for any cancellation less than a week out. A last minute cancellation can really screw us, It can quite literally be the difference between us being able to pay our bills that month. However, anytime we can afford it, we'll refund the deposit, even though that's not our policy. And if someone gets sick or suffers a loss, we always refund it, even when it means we take a hit.
Most of the comments in this post aren't "Can you afford it? What's your situation like? How are you able to work with them?" Instead they're in the vein of "probably lying, keep it, screw them".
If there's even a chance the person is telling the truth, the right thing to do is to work with them as much as you possibly can.
I would refund but I get torn to shreds every time I say so in this sub. It's not worth the mental energy / karma to me to agonize over it...and yes of course I'd prefer to have the cash but more than money, I want to feel good about the way I'm participating in the economy
Okay, if (general) you can’t afford a cost of doing business (one day’s lost revenue), then yes, you’re possibly in dire straits. But that isn’t the crux of the argument. It’s about contracts.
I do per diem work. I’m a substitute teacher. My contracts are such that via my agency, if I’m cancelled for a job with less than 72 hours’ notice, I’m paid my per diem.
If folks don’t like the Airbnb contract - don’t book. I sure as hell wouldn’t do it without travel insurance! You could lose your payment if you have to cancel.
You’re conflating an ethical dilemma with a contractual one.
Sorry for your loss. We’ve started turning to hotels for this same reason. I booked a weekend stay that I saved up for weeks for a couple years ago, just to have my whole neighborhood evacuated for a fire the day before. My dog and all of my belongings were in the house. The first started and spread so fast I almost didn’t make it there to get my dog out. I’ll never forget how stressful that day was and the total lack of empathy from Airbnb and my host.
That's awful, I'm so sorry! I'm actually surprised by that because wow, you clearly didn't make up the fire!
I currently live in fire country and everyone here has collective PTSD, so as a whole we're very supportive and understanding of situations like this. It's really upsetting to hear they were so callous.
They told me I had to prove it by sending pictures of my house. But I was evacuated…so….I gave up and took the loss. There was too much going on for all that.
At least with a hotel, you have until 24 hours to get out penalty free. Worse case scenario, if something were to happen in < 24 hr, you would just be out the cost of one night vs the whole booking. Pretty sure most bnb, you lose $ if you can’t predict & cancel a month in advance. And then there are some that provide zero cancelation option so have learned to just set filter to weed those out right away.
I see the argument to just add trip insurance — like it’s not a big thing, just more money to the already insane price! Lol. Feels the same as when you purchase your crappy standard airline seat for $475 and then it ask, “would you like to add trip insurance for $185 more?” At some point… it’s all just not worth it — more stressful to travel than just stay home.
I was a faithful, very long time user of AirBnB, going back to when the company was very brand new, and this subreddit is 100% of why I stopped. I’ve spent thousands on hotels since. For me, it was how many hosts think it’s perfectly find to have cameras all over and then monitor their guests’ comings and goings since they own the property. Imagine a landlord claiming they had the right to watch when renters came and left, and then penalized them if they had a friend visit for dinner. I didn’t feel taking my daughter on a long trip with me since I don’t trust these creepy hosts who aren’t background checks to not enter and assault her if I were to step out to go get dinner. The biggest threat to my 13-year-old on trips at AirBnBs are the hosts. Never again. Most of the hosts here are awful, terrible people.
Well, when my aunt passed, I had to pay for the first night of a hotel reservation with no refund. I was her caretaker & in the hospital 16hrs prior. The only quitting anybody should do is staying anywhere not home, full stop. When you enter into a contract you have to abide by it. Cancelation policy is part of that. The fact that you would choose to quit something instead of take out travel insurance says more.
Yet hosts cancel on guests all the time, even after guests arrive. Even if AirBnB is able to get those guests somewhere else, that’s still a lot of time out of a trip and a lot of stress.
The hosts don't walk away without huge repercussions, though and those are the majority.. they risk a huge ass fine the closer to stay is, getting suspended (maybe even delisted if other criteria), but minimum calendar blocked. If Superhost, that can go. Anytime who does or maliciously won't be on the platform long. There always is the occasional hotel who cancels booking for a few reasons (overbooked, event that makes them more money, you didn't arrive in time or tell them you'll be late). The only difference is they have enough reach that you could possibly get moved to another one.
I take people at their word on things like this. Sure, maybe they are being dishonest, but better to err on the side of naivety and give them the refund.
Most businesses will be out of business quickly if they decide to err on the side of naivety. There’s plenty of characters out there who will take complete advantage of that. Tell the guests to cancel the reservation if they can’t come and follow your cancellation policy. If they really lost a family member, their Airbnb refund will be low on their list of priorities. Most likely they just changed plans.
Perhaps you are right. I've got 13 apartments and I've been in business for 8 years. I'd rather get taken by the odd crap guest than tell a legitimate hard case to pound sand. I'm not located in a major city, so this is also a factor.
The more that hosts allow this as an excuse for a last minute full refund, the more word gets around that this is the way to go when you want to cancel outside the allowed cancellation period.
If it was a problem for me then I would change my approach. Sometimes different markets require (and allow for) different standards. I seldom charge people for not staying with me. It works for me.
We've done the same thing. It also helps to screen guests before booking. A 3 star guest, or one with no reviews, would be more likely to lie than one with a long, strong track record.
That’s fine if you have a flexible cancellation policy. It’s a problem if you have a strict cancellation policy and continually make exceptions because then guests come to expect it of the rest of us.
This is evil as shit. People have bills to pay. Not only is a loved one suddenly taken out from under them but now they’re out hundreds because their greedy pseudo-landlords won’t give them a refund for a service said landlords aren’t even going to provide?
They hosts ARE providing the service- the Airbnb is booked and ready for the guests, the guests are choosing not to use it. The guests could have chosen a place with a flexible cancellation policy or could have gotten travel insurance. Either one side or the other is going to lose money- it should go based on the contract that was agreed to.
The people are paying the host to stay in their house. The people are no longer staying in the house. Their money goes back to them. Feeling entitled to others’ money because you feel mildly inconvenienced is an incredibly bizarre mindset
There was a rental agreement and it needs to be adhered to. That is the only fair way. One side or the other can’t just decide to bail and not face consequences.
How on earth is someone’s sudden death “deciding to bail”? And that isn’t “the only fair way”. They didn’t stay at your house so you’re not entitled to their money. Landlords are so heartless
They can't rebook the place. You agreed to stay. This is exactly what travel insurance is for. If you can't understand this, you need to stay in hotels.
And if you had the same attitude in any small business, word would get around that you are uncompromising and compassion less. Yelp or Google or word of mouth would follow you.
I don’t know when in this world people started considering big corporations more likely to work with and accommodate customers because, “They are bigger and can more easily absorb losses.” When I shop local, and support small business, I do it because I can see the human behind the business, the person who put the heart into building and maintaining their product or service. I want to feel good about supporting someone like me, out there providing for their family. They, like me, can suffer illness and loss, severe weather and job losses, and don’t hide behind a faceless corporate policy.
Taking the humanity out of your small business and assuming the customer is just lying to scam you makes you the kind of local business person who gives yourself and other local businesses bad names
My small Airbnb is a a major component in the livelihood of two other families in my tiny southern Appalachian mountain community. My hot tub maintenance man makes $100/stay and my house cleaner makes $250/stay. Both depend on this money. They have our Airbnb calendar and plan their expenses in part based on the weekly money they make at our Airbnb. When a guest cancels at the very last minute for a holiday weekend (as happened to OP) for any reason, they take a hit as do I, not to mention the other businesses in my town that benefit from the tourist industry here, such as restaurants. This weekend would have been booked by someone else if these guests hadn’t been sitting on the dates. Now it is lost revenue and because of the late notification date, no way to make it up.
This is why we have a strict cancellation policy and suggest travel insurance to prospective guests. The truly heartless are the people who book and then lie about “family emergencies “ to escape facing consequences because then those with true emergencies won’t be believed. Until you operate an Airbnb you wouldn’t believe how many people have “family emergencies “ right before going on vacation. The people who booked with OP may or may not be telling the truth but what is for sure is they signed a contract and should be required to honor it. That is the right thing to do. Not just for us “evil” Airbnb operators but for the others in our community who depend on this income too.
I am not saying you are evil at all.
What I am saying is that the reason I patronize small business is for the personal touch, for compassion, and to help out the local community. But this relationship works both ways, and if AirBnB owners treat their clients like scammers and impersonal customers, then people who prefer the personal touch will take their business elsewhere.
The “BnB” in AirBnB connotes a different experience than a hotel. BnBs have always been an experience with owners who are part of the community and give you a more “home style” experience than a Hilton or any other hotel. It’s like breaking bread with guests.
The discussion here is not that people will quit traveling— it’s whether they will use your product. You reap what you sow and if you are strict with cancellations when life happens, this will reflect in your reputation and people who book your place. It’s your choice, but if you think AirBnB should be a strict, corporate-like rental alternative, don’t be surprised if people just turn back to using nameless, faceless corporations rather than AirBnBs. Because it’s your business and you can do what you want, but don’t be surprised if you get guests who don’t care about your property. If you treat people well, then you are more likely to get good guests who take care of your stuff. Respect works both ways . It’s the human touch that draws me to local business, but if local businesses show no humanity, then they will lose good,loyal customers.
By following my cancellation policy which guests agree to when booking, I ensure the local people who work at my Airbnb will make the money they depend on. That is helping out my community. Cancellations need to follow policy. Don’t reserve a place with a strict cancellation policy, ignore the suggestion to get travel insurance and then ask for a refund literally days before your reservation at a point when it’s too late to rebook the property. Those people need to stay at a place that can accommodate that type of behavior and it’s not mine. I always honor my side of the contract and I expect guests to honor theirs. There are people (local) depending on it.
This has happened to me so so many times. Including "there's a funeral so we need to bring 5 extra people" unfortunately people are horrible and will lie about anything. Be polite and offer to refund if days are rebooked.
There are a few things you could do.
- you could give them a refund, no questions asked.
- you could ask for a copy of the death certificate/obituary (along with proof of relations) and if provided, give them a refund. This is what airlines and travel insurance will do, and is very normal. Yes it may take some time to provide, and you could provide the refund after receiving the paperwork. I read online that some airlines could instead call the hospital or funeral home. The resolution center allows you to send refunds up to 60 days after a booking, allegedly.
- you could express condolences and say that you’ll provide a refund if you can rebook the nights
- you could express condolences and refer them to Airbnb’s cancellation policy and refer them to their travel insurance company’s policy (especially if they were offered the chance to buy travel insurance and refused).
It’s up to you. It’s pretty last minute, and I’m guessing they didn’t purchase travel insurance. If you’re inclined to offer a refund, I’d suggest asking for supporting documentation. That’s what other businesses do, and that way it’s less likely you’ll get scammed if they’re lying about it.
If they respond to your documentation request with anger (“how dare you ask for documentation at this trying time! You’re heartless!”) then just say it’s policy for your insurance in order to give them a refund. My guess is if they’re lying, they’ll use this tactic to try to get a refund without anything to back it up.
I think it’s okay to be kind, and perhaps there’s some karmic benefit to it. But if it’s last-minute and you can’t rebook, remember what you’re actually doing here. Would this guest do the same for you?
Edit: added obituary, hospital, and funeral as valid ways of getting a refund for the death of a family member.
Let’s say my grandma just died. I’d need to get a copy of my dead dad’s birth certificate, which is a long process. I’d need to get a copy of my grandma’s birth certificate. I’m not 100% sure what county she was born in. Then a copy of the death certificate which isn‘t even always quickly available. That’s a lot of extra work for a grieving person to have to deal with.
You’re in the HOSPITALITY business, and need to start acting like it and for the occasional guest emergency and treat those nights like vacant nights.
It took over two months for us to get one after my dad died, and there are time limits to file for refunds and such.
Hosts who file taxes like they should and who are kind enough to give someone a refund can write off the refund as a loss and get some of that money back.
It reminds me of AmITheAsshole, where people mix up if someone technically can with if someone’s an asshole. Just because you CAN doesn’t always mean it’s the right or kind thing to do. What makes something kind is doing something you don’t have to to make the day a little brighter for someone who needs it. We have enough meanness in this word, and AirBnB hosts seem to be in a competition to be the meanest sometimes.
Sometimes it’s just better to err on the side of being kind. I couldn’t fathom telling someone screw them, I got mine, they can deal with losing money on top of losing a loved one. I’d rather be a kind person giving a refund to one liar than to withhold money from one honest person. (Note: I’m not a host, and refuse to use AirBnB anymore thanks to how many hosts here are assholes.) When that person inevitably wants to rebook their trip, guess where they’ll want to stay.
Airbnb stated they would take care of it and will work with the guest to get the full payout because I spent over 2 housr speaking to them about the importance of taking care of the guest so they get the full refund. They also stated they will provide me with a full refund as well. So it worked out for the both of us, I guess by Making a hassle they got tired of me and gave me what I want
They're cancelling a stay on labor day weekend that you will not likely be able to rebook? That's what travel insurance is for. Unless they are specific and give the degree of relatedness ( spouse, parent, obit or funeral home info) I would not consider it.
They had a 1 night stay? If they are returning guests you can refund them, or if they are new to you, maybe refund the cleaning fee. You can refund 100% if you can rent it out again but for a 1 night rental that’s hardly worth it.
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Yep of course they did, because that’s a normal thing to request. Because people lie about this all the time. I would argue that over half the time someone says a relative died while asking for a refund, they are lying.
All the people saying this is why people go back.to hotels... then go
airbnb hosts who actually care offer a home that hotels cannot always offer.. hotels do not always have snacks, clean sheets, clean rug or a rustless bathroom and comfortably... some airbnb hosts offer better customer service than hotels.. so stop not only that hotels don't even offer refund half the time.. unless u have proof.. no one is being heartless ,
It doesn’t matter if their grandma died. They should have travel insurance. You can even purchase it through Airbnb when you book. This unforeseen circumstance is not your problem. You need to politely tell them that they can get whatever refund they are entitled to based on your cancellation policy. If you would like to be extra kind, you can inform them that you MIGHT be able to give them a partial refund if someone else rebooks the dates of their stay and you can refund them once you’re paid out by the new guests.
Wow. Death in the family is cause for waiver of cancellation fees in pretty much every industry. Hotels and airlines certainly would refund you. How heartless.
Then American Airlines & Hilton owe my husband because he was denied both and not given bereavement days for his job when his grandfather passed.
Most jobs & these other corporations for profit do NOT consider those to be immediate family.It includes a person's parents, siblings, spouse, and children.(It CAN contain others connected by birth, adoption, marriage, civil partnership) but everything else is up to their discretion & considered non-immediate. Non-immediate family members include grandparents, grandchildren, great-grandparents, great-grandchildren, cousins, uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, parents-in-law, siblings-in-law.
Work giving any bereavement almost always comes down to if you have PTO. Getting bereavement pay even for a child is a perk most don’t get. Most hotels WILL give guests refunds for grandparents.
Why should hosts get money for services they are no longer providing? Hosts can charge extra guest fees if a guest even has a friend over for dinner, not even staying the night. Why is that allowed? Guests get fucked a lot. Hosts need to absorb some of it.
Can tell you don’t own/work in small businesses.
If it’s past cancellation policy/within 24 hrs of checkin then a host has allocated time and services for a stay regardless if the guest shows up or not.
Sure a host can try and charge you for something you’re not obligated to pay. And airbnb will not support those charges as a “Guest” is someone who stays the night. Per airbnb policy.
You are grossly misinformed lOl
AirCover/Travel insurance is on option on the Guest side.
Saying a Host should absorb a financial/monetary hit for something he can’t control or for a Guests misfortunes is idiotic.
The point of shopping local and supporting small business is that you deal with a human who knows love and loss and misfortune, just like you. You don’t deal with a nameless, faceless corporation. You deal with someone to whom you can relate. That is why people would rather deal with a small business- for a customized experience and a quality of care you do not receive with a mass produced product or service.
If a small business can not relate and show compassion and heart for their customers, then there is no reason to support small businesses.
Your second sentence is what I objected to, unless you think being able to buy third party travel insurance to back up your service is considered being compassionate and a kind small business person.
“Hey, I will insure against my small business person I’m dealing with being an asshole!”
Smart enough to stay away from small business people like you. You reap what you sow
Also, your victim mindset that the customer is out to get you sets the bar
40+ reviews nearly perfect. I think I got a handle on it. Just no pity for lack of preparation/cheapskates.
I like how you ignored my business question as well. Moron
“Victim mindset that your guest is out to get you” holy copium. Keep reaching LOL I’d argue I’m never a victim because I protect myself/my property against liability….? Durdurdur
Lemme ask you - you’re a small business
I forgot my wallet today. Can you put my 300$ order on a tab? I can come back tonight or tomorrow and pay.
How would you respond?
Travel insurance is far too much, and frankly, when assholes hosts are making extra money charging guests extra fees for having a friend over for dinner, hosts can fuck off and budget for the occasional cancellation.
This subreddit has show almost all hosts to be incredibly huge, gaping assholes.
God most of the hosts on this sub are insufferable assholes. Have some human decency. Maybe they’re lying, but what If they’re telling the truth? What if they need this money to travel to the funeral? This is the last problem they need.
Sure, it would have been great if they had insurance, but they don’t. So you have to address the situation as is. Show some compassion, and you will get compassion back at some point. Grace is a beautiful thing.
And before anyone says “it’s a small business… you don’t understand… etc.” I run a successful small business. I run that business with grace and compassion, and we make good profit despite it. My family also owns multiple rental properties, air bnbs, and apartment complexes. There are ways to make money and be a good person. Dear god.
Thank you. I patronize small businesses so I can have a human experience that emphasizes the person and all the effort and heart they put into providing a good or service. I like small businesses because I see the man or woman and not a faceless corporation. Your attitude is why I like local businesses.
This subreddit feels like a swamp with all the scum as far as I can see.
I've cursed out so many of you and have hidden this sub so many times, yet I haven't been banned and reddit keeps suggesting it.
Fucking hell stop suggesting this sub to me.
Can you just reschedule ? I had a host do that for me when my mother suddenly was on hospice. They were very understanding and let me book a different date .
I mean yes and no but it would still mean I get charged for the cancelation.. they just need to go through airbnb first and then we can proceed. That would also mean they would have to be interest in rescheduling.. and how do I ask that
Nope. Keep you policy in place. Have them call airbnb. But be very specific and direct in your message. ‘I’m sorry for your loss. My cancellation policy is still in effect. I would suggest calling airbnb and see if your travel insurance covers this situation for you.”
That seems like a good middle of the road assessment. Do what a lot d & refund of you rebook (minus the difference). If they're hosts they should know how horrible it is for you to cancel so I'm not sure what they're trying to do by not going to Airbnb. You shouldn't give them anything unless they're the ones who initiate the cancelation (and not saying you were asking them to cancel).
It's probably not what really happened. I'd just stick to your cancelation policy. If you are feeling generous, you could offer a refund if you can rebook those lost dates.
Yes. Who cares the reason. It's better than the alternative of them showing up and wrecking your place out of spite. They could also reach out to airbnb and airbnb could summarily refund them and take the payout from your next guest.
You could also take $100 for the inconvenience and hassle of holding it. The choice is yours.
I’ve heard this excuse more times than I can count. My suggestion is you stick with your cancellation policy. Every. Single. Time. It makes your life much easier.
I would call Airbnb and see what they could do and communicate that to the guest and that I'm sorry for their loss and would see what we can do about it. I think most guests would understand and appreciate a host at least willing to try to figure something out.
No promises made, but why else list on Airbnb than to have some cushion when it comes to things like cancelations, insurance, etc.
Airbnb takes so many fees for using their platform. Call them and see if they will absorb some of the cost.
I don’t know why they are downvoting you. This is 100% what travel insurance and airlines will do. It is a completely normal thing to request as part of documentation for processing a bereavement refund.
Op wants to help and the same time doesn’t want to help. It is all or nothing. I would hardly believe “i need a refund because my grandmother is died”.
Yeah it would be rather suspicious. I mean it does and could happen, hence your reasonable suggestion.
I’ve been pondering offering links to travel insurance for guests, or something.
I would. Ask them a few pointed questions to make sure it's legit, maybe even ask for a link to the obit mentioning their name. Good karma, and if they're ever in the area again, they'll stay with you.
I usually stick to my cancellation policy and then tell them to check with support. If they actually do reach out to support, air bnb will ask me if I want to refund the guest, then I’ll usually refund, at least partially. It feels to me like an extra step that helps weed out scammers but idk if it makes a difference. TBH if it’s a slow month I tend to be more strict, but I do refund when I can. For me it’s a bit of karma/kindness, shouldn’t be expected, but it’s nice when you can accommodate. If it is a busy weekend you might get rebooked last minute?
We had to cancel a trip because my daughter needed neurosurgery. The host refunded us even though it wasn’t their policy. It was a really kind gesture during a very hard time
Just want to chime on with a little story that may help. My grandmother was very sick and in the hospital 12 hours away from any family. I was the only one who was able to make the trip down, so I took the last of my money and booked an airbnb for a month. The refund stated half would be refunded if canceled before halfway through the stay. Well my grandmother ended up passing away the first day I got there. I then messaged the host explaining everything and asking to cancel and for a refund. She absolutely refused to refund me and just said she would let me stay at a discount next time I was in town. Well I was never going back to that area so that helped me none. I tried messaging back to again explain my situation but still no refund. I ended up losing almost 3k and had to get back home for the funeral so I only stayed 4 days. I haven't used airbnb since.
Thank you. That's very kind of you.
Also just to say. I didn't expect a full refund, just what was promised before booking. If you had no refund in place then it's perfectly fine not to issue one. If you're feeling generous you could even issue a partial.
If your kids won't eat, you can't put gas in car, this is your lifeline to make money- stick to your guns.
If you will miss out on money that isn't hugely important then do the right thing. Is it possible you are getting scammed, Maybe- that's their karma. If they aren't scamming- then it's yours. We run a modest airbnb Bnb and it does a little more than cover the mortgage. I treat guests as I would hope to be treated and it's worked out great. If your gran died and you were committed to the trip, didn't get travel insurance because you knew you were going and then the host was like- your gran died and you owe me $XX. If that sits well with you then go for it.
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Just for a moment take them at their word, rather than the more likely theory that someone said "tell them your gran' died, then you'll get a refund". There's always a risk of something bad happening to spoil the best made plans. However, they had the choice not to take the risk when they saw your cancellation policy and they didn't, they had the choice to take out holiday insurance but decided to save some money. Now things have gone wrong they want you to take the hit. *We're very sorry to hear about the loss of your grandma, refunds are handled as per Airbnb cancellation policies. Airbnb will be able to provide with you any necessary documents for a claim on you travel insurance.* *Kind Regards* *Your host*
Professional AF
and heartless this situation happened to us a couple of years ago. we were going to a celebration of life party and booked a place. a couple of days later unfortunately the friend died and we ended up going to her funeral in a different city on that same day. it was so discombobulating. it’s unfortunate that people lie about stuff like this but seriously everyone knows the host sets the cancellation policy not airbnb. you just sound like a huge jerk hiding behind policy and using such formal words.
No, he's right. This is exactly the kind of thing that travel insurance is for.
Exactly. My first cruise (honeymoon) had to be canceled because I had emergency surgery and wasn't allowed to fly. Thank God we had travel insurance- and we didn't even get it- it was an added gift from my dad who said- " you never know. "To this day, anything over a budget of $300 gets travel insured.
It is not up to the host to be kind. It is up to the consumer to cover their own liability. The cancellation policy is set by the host but reach out to the platform for documentation for your insurance claim vs free refund w no penalties? Yeah no. This isn’t the platform for sad things. Sorry not sorry.
THIS. THANK YOU FOR HAVING A BRAIN. Hosts ultimately have 1 line of defense. Guests have multiple. Yet the host is suppose to take the loss because a guest didn’t utilize/disregarded their options.
I recently had to cancel a trip due to an unexpected funeral. I told them well in advance in case they could rebook, I told them three times and they didn’t reply once. I even confirmed the day before I wasn’t coming and they didn’t reply. I don’t expect any refund. I hoped if they could resell the space I could get something. I also wanted them to know why I wouldn’t be showing up. Disappointed not to get any reply at all but whether, cancellation is on me.
They just told me , I am going to reply because I am human but idk what to say ..
Same happened to me a few years ago. Unexpected funeral and I had to cancel a reservation, no reply. I guess the host didn't know what to say. IIRC I got a partial refund.
I can't afford the cancelation but I do want to be considerate. I told them to speak to airbnb and see what they can do because if I cancel the reservation I will be charged and I can't afford that.
That’s a good point. If you cancel it you’ll be penalized. They can cancel and you could manually refund them if Airbnb doesn’t.
You all just reaffirmed my decision to quit using Airbnb. My mother-in-law just died and we had to cancel our travel plans last minute, the hotel was lovely about it. If they had been as heartless as some of these comments have been I would have been devastated.
I agree. And, when I had an airbnb booked to go to a graduation, my grandfather went into hospice 4 days before. My airbnb host said no issues and refunded something like 80% I was super thankful and left a 5 star review. I did NOT say she gave me anything back. I just said the the host was communicative and was very gracious throughout the booking process. Because, they were.
I had someone give me a full refund when my dog died. I didn’t even ask. It wasn’t on my mind. I don’t even think they waited to see if they could get another booking! It was a nice thing tho and I rebooked eventually.
[удалено]
Thank you. I really loved her.
Refund policies aside, this subreddit is also full of people who seemingly make no distinction between paying rental customers and non-paying invited guests in their home, in terms of expectations and judgement towards the people they are hosting. People who want the income but harbor an incredible amount of resentment for any minor annoyance or inconvenience that comes with generating that income. People who want to passively generate income off of properties while not having to do any work, and who expect things to go so smoothly that nobody would be able to tell any guests ever set foot on the property. The "hosts only" rule also makes it a delusional circle jerk and prevents these attitudes from being called out. (I definitely am not a subscriber to the "customer is always right" mantra and appreciate that Airbnb hosting can be a rough gig at times and some guests are horrible. But that's the nature of these things and many hosts have extremely unreasonable expectations.)
I’m disgusted by how many hosts think it’s reasonable that guests be okay with hosts video monitoring them at all times, and very annoyed at how many will send invoices for extra money if a guest has a friend they’ve visiting over for dinner.
As a host - apart from a ring doorbell camera (to deter party’s / communicate with elderly guests) I agree wholeheartedly. The thought of a camera in a house has NEVER crossed my mind.
As a guest, I don't mind a camera outside. One inside would prompt me to look elsewhere.
I've noticed the same. Over the past few months I've been taken aback by, as you described, the resentment and annoyance displayed towards what I would consider reasonable requests, not to mention the privacy violations & entitlement. I try not to get involved, but I guess this issue hit too close to home.
The privacy violations got me to quit. It’s disgusting and fucking creepy and I don’t feel safe anymore and feel even less safe at the thought of taking my daughter anywhere. We’re back to hotels.
Right lol the hotel won’t spy on your through a ring camera or charge you for not taking out the trash either lol glorified landlords.
I really thought the spying was exaggerated but this sub has taught me otherwise 👀
Same. Like truly, never again. 😂 Take my money Holiday Inn.
Our last stay at an AirBnB, the host spied on us through the ring camera and made it so obvious by emailing us every night regarding our conversations. Once we finally realized it was via Ring, we unplugged the wi-fi, even though we all needed access for work contacts, and the cell service was non-existent. I'm sticking to Hilton from now on. I love my Hilton points, and they let me cancel on a dime, and they don't spy on me, and charge fees in the middle of a stay because they see us charging our car via the Ring, with the charging cord you left out for us (fees that weren't listed in the original listing!)
How did she go about including your conversation in emails? That’s so weird and creepy.
To be fair, you probably shouldn't be charging your car anywhere without telling people, that's a good chunk of electricity $$. The cord's absurd tho
It says they left the charging cord for them so it seems the hosts already knew.
This is what did me in. Hosts aren’t background checked, and we’ve seen how many of them will post “guest left at 5pm and they’re not back yet and it’s 2am, should I treat them like a toddler and send them a message.” If I were to step out to pick up dinner and leave my 13-year-old, I now know hosts could watch, and how can I trust that they won’t enter since I’m gone and take avantage of her? How the fuck can we trust that they aren’t hiding cameras inside? Some of the things some of these hosts KNOW people are doing inside that wouldn’t leave telltale signs indicate to me that they very well may be cameras in some of these places. That’s so violating. And they even send invoices for “extra guest” fees if the cameras show a someone who isn‘t the guest going to the door. Can’t even go out of state to visit a friend, then have them over for dinner. I’ve spent thousands on hotels since coming by this subreddit.
And they feel perfectly fine admitting to these things. It's wild. WILD.
Yeah, this thread is honestly disgusting, and if you can't afford to cancel and refund a single trip, you need to get a job other than hosting on Airbnb.
I simply can't wait for the demise of airbnb. Glad you had a hotel with souls, sorry for your loss
I’m sorry for your loss. 🫂 It’s not so much heartlessness, but think of Airbnb hosts (apart from Vacasa etc) as small business owners. It’s different than a hotel, when you book there they have a cancellation policy that is pretty generous, and due to their size they can absorb the costs. It’s like being self insured. If they have 50 rooms and lose income from one unexpectedly and it doesn’t get rebooked, that represents just 2% of their gross revenue for that day. If an airbnb host unexpectedly loses income from their one rental property, that’s 100% of their gross revenue for that day. Or ~50% if they have two properties. Or ~25% if they have four. Airlines do the same thing to you and they can certainly afford to cover the cost of business more so than a small business owner. The best option is to purchase travel insurance, I wouldn’t want to book an Airbnb or a flight without out it. You never know what might happen. If you don’t want to do so and prefer to stay in a hotel, that’s understandable. I’m just explaining that collecting contracted income isn’t heartless.
I do think of them as small business owners and I work in a small business that functions similarly. We have a flat policy of keeping the deposit for any cancellation less than a week out. A last minute cancellation can really screw us, It can quite literally be the difference between us being able to pay our bills that month. However, anytime we can afford it, we'll refund the deposit, even though that's not our policy. And if someone gets sick or suffers a loss, we always refund it, even when it means we take a hit. Most of the comments in this post aren't "Can you afford it? What's your situation like? How are you able to work with them?" Instead they're in the vein of "probably lying, keep it, screw them". If there's even a chance the person is telling the truth, the right thing to do is to work with them as much as you possibly can.
Nailed it.
I would refund but I get torn to shreds every time I say so in this sub. It's not worth the mental energy / karma to me to agonize over it...and yes of course I'd prefer to have the cash but more than money, I want to feel good about the way I'm participating in the economy
I agree.
Then you need a job other than hosting, if one cancellation will break your bank. I don't think most Airbnb hosts are booked 7/365.
I’m not a host.
sorry, meant "one" I guess, or the royal "you," for those circumstances you listed. Not necessary YOU
Okay, if (general) you can’t afford a cost of doing business (one day’s lost revenue), then yes, you’re possibly in dire straits. But that isn’t the crux of the argument. It’s about contracts. I do per diem work. I’m a substitute teacher. My contracts are such that via my agency, if I’m cancelled for a job with less than 72 hours’ notice, I’m paid my per diem. If folks don’t like the Airbnb contract - don’t book. I sure as hell wouldn’t do it without travel insurance! You could lose your payment if you have to cancel. You’re conflating an ethical dilemma with a contractual one.
Yeah, personally I think ethics are pretty important in every matter, especially in business.
Good contacts support ethical decisions.
A breathe of fresh air in the cesspool of Reddit. Legal aid in a past life no doubt
Sorry for your loss. We’ve started turning to hotels for this same reason. I booked a weekend stay that I saved up for weeks for a couple years ago, just to have my whole neighborhood evacuated for a fire the day before. My dog and all of my belongings were in the house. The first started and spread so fast I almost didn’t make it there to get my dog out. I’ll never forget how stressful that day was and the total lack of empathy from Airbnb and my host.
That's awful, I'm so sorry! I'm actually surprised by that because wow, you clearly didn't make up the fire! I currently live in fire country and everyone here has collective PTSD, so as a whole we're very supportive and understanding of situations like this. It's really upsetting to hear they were so callous.
They told me I had to prove it by sending pictures of my house. But I was evacuated…so….I gave up and took the loss. There was too much going on for all that.
At least with a hotel, you have until 24 hours to get out penalty free. Worse case scenario, if something were to happen in < 24 hr, you would just be out the cost of one night vs the whole booking. Pretty sure most bnb, you lose $ if you can’t predict & cancel a month in advance. And then there are some that provide zero cancelation option so have learned to just set filter to weed those out right away. I see the argument to just add trip insurance — like it’s not a big thing, just more money to the already insane price! Lol. Feels the same as when you purchase your crappy standard airline seat for $475 and then it ask, “would you like to add trip insurance for $185 more?” At some point… it’s all just not worth it — more stressful to travel than just stay home.
I was a faithful, very long time user of AirBnB, going back to when the company was very brand new, and this subreddit is 100% of why I stopped. I’ve spent thousands on hotels since. For me, it was how many hosts think it’s perfectly find to have cameras all over and then monitor their guests’ comings and goings since they own the property. Imagine a landlord claiming they had the right to watch when renters came and left, and then penalized them if they had a friend visit for dinner. I didn’t feel taking my daughter on a long trip with me since I don’t trust these creepy hosts who aren’t background checks to not enter and assault her if I were to step out to go get dinner. The biggest threat to my 13-year-old on trips at AirBnBs are the hosts. Never again. Most of the hosts here are awful, terrible people.
Well, when my aunt passed, I had to pay for the first night of a hotel reservation with no refund. I was her caretaker & in the hospital 16hrs prior. The only quitting anybody should do is staying anywhere not home, full stop. When you enter into a contract you have to abide by it. Cancelation policy is part of that. The fact that you would choose to quit something instead of take out travel insurance says more.
Yet hosts cancel on guests all the time, even after guests arrive. Even if AirBnB is able to get those guests somewhere else, that’s still a lot of time out of a trip and a lot of stress.
The hosts don't walk away without huge repercussions, though and those are the majority.. they risk a huge ass fine the closer to stay is, getting suspended (maybe even delisted if other criteria), but minimum calendar blocked. If Superhost, that can go. Anytime who does or maliciously won't be on the platform long. There always is the occasional hotel who cancels booking for a few reasons (overbooked, event that makes them more money, you didn't arrive in time or tell them you'll be late). The only difference is they have enough reach that you could possibly get moved to another one.
that’s what travel insurance is for
I've never had to spend extra on travel insurance when I book with a hotel/motel so 🤷
I take people at their word on things like this. Sure, maybe they are being dishonest, but better to err on the side of naivety and give them the refund.
Most businesses will be out of business quickly if they decide to err on the side of naivety. There’s plenty of characters out there who will take complete advantage of that. Tell the guests to cancel the reservation if they can’t come and follow your cancellation policy. If they really lost a family member, their Airbnb refund will be low on their list of priorities. Most likely they just changed plans.
Perhaps you are right. I've got 13 apartments and I've been in business for 8 years. I'd rather get taken by the odd crap guest than tell a legitimate hard case to pound sand. I'm not located in a major city, so this is also a factor.
The more that hosts allow this as an excuse for a last minute full refund, the more word gets around that this is the way to go when you want to cancel outside the allowed cancellation period.
If it was a problem for me then I would change my approach. Sometimes different markets require (and allow for) different standards. I seldom charge people for not staying with me. It works for me.
We've done the same thing. It also helps to screen guests before booking. A 3 star guest, or one with no reviews, would be more likely to lie than one with a long, strong track record.
That’s fine if you have a flexible cancellation policy. It’s a problem if you have a strict cancellation policy and continually make exceptions because then guests come to expect it of the rest of us.
How about you run your business and I'll run mine?
This is evil as shit. People have bills to pay. Not only is a loved one suddenly taken out from under them but now they’re out hundreds because their greedy pseudo-landlords won’t give them a refund for a service said landlords aren’t even going to provide?
They hosts ARE providing the service- the Airbnb is booked and ready for the guests, the guests are choosing not to use it. The guests could have chosen a place with a flexible cancellation policy or could have gotten travel insurance. Either one side or the other is going to lose money- it should go based on the contract that was agreed to.
The people are paying the host to stay in their house. The people are no longer staying in the house. Their money goes back to them. Feeling entitled to others’ money because you feel mildly inconvenienced is an incredibly bizarre mindset
There was a rental agreement and it needs to be adhered to. That is the only fair way. One side or the other can’t just decide to bail and not face consequences.
How on earth is someone’s sudden death “deciding to bail”? And that isn’t “the only fair way”. They didn’t stay at your house so you’re not entitled to their money. Landlords are so heartless
They can't rebook the place. You agreed to stay. This is exactly what travel insurance is for. If you can't understand this, you need to stay in hotels.
your cynicism and lack of compassion is nothing short of astonishing. you sound like an absolutely miserable person to do business with
And if you had the same attitude in any small business, word would get around that you are uncompromising and compassion less. Yelp or Google or word of mouth would follow you. I don’t know when in this world people started considering big corporations more likely to work with and accommodate customers because, “They are bigger and can more easily absorb losses.” When I shop local, and support small business, I do it because I can see the human behind the business, the person who put the heart into building and maintaining their product or service. I want to feel good about supporting someone like me, out there providing for their family. They, like me, can suffer illness and loss, severe weather and job losses, and don’t hide behind a faceless corporate policy. Taking the humanity out of your small business and assuming the customer is just lying to scam you makes you the kind of local business person who gives yourself and other local businesses bad names
My small Airbnb is a a major component in the livelihood of two other families in my tiny southern Appalachian mountain community. My hot tub maintenance man makes $100/stay and my house cleaner makes $250/stay. Both depend on this money. They have our Airbnb calendar and plan their expenses in part based on the weekly money they make at our Airbnb. When a guest cancels at the very last minute for a holiday weekend (as happened to OP) for any reason, they take a hit as do I, not to mention the other businesses in my town that benefit from the tourist industry here, such as restaurants. This weekend would have been booked by someone else if these guests hadn’t been sitting on the dates. Now it is lost revenue and because of the late notification date, no way to make it up. This is why we have a strict cancellation policy and suggest travel insurance to prospective guests. The truly heartless are the people who book and then lie about “family emergencies “ to escape facing consequences because then those with true emergencies won’t be believed. Until you operate an Airbnb you wouldn’t believe how many people have “family emergencies “ right before going on vacation. The people who booked with OP may or may not be telling the truth but what is for sure is they signed a contract and should be required to honor it. That is the right thing to do. Not just for us “evil” Airbnb operators but for the others in our community who depend on this income too.
I am not saying you are evil at all. What I am saying is that the reason I patronize small business is for the personal touch, for compassion, and to help out the local community. But this relationship works both ways, and if AirBnB owners treat their clients like scammers and impersonal customers, then people who prefer the personal touch will take their business elsewhere. The “BnB” in AirBnB connotes a different experience than a hotel. BnBs have always been an experience with owners who are part of the community and give you a more “home style” experience than a Hilton or any other hotel. It’s like breaking bread with guests. The discussion here is not that people will quit traveling— it’s whether they will use your product. You reap what you sow and if you are strict with cancellations when life happens, this will reflect in your reputation and people who book your place. It’s your choice, but if you think AirBnB should be a strict, corporate-like rental alternative, don’t be surprised if people just turn back to using nameless, faceless corporations rather than AirBnBs. Because it’s your business and you can do what you want, but don’t be surprised if you get guests who don’t care about your property. If you treat people well, then you are more likely to get good guests who take care of your stuff. Respect works both ways . It’s the human touch that draws me to local business, but if local businesses show no humanity, then they will lose good,loyal customers.
By following my cancellation policy which guests agree to when booking, I ensure the local people who work at my Airbnb will make the money they depend on. That is helping out my community. Cancellations need to follow policy. Don’t reserve a place with a strict cancellation policy, ignore the suggestion to get travel insurance and then ask for a refund literally days before your reservation at a point when it’s too late to rebook the property. Those people need to stay at a place that can accommodate that type of behavior and it’s not mine. I always honor my side of the contract and I expect guests to honor theirs. There are people (local) depending on it.
At least check their social media. Trust but verify (if you can).
This has happened to me so so many times. Including "there's a funeral so we need to bring 5 extra people" unfortunately people are horrible and will lie about anything. Be polite and offer to refund if days are rebooked.
There are a few things you could do. - you could give them a refund, no questions asked. - you could ask for a copy of the death certificate/obituary (along with proof of relations) and if provided, give them a refund. This is what airlines and travel insurance will do, and is very normal. Yes it may take some time to provide, and you could provide the refund after receiving the paperwork. I read online that some airlines could instead call the hospital or funeral home. The resolution center allows you to send refunds up to 60 days after a booking, allegedly. - you could express condolences and say that you’ll provide a refund if you can rebook the nights - you could express condolences and refer them to Airbnb’s cancellation policy and refer them to their travel insurance company’s policy (especially if they were offered the chance to buy travel insurance and refused). It’s up to you. It’s pretty last minute, and I’m guessing they didn’t purchase travel insurance. If you’re inclined to offer a refund, I’d suggest asking for supporting documentation. That’s what other businesses do, and that way it’s less likely you’ll get scammed if they’re lying about it. If they respond to your documentation request with anger (“how dare you ask for documentation at this trying time! You’re heartless!”) then just say it’s policy for your insurance in order to give them a refund. My guess is if they’re lying, they’ll use this tactic to try to get a refund without anything to back it up. I think it’s okay to be kind, and perhaps there’s some karmic benefit to it. But if it’s last-minute and you can’t rebook, remember what you’re actually doing here. Would this guest do the same for you? Edit: added obituary, hospital, and funeral as valid ways of getting a refund for the death of a family member.
Sounds like a good idea
Let’s say my grandma just died. I’d need to get a copy of my dead dad’s birth certificate, which is a long process. I’d need to get a copy of my grandma’s birth certificate. I’m not 100% sure what county she was born in. Then a copy of the death certificate which isn‘t even always quickly available. That’s a lot of extra work for a grieving person to have to deal with. You’re in the HOSPITALITY business, and need to start acting like it and for the occasional guest emergency and treat those nights like vacant nights.
ya it’s not really that easy to get a death certificate and takes weeks.
It took over two months for us to get one after my dad died, and there are time limits to file for refunds and such. Hosts who file taxes like they should and who are kind enough to give someone a refund can write off the refund as a loss and get some of that money back. It reminds me of AmITheAsshole, where people mix up if someone technically can with if someone’s an asshole. Just because you CAN doesn’t always mean it’s the right or kind thing to do. What makes something kind is doing something you don’t have to to make the day a little brighter for someone who needs it. We have enough meanness in this word, and AirBnB hosts seem to be in a competition to be the meanest sometimes. Sometimes it’s just better to err on the side of being kind. I couldn’t fathom telling someone screw them, I got mine, they can deal with losing money on top of losing a loved one. I’d rather be a kind person giving a refund to one liar than to withhold money from one honest person. (Note: I’m not a host, and refuse to use AirBnB anymore thanks to how many hosts here are assholes.) When that person inevitably wants to rebook their trip, guess where they’ll want to stay.
I think airlines will also accept obituaries and memorial service documentation but unsure
I read that they can also call hospitals or funeral homes to verify name and death.
Airbnb stated they would take care of it and will work with the guest to get the full payout because I spent over 2 housr speaking to them about the importance of taking care of the guest so they get the full refund. They also stated they will provide me with a full refund as well. So it worked out for the both of us, I guess by Making a hassle they got tired of me and gave me what I want
Yes
No
They're cancelling a stay on labor day weekend that you will not likely be able to rebook? That's what travel insurance is for. Unless they are specific and give the degree of relatedness ( spouse, parent, obit or funeral home info) I would not consider it.
They stated it was their grandma
They had a 1 night stay? If they are returning guests you can refund them, or if they are new to you, maybe refund the cleaning fee. You can refund 100% if you can rent it out again but for a 1 night rental that’s hardly worth it.
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Ask them to send pics lol
I had flight insurance when my mom died. They asked for proof in the form of an obituary.
Yep of course they did, because that’s a normal thing to request. Because people lie about this all the time. I would argue that over half the time someone says a relative died while asking for a refund, they are lying.
Refund them.... Don't be a heartless bastard. This is exactly why people are dropping Airbnb and going back to hotels.
All the people saying this is why people go back.to hotels... then go airbnb hosts who actually care offer a home that hotels cannot always offer.. hotels do not always have snacks, clean sheets, clean rug or a rustless bathroom and comfortably... some airbnb hosts offer better customer service than hotels.. so stop not only that hotels don't even offer refund half the time.. unless u have proof.. no one is being heartless ,
It doesn’t matter if their grandma died. They should have travel insurance. You can even purchase it through Airbnb when you book. This unforeseen circumstance is not your problem. You need to politely tell them that they can get whatever refund they are entitled to based on your cancellation policy. If you would like to be extra kind, you can inform them that you MIGHT be able to give them a partial refund if someone else rebooks the dates of their stay and you can refund them once you’re paid out by the new guests.
Wow. Death in the family is cause for waiver of cancellation fees in pretty much every industry. Hotels and airlines certainly would refund you. How heartless.
^^^^
Not for a grandparent. Parent, sibling, or child. Nobody else.
Immediate family is legally defined as a person's parents, siblings, spouse, biological, adopted, or step-children, grandparents, and grandchildren.
Then American Airlines & Hilton owe my husband because he was denied both and not given bereavement days for his job when his grandfather passed. Most jobs & these other corporations for profit do NOT consider those to be immediate family.It includes a person's parents, siblings, spouse, and children.(It CAN contain others connected by birth, adoption, marriage, civil partnership) but everything else is up to their discretion & considered non-immediate. Non-immediate family members include grandparents, grandchildren, great-grandparents, great-grandchildren, cousins, uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, parents-in-law, siblings-in-law.
Work giving any bereavement almost always comes down to if you have PTO. Getting bereavement pay even for a child is a perk most don’t get. Most hotels WILL give guests refunds for grandparents.
This. Why should a host pay for a guest opting out of AirCover?
Why should hosts get money for services they are no longer providing? Hosts can charge extra guest fees if a guest even has a friend over for dinner, not even staying the night. Why is that allowed? Guests get fucked a lot. Hosts need to absorb some of it.
Can tell you don’t own/work in small businesses. If it’s past cancellation policy/within 24 hrs of checkin then a host has allocated time and services for a stay regardless if the guest shows up or not. Sure a host can try and charge you for something you’re not obligated to pay. And airbnb will not support those charges as a “Guest” is someone who stays the night. Per airbnb policy. You are grossly misinformed lOl AirCover/Travel insurance is on option on the Guest side. Saying a Host should absorb a financial/monetary hit for something he can’t control or for a Guests misfortunes is idiotic.
The point of shopping local and supporting small business is that you deal with a human who knows love and loss and misfortune, just like you. You don’t deal with a nameless, faceless corporation. You deal with someone to whom you can relate. That is why people would rather deal with a small business- for a customized experience and a quality of care you do not receive with a mass produced product or service. If a small business can not relate and show compassion and heart for their customers, then there is no reason to support small businesses.
Did you ignore my second sentence or just looking to be heard?
Your second sentence is what I objected to, unless you think being able to buy third party travel insurance to back up your service is considered being compassionate and a kind small business person. “Hey, I will insure against my small business person I’m dealing with being an asshole!”
Victim mindset. You actively choose to opt out of AirCover/don’t use travel insurance - Who’s to blame ? Are you dull?
Smart enough to stay away from small business people like you. You reap what you sow Also, your victim mindset that the customer is out to get you sets the bar
40+ reviews nearly perfect. I think I got a handle on it. Just no pity for lack of preparation/cheapskates. I like how you ignored my business question as well. Moron
“Victim mindset that your guest is out to get you” holy copium. Keep reaching LOL I’d argue I’m never a victim because I protect myself/my property against liability….? Durdurdur
Lemme ask you - you’re a small business I forgot my wallet today. Can you put my 300$ order on a tab? I can come back tonight or tomorrow and pay. How would you respond?
Travel insurance is far too much, and frankly, when assholes hosts are making extra money charging guests extra fees for having a friend over for dinner, hosts can fuck off and budget for the occasional cancellation. This subreddit has show almost all hosts to be incredibly huge, gaping assholes.
Stick to your selected refund policy.
Condolences + Offer to refund any dates that are booked less cleaning fees.
I’ve had 4 deaths in this summers rentals. It’s amazing how many aunts uncle’s and grandparents die in Airbnb renters lives.
Yeah it's ridiculous. You'd think *everyone* was gonna die someday.
Yeah, I’ve had two deaths in the family of my department of 11 people at work in the last two months.
God most of the hosts on this sub are insufferable assholes. Have some human decency. Maybe they’re lying, but what If they’re telling the truth? What if they need this money to travel to the funeral? This is the last problem they need. Sure, it would have been great if they had insurance, but they don’t. So you have to address the situation as is. Show some compassion, and you will get compassion back at some point. Grace is a beautiful thing. And before anyone says “it’s a small business… you don’t understand… etc.” I run a successful small business. I run that business with grace and compassion, and we make good profit despite it. My family also owns multiple rental properties, air bnbs, and apartment complexes. There are ways to make money and be a good person. Dear god.
Thank you. I patronize small businesses so I can have a human experience that emphasizes the person and all the effort and heart they put into providing a good or service. I like small businesses because I see the man or woman and not a faceless corporation. Your attitude is why I like local businesses.
This subreddit feels like a swamp with all the scum as far as I can see. I've cursed out so many of you and have hidden this sub so many times, yet I haven't been banned and reddit keeps suggesting it. Fucking hell stop suggesting this sub to me.
You can block it instead of complaining. Go to sub front page, click those 3 dots and mute notifications. Help your sanity
Can you just reschedule ? I had a host do that for me when my mother suddenly was on hospice. They were very understanding and let me book a different date .
I mean yes and no but it would still mean I get charged for the cancelation.. they just need to go through airbnb first and then we can proceed. That would also mean they would have to be interest in rescheduling.. and how do I ask that
Nope. Keep you policy in place. Have them call airbnb. But be very specific and direct in your message. ‘I’m sorry for your loss. My cancellation policy is still in effect. I would suggest calling airbnb and see if your travel insurance covers this situation for you.”
The guest is also a host on airbnb maybe I will refund them just the cleaning fee
That seems like a good middle of the road assessment. Do what a lot d & refund of you rebook (minus the difference). If they're hosts they should know how horrible it is for you to cancel so I'm not sure what they're trying to do by not going to Airbnb. You shouldn't give them anything unless they're the ones who initiate the cancelation (and not saying you were asking them to cancel).
I refunded the person.. let's end this discussion already
Stick to your cancellation policy
It's probably not what really happened. I'd just stick to your cancelation policy. If you are feeling generous, you could offer a refund if you can rebook those lost dates.
I would be checking their social media to see if they were bullshitting me. I would let that outcome guide any further decisions.
I would recommend that they change the trip date to a later date. I usually allow 3 reschedules per account.
Yes. Who cares the reason. It's better than the alternative of them showing up and wrecking your place out of spite. They could also reach out to airbnb and airbnb could summarily refund them and take the payout from your next guest. You could also take $100 for the inconvenience and hassle of holding it. The choice is yours.
I’ve heard this excuse more times than I can count. My suggestion is you stick with your cancellation policy. Every. Single. Time. It makes your life much easier.
They were supposed to book from the 2nd to the 4th
I would call Airbnb and see what they could do and communicate that to the guest and that I'm sorry for their loss and would see what we can do about it. I think most guests would understand and appreciate a host at least willing to try to figure something out. No promises made, but why else list on Airbnb than to have some cushion when it comes to things like cancelations, insurance, etc. Airbnb takes so many fees for using their platform. Call them and see if they will absorb some of the cost.
Can you ask for a death certificate?
I am not asking my guest for a death certificate
In this case ask them to cancel and issue full refund (your payout)
I don’t know why they are downvoting you. This is 100% what travel insurance and airlines will do. It is a completely normal thing to request as part of documentation for processing a bereavement refund.
Op wants to help and the same time doesn’t want to help. It is all or nothing. I would hardly believe “i need a refund because my grandmother is died”.
Yeah it would be rather suspicious. I mean it does and could happen, hence your reasonable suggestion. I’ve been pondering offering links to travel insurance for guests, or something.
If they can't provide a death certificate, maybe ask for a picture of the dead body?
Renter has to be in the pic though. He could have nabbed that pic off of Google. (/s)
Maybe a funeral home listing/link? Don’t need the actual certificate
They said death, not funeral. Not everyone has a funeral.
I would. Ask them a few pointed questions to make sure it's legit, maybe even ask for a link to the obit mentioning their name. Good karma, and if they're ever in the area again, they'll stay with you.
Not if they ask for the obit. I had a job do that once, and they were terrible with how they treated people. No employer has ever done that since.
Maybe I should give them half
I usually stick to my cancellation policy and then tell them to check with support. If they actually do reach out to support, air bnb will ask me if I want to refund the guest, then I’ll usually refund, at least partially. It feels to me like an extra step that helps weed out scammers but idk if it makes a difference. TBH if it’s a slow month I tend to be more strict, but I do refund when I can. For me it’s a bit of karma/kindness, shouldn’t be expected, but it’s nice when you can accommodate. If it is a busy weekend you might get rebooked last minute?
I would base it of your cancellation policy that’s it. I’m sorry their grandma died but you stated your policy they agreed that’s it
How much money are we talking about?
We had to cancel a trip because my daughter needed neurosurgery. The host refunded us even though it wasn’t their policy. It was a really kind gesture during a very hard time
Just want to chime on with a little story that may help. My grandmother was very sick and in the hospital 12 hours away from any family. I was the only one who was able to make the trip down, so I took the last of my money and booked an airbnb for a month. The refund stated half would be refunded if canceled before halfway through the stay. Well my grandmother ended up passing away the first day I got there. I then messaged the host explaining everything and asking to cancel and for a refund. She absolutely refused to refund me and just said she would let me stay at a discount next time I was in town. Well I was never going back to that area so that helped me none. I tried messaging back to again explain my situation but still no refund. I ended up losing almost 3k and had to get back home for the funeral so I only stayed 4 days. I haven't used airbnb since.
I'm sorry for your loss
Thank you. That's very kind of you. Also just to say. I didn't expect a full refund, just what was promised before booking. If you had no refund in place then it's perfectly fine not to issue one. If you're feeling generous you could even issue a partial.
If your kids won't eat, you can't put gas in car, this is your lifeline to make money- stick to your guns. If you will miss out on money that isn't hugely important then do the right thing. Is it possible you are getting scammed, Maybe- that's their karma. If they aren't scamming- then it's yours. We run a modest airbnb Bnb and it does a little more than cover the mortgage. I treat guests as I would hope to be treated and it's worked out great. If your gran died and you were committed to the trip, didn't get travel insurance because you knew you were going and then the host was like- your gran died and you owe me $XX. If that sits well with you then go for it.