Airbnb is one of my new favorite booking sites as we sometimes prefer to get a house rather then a hotel room so that we can be more comfortable, especially when traveling with the kids! I have been working on booking an up coming week long stay in Hilton Head and started looking into Airbnb’s cancellation policies. Airbnb takes payment in full once you book, so it is important to know what happens if you have to cancel your reservation. If you haven’t tried Airbnb yet, don’t be afraid! It is super easy!
If you haven’t joined AirBnB yet, you can sign up with my referral link and score $40 off your first AirBnB booking. Click here to join AirBnB.
Airbnb allows hosts to choose among three standardized cancellation policies (Flexible, Moderate, and Strict) that they enforce to protect both guest and host alike. So, when you are booking on Airbnb, you have to pay attention to which policy the property/host that you are interested in have. Here is a breakdown of each policy and how you will be refunded if you cancel. Airbnb’s service fees are non-refundable, so you will loose those. Also, you need to officially cancel by doing the following in Airbnb:
Dashboard > Your Trips > Change or Cancel.
How To Cancel With Airbnb
Flexible: Full refund 1 day prior to arrival, except fees
- Cleaning fees are always refunded if the guest did not check in.
- The Airbnb service fee is non-refundable.
- If there is a complaint from either party, notice must be given to Airbnb within 24 hours of check-in.
- Airbnb will mediate when necessary, and has the final say in all disputes.
- A reservation is officially canceled when the guest clicks the cancellation button on the cancellation confirmation page, which they can find in Dashboard > Your Trips > Change or Cancel.
- Cancellation policies may be superseded by the Guest Refund Policy, safety cancellations, or extenuating circumstances. Please review these exceptions.
- Applicable taxes will be retained and remitted.
Moderate: Full refund 5 days prior to arrival, except fees
- Cleaning fees are always refunded if the guest did not check in.
- The Airbnb service fee is non-refundable.
- If there is a complaint from either party, notice must be given to Airbnb within 24 hours of check-in.
- Airbnb will mediate when necessary, and has the final say in all disputes.
- A reservation is officially canceled when the guest clicks the cancellation button on the cancellation confirmation page, which they can find in Dashboard > Your Trips > Change or Cancel.
- Cancellation policies may be superseded by the Guest Refund Policy, safety cancellations, or extenuating circumstances. Please review these exceptions.
- Applicable taxes will be retained and remitted.
Strict: 50% refund up until 1 week prior to arrival, except fees
- Cleaning fees are always refunded if the guest did not check in.
- The Airbnb service fee is non-refundable.
- If there is a complaint from either party, notice must be given to Airbnb within 24 hours of check-in.
- Airbnb will mediate when necessary, and has the final say in all disputes.
- A reservation is officially canceled when the guest clicks the cancellation button on the cancellation confirmation page, which they can find in Dashboard > Your Trips > Change or Cancel.
- Cancellation policies may be superseded by the Guest Refund Policy, safety cancellations, or extenuating circumstances. Please review these exceptions.
- Applicable taxes will be retained and remitted.
Bottom Line
If you haven’t tried Airbnb yet, don’t be afraid! It is super easy! Just know the policy before you book! Airbnb is another great option for you to use to book travel. Signup and get a free $25 off your next stay with Airbnb! You can use your travel credit within one year.
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I would say this is more of an overview of the published cancellation policies as opposed to a how-to for anything. But hey, you got my click.
If you’re planning on staying for a more than a couple of days Airbnb is not a good option as their booking fee can get really expensive. And it doesn’t decrease as you lengthen your stay. As someone who uses this type of service frequently I recommend VRBO, Homeaway or some of the other booking services. (We booked and used 9 different apartments last year on various trips from France, Spain, Mexico, and Costa Rica).
Airbnb takes a big cut of the money but offers no services or protections in return. If you cancel they keep all their fee, even if you cancel 6 months in advance (how greedy is that?). They are slick at promoting themselves, but look elsewhere if value and service is part of your criteria.