Of Earthquake And Airbnb Cancellations

7:00 PM angeLjamie 0 Comments

There were a slew of earth shaking last weekend, that was felt in Tagaytay City because of its proximity from Mabini, Batangas, the epicenter of the 5.9 magnitude quake.



Guest staying at Tagaytay Prime Residences were temporarily evacuated at the open grounds as part of safety protocol.  And as expected, there were some cancellations of guest bookings.


I had one such cancellation that cited the earthquake as the cause.  They're a Filipina and American couple visiting the Philippines and would have made a 3-nights stop at Tagaytay before they went back to the US.


Cancellation of booking in Airbnb can be done by accessing your booking reservation and clicking 'Cancel Reservation'.  Depending on the host cancellation policy, the guest would be eligible for a full refund less Airbnb booking fees.

For host, we have full control of the cancellation policy and can choose from any of the following, during set-up of listing.  This can be changed anytime after your unit has been listed.  For a more detailed reading on Airbnb's Cancellation Policy, drop by here.


I've started my listing with a Flexible cancellation policy.  Being a new host, I think it gives a message to potential guests looking at my list, that I'm easy to deal with and like the policy name, flexible.
 
As I started to fill up my calendar with bookings and rake stars on my review, I've changed the policy to Moderate.  Experienced host shouldn't be afraid to use Moderate or Strict cancellation policy since it's normal in the hotel industry that only a portion of the payment would be refunded during cancellations.

The couple had their reservation under Moderate cancellation policy.  As soon as they cancelled the reservation, Airbnb refunded them  the cleaning fee plus a portion of their payment since their expected arrival was less than 5 days. The calendar would be re-opened for the host and can be booked again by other guests.  Depending on your location, getting a booking less than 5days might not be too easy hence the reason for the partial refund.  As for the guest, they won't be allowed to leave a review.

However, host and Airbnb can still override the policy and issue a full refund depending on what Airbnb calls extenuating circumstances; which includes the following:

• Unexpected death or serious illness of a host, guest or immediate family member. 

• Serious injury that directly restricts a guest’s ability to travel or a host’s ability to host. 

• Significant natural disasters or severe weather incidents impacting the location of destination or location of departure. 

• Urgent travel restrictions or severe security advisories issued after the time of booking, by an appropriate national or international authority (such as a government office or department). 

• Endemic disease declared by a credible national or international authority (such as the US Center for Disease Control or the World Health Organization) 

• Severe property damage or unforeseen maintenance issues that directly impact the ability to host safely. 

• Government-mandated obligations issued after the time of booking (ex: jury duty).

Photo credit: earthquake.usgs.gov, Shuttershock, Airbnb