Would I be unreasonable to cancel on an Airbnb guest arriving tomorrow?

[Abouttogonuts]

I’m about to explode with stress. Got a sick child (been cleaning up vomit all day) and another child on half term. We’re going away tomorrow to stay with in-laws and putting our place on Airbnb (as we usually do when we go away).

Got a cleaner coming of course, but haven’t been able to organise or do anything because of sick child, other child on half term. (I usually lock up one room with all our valuables, but haven’t been able to start doing that yet.)

And there is laundry coming out of my ears!

Also behind on the one day of work I had to do this week (yesterday but couldn’t because of said sick child).

I know I’d get fined by Airbnb, but would I be unreasonable to cancel on guest? We live in London, there is other availability locally. Though pricier for less nice (making me also think I undercharge!).

If we cancelled, I’d go to in-laws’ a bit later this week, when sick child is better, and stick the telly on for him tomorrow to properly sort the place out and finish my work...

@cannycat20 that advice says about the person, not to quarantine the house. 🙄

OP DID NOT CANCEL

NOBODY HAD NOROVIRUS

Yet.

I have been a guest and a host and I don’t think people should think of Airbnb like a hotel with a 100% guaranteed booking.... if you need that kind of certainty then stay in hotels.... if you stay in someone’s home then the risk is always that something could crop up last minute that impacts on the host... always have a back up as a guest ...check out your other options ... it’s not unreasonable that a stay in a family home gets cancelled due to illness, death, redundancy etc

Ferret, putting this type of crap out there really does damage Air BnBs reputation. What you have written is utterly ridiculous.

It is my full time job, I would never do that, nor would most hosts. Air BnB penalised hosts who do that. It is unprofessional. In extreme circumstances Air BnB find alternative accomodation.

What Ferret has written is fair. Just because you or I would never do that doesn’t mean that other people don’t.

A friend of mine turned up for a 2 week holiday in LA to find the house rented through Airbnb (great 5 star reviews, apparently reliable host), didn’t exist. Airbnb did not ‘provide alternative accommodation’. That’s not their job.

I don’t have any issue with Airbnb’s reputation being ‘damaged’ - they’re just a listing site with a wide range of people hosting in different circumstances for different reasons. If anything guests are overly trusting of it.

It sounds like your friend was subject to fraud rather than a host who cancelled.

In extenuating circumstances, e.g. boiler breaks down, Air BnB DO find an alternative. It happened to me when my hot water failed. I have also had guests stay with me who had their reservation cancelled elsewhere due to a boiler breakdown.

Ferret, putting this type of crap out there really does damage Air BnBs reputation. What you have written is utterly ridiculous

Quite. People should book with a trusted, established, travel agent every time. Like say, Thomas Cook.

It sounds like your friend was subject to fraud rather than a host who cancelled.

No shit.

I don’t understand all this air b&b thing, but know one of my daughter’s swears by it. They don’t swap, but they do stay in places with a mixture of experiences. If I did do it, I think I would expect that something may go wrong, because it’s basically someone’s home. Sometimes I believe the owners are actually there themselves!! That’s alien to me, but as my children keep reminding me, I am old!!😟 I’d definitely want to know about any illness. If you book anything, you should always be prepared for it to be cancelled/ postponed or whatever. It happens all the time. If you let your guests know, and can be ready in time, and your child is well enough with no risk of it spreading to the rest of you, then it’s up to them to make the decision. Imagine how you’d feel if they were all sick. Let them know. Hope it goes well🤗

Tbh I would thank you for cancelling. I'm all for avoiding sickness bugs. Hope your lo is well soon.

The attitude shown by @Ferret27 (and originally the OP) is why I don’t use Air BNB

I agree, I would never use AirB&B after this thread, was wary anyway.

It does annoy me though, that people jumped on a random post from someone mentioning norovirus. There was never suggestion of norovirus.

Put your valuables away, you have a cleaner coming, ask her to anti back spray everything and see if you leave tonight

Ferret27 if you stay in someone’s home then the risk is always that something could crop up last minute that impacts on the host

This, as I said upthread, is why amateurs shouldn't dabble in holiday lettings sodding AirBnB

Leave it to the people who do it for a living, and who give a cast iron guarantee that your holiday won't be cancelled, short of an Act of God.

most sickness bugs are contagious for at least 10 days

evidence for that comment please?

Actually the most shocking thing about this thread is the cancellation policies, which I think are unfair. If I cancel a month before and you relet the room/property, why should you get paid twice? 50% of the booking is not a reasonable "admin" fee - £20 might be. Another reason to use hotels like Premier Inns where you can cancel up to 1pm on the day you check in if you opt for the more expensive tariff.

If I cancel a month before and you relet the room/property, why should you get paid twice? 50% of the booking is not a reasonable "admin" fee - £20 might be

You might be able to relet a room a month before but a whole property is much less likely to get rebooked.

With hotels you can often pay a higher rate that is refundable or a lower rate that is non-refundable. So even hotels have non-refundable bookings.

I think the assumption is that the owner will have turned down business as you are supposed to be staying there, so they are out of pocket if you cancel. Very difficult to prove though, so I don't know what would happen if anyone decided to sue for a refund... probably no cigar if they have signed an agreement with the owner, which clearly states that you are liable for a fee if you cancel close to the date. If it's a verbal agreement though, (which would be a bit bonkers anyway), I would be curious to find out how that would go.

Out of interest. what was the outcome. Did you cancel and manage to sort out an alternative.

@aparmar4272 the OP has already reported back. Read the thread, for goodness' sake.

Thank you for those that understood the point I was making.... Airbnb is not about being a professional ... the whole point of it is for ordinary people to make a few quid ... so with this in mind ..you should allow for all eventualities... as people’s circumstances can change a thing short notice ! If you are using Airbnb to make your livelihood ..fine but don’t tell people they shouldn’t do the occasional let ..it’s what the site was built on ...

When dd had a nasty sickness bug, Dh walked into my brother’s house, had a brief conversation, was very careful not to touch anything, and then walked out again. DH did not get the bug, but he had been in the car with dd vomiting. My brother and his family caught the bug.
I would be very grateful to be told that a child had come down with a vomiting bug in the house I was about to rent, I caught the bug after dd, and I was pregnant so it was really rough. Dd was briefly hospitalised. No one wants that on holiday.

‘Change at short notice’ ...
Ps ... The professionals aren’t always perfect either... just look at Thomas Cook...
And Airbnb does plenty on its own to damage its reputation .... just read the hundreds of issues guests and hosts have posted...
So many drama Queens on here...

Air B and B has an awful lot to answer for.

You shouldnt really be going to the in laws with a vomity child.

Cancel the guest