Email from property owner - room cancelled for refugees

[DuvetHugger]

I booked holiday accommodation last year for this coming June in Scotland. They allow pets so this was the main pull for us. We have booked tickets for a big gig taking place there and are travelling from south of the UK.

I just received this email from them:

"We have applied to use the barn for Ukranian refugees. if it's not a problem for you can you please cancel free of charge"

I replied saying we have booked some activities etc and is she sure the place wont be available at that time, we booked 8 months ago and her response was:

"No you need to book something else sorry".

AIBU in thinking this is rude?? Obviously, I have nothing against them housing refugees but I am a bit taken aback.

AIBU to be pissed off or AIBU for my first world problems when there are families to house?

Surely she would see a diary of full bookings and think "I am not yet in a position to use the barn to house others, but will stop taking bookings now to enable myself to do so at a later date"?

What are the previous reviews like OP? I'm just wondering if there's any other indication that she plays fast and loose with the requirements?

And if all the details are accurate can you name the place? After all she's renting the place (and making these decisions) publicly, so I wouldn't have thought there'd be any reason why you shouldn't

Apologies I haven't read the full thread. But according to the dog friendly cottages website you will be charged cancellation fees if you cancel. The amount varies depending on the time of the cancellation. It sounds even more suspicious that she's trying to get you to cancel.

Don't cancel !

It will absolutely be because she wants to let it for a week

Tough titty - guessing she didn't realise it was platinum jubilee holiday or whatever

We have done exactly the same with our holiday rental (also Scotland)

But have you also continued to take other bookings, @CallMeDaddy58 ?

And as a PP asked, if the people being displaced were confirmed bookings, have you also arranged to pay any additional costs your guests face to book elsewhere?

Most likely the listing site impose penalties on hosts who cancel that is why she's trying to get you to do it.

So yes, do not cancel.

(If you had to claim on the insurance to cover this, they would require proof of host cancellation).

They'll have realised that what they are getting from the government to have it filled continously, will probably make them more money, than letting for odd events a few nights a week. I don't think a business would be cancelling bookings like this after a rough couple of years unless the money stacks up.

Why do they need you to cancel when they are the ones cancelling? I'd be very careful they aren't trying to avoid refunding you.

It's very nice for generous people to forfeit their own rights to help out Ukrainian refugees. But she is forfeiting yours as well.

This. If you have the room available, then it's a lovely thing to do; but she doesn't have the room available - as it's been booked.

This is the holiday equivalent of giving somebody a charity goat for their birthday (not somebody who has requested it or you know would want that) and then expecting praise yourself for giving away what belongs to somebody else. Anybody can give generously if it's somebody else's money/holiday/property that they're giving away. Why doesn't she find alternative accommodation and let the refugees stay in her house?

Also, what's with the 'cancel it free of charge' ? Absolute chutzpah. Is she really thinking that she's being generous in allowing you to have her break your contract?

I'd have half a mind to have a friend call her up or message her and ask about that week, maybe 'hinting' that they know it's at a premium, but they do need that specific week and so would be willing to pay well over the odds for it, 'should it happen to still be available'.

Even if she is genuine, she cannot keep taking bookings knowing that she's hoping to cancel them and replace the people with refugees. You cannot just play with people's lives like that (yes, I know the refugees' lives are terrible right now, but that's not the point). A booking means that you are both committed to what you've agreed - this is not difficult to understand.

If the property burns down or one of her family becomes seriously ill, these are genuine reasons why you might regretfully be forced to cancel; changing your mind and deciding that you'd rather let to somebody else (let alone keeping your options open, in case that doesn't work out) is not a genuine reason.

Even people who have their own holiday homes that they also let out, who want to use them for specific weeks, have to plan ahead to ensure they don't take bookings for the weeks they want to use it themselves.

@KnowingMeKnowingYouAhaaaa

They'll have realised that what they are getting from the government to have it filled continously, will probably make them more money, than letting for odd events a few nights a week. I don't think a business would be cancelling bookings like this after a rough couple of years unless the money stacks up.

Why do they need you to cancel when they are the ones cancelling? I'd be very careful they aren't trying to avoid refunding you.

They need OP to cancel as listing sites impose penalties on hosts who cancel.

I agree that they may have decided the the government may offer them better money. However if it were the case that they were genuinely taking refugees, they'd have blocked off their calendar and suspended bookings.

Doesn't make sense to cancel OP and take more bookings.

More likely they've had an enquiry for a week or 2 and host wants to get rid of OP's to accept it.

Also wondering what sort of area this property is in - because if it's rural, I thought it had been said that these wouldn't be of much use to refugees?

Friend of mine is offering her BnB accommodation for refugees. She is trying to find local businesses willing to take on her future bookings. It may very well be genuine. Don't be so cynical.

according to the dog friendly cottages website you will be charged cancellation fees if you cancel. The amount varies depending on the time of the cancellation. It sounds even more suspicious that she's trying to get you to cancel.

And she's trying to make out she's doing OP a favour by insisting on the cancellation but offering it to her 'free of charge' - never mind how much more they'll end up paying for whatever else they can find available at this stage (if there is anything left)!!!

It would be madness to cancel yourself, OP - that would be the equivalent of handing in your notice to your long-standing employer a month before you know they need/want to make you redundant.

@JulesRimetStillGleaming

Friend of mine is offering her BnB accommodation for refugees. She is trying to find local businesses willing to take on her future bookings. It may very well be genuine. Don't be so cynical.

Is your friend currently taking on more bookings for that property?

@DuvetHugger

Just had this

There must be a mechanism for them to cancel the booking. As nice as it is to think they are taking in refugees, this just doesn't add up. They say they can't cancel, and it can still be rented on the website for other nearby dates. I don't buy it. I wouldn't cancel, and I would tell them that too. See what their response is

It’s a horrible excuse to use so that you don’t kick off. I don’t think anyone who was genuinely interested in taking in refugees would do this, you’d ask customers not just cancel.

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

according to the dog friendly cottages website you will be charged cancellation fees if you cancel. The amount varies depending on the time of the cancellation. It sounds even more suspicious that she's trying to get you to cancel.

And she's trying to make out she's doing OP a favour by insisting on the cancellation but offering it to her 'free of charge' - never mind how much more they'll end up paying for whatever else they can find available at this stage (if there is anything left)!!!

It would be madness to cancel yourself, OP - that would be the equivalent of handing in your notice to your long-standing employer a month before you know they need/want to make you redundant.

Free of charge in this instance indicates OP will get a full refund - her deposit will be returned. But this hasn't been confirmed.

The software on those sites is automatic so the cancellation terms OP booked with will be applied unless the host overules them - ie manually provides refunds the deposit.

How disappointing for you, I think a lot of people are looking forward to a holiday this year after all the Covid restrictions. It's very suspicious that she wants you to cancel and is still taking bookings online. Let her cancel!

@Sapphirejane I was thinking exactly the same!!

Oh I would be ringing the company the bookings go through and telling them the whole story, with screenshots.

She CAN cancel, but if she does so she will be penalised by the company that manages the property, so she doesn't want to (that is probably how they pay for the admin in finding another property as I assume it is the letting agent that does that.)

She's telling you a pack of lies, I would tell her you'll be passing the whole lot on to the letting company and will get back to her with what they say, you may find she back-pedals like mad!

@JulesRimetStillGleaming

Friend of mine is offering her BnB accommodation for refugees. She is trying to find local businesses willing to take on her future bookings. It may very well be genuine. Don't be so cynical.

But she's doing the right thing and looking to place her bookings elsewhere. This isn't happening here.

@JulesRimetStillGleaming

Friend of mine is offering her BnB accommodation for refugees. She is trying to find local businesses willing to take on her future bookings. It may very well be genuine. Don't be so cynical.

That's not what's happening here if I'm reading it right. The cottage owner is making no effort at all to help the OP

Assume this is the company: www.dogfriendlycottages.co.uk/term-and-conditions

Unfortunately I don't think the T&C will help, as it says:

Alternative Accommodation: In the unlikely event that, before you receive the booking confirmation, the property has become unavailable the Company will make every effort to contact you quickly. If a card payment has been processed, any monies received will be refunded to the hirer's card account in full. Should a confirmed and booked property become unavailable, the Owner or Agent will endeavour to offer suitable alternative accommodation of a similar type, standard, rental and location. If the offered alternative is not acceptable to the Hirer, or the Agent is unable to offer a suitable alternative, the owner will refund all monies made and liability shall be limited to the extent of monies paid by the Hirer.

So not an absolute guarantee of providing an alternative.

@Bootothegoose

Hugely unreasonable and such a bad way to go about it.

Leave her a bad review and get your money back. Is it AirBnB? I may be wrong but I think you're entitled to compensation if the owner cancels without good cause. Double booking the holiday home you've paid for knowing that you have had it booked for over six months is not good cause.

Really. You'd leave a bad review and seek compensation.

There is a war raging. People are dying.

Give your head a MUCH needed wobble.

Definitely press through the DFC route, OP. Blatently upselling

Free of charge in this instance indicates OP will get a full refund - her deposit will be returned. But this hasn't been confirmed.

The software on those sites is automatic so the cancellation terms OP booked with will be applied unless the host overules them - ie manually provides refunds the deposit.

Yes, but - maybe it's just me - I find the curt 'cancel it free of charge' very rude and presumptuous indeed. At the very least, I would have expected something like "I'm afraid I will have to ask you to cancel - and of course, you will have your deposit refunded in full and not be charged any more".