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[Shanna150]

Hello everyone, my guest arrived a day late due to his flight being delayed and requested a refund for the first day. I told him since I wasn't responsible I wouldn't be able to provide the refund. Now i got a message from Airbnb support asking me for the same thing and if i can refund his first day - is this just normal protocol by Airbnb? What's logical to do? Will there be any consequences if i refuse to refund, in how my listing shows up in searches in the future?

[tkassum]

They don't expect you to authorize the refund. Customer service have a script for everything they say and write and if a guests asks for a refund they seem to be obliged to pass that request on. There won't be any consequences from Airbnb but prepare for a possible irritated guest.

[Smilez]

Out of your control and you wouldn’t have been able to get another booking for the room since your guest had it booked. If the guest contacts Airbnb for a refund they automatically contact the host and ask. It’s just a thing they do. When I tell them no, they say they understand and pass the info along to the guest. Never had an issue with it. They are just asking you as it is your call ultimately, not theirs.

[privateproperty]

As a guest when I a filed a claim for travel insurance in the past the insurance company required that I ask airbnb for a refund even though it was outside of cancellation policy. Airbnb then requested a refund from the host and the host understandably said no. It didn't make sense but those requests are necessary for the travel insurance claim - almost like how airbnb makes you ask the guest for damages before they pay out on aircover.

[WillyWilkes]

Absolutely no hotel or other lodging establishment gives refunds if you're flight is delayed. If they give you an bad review you can respond politely and state that it’s unreasonable to expect a refund of one night because of airline issues outside of your control.

[NYTA]

No refund - this is what travel insurance is for.

You had it reserved for them, and did what you were supposed to do.

[RoadWarrior187]

In my opinion, that’s a ridiculous request. We just missed our first night in an Airbnb because we missed our train. It didn’t even occur to us to ask the host for a refund, since we took the night up and it was our own problem.

[WhitePaws]

Doesn't Airbnb sell travel insurance? The guest agreed to the terms initially when you said "no refunds" after a certain point. They should have purchased the insurance and filed a claim. You got your money and abided by the terms. You shouldn't have to pay for the guests unfortunate mishap.

[hayashiryo]

Just use a standard response for something like this like I do.

Dear guest, Unfortunately, as this was not something that within my control as a host, I could not refund the 1st night, as it was booked and off the market for any other potential stays. When you booked, you were offered the opportunity to purchase travel insurance. If you did purchase the insurance, you can make a claim with them for the cost of the first night. If you did not, please reach out to your Credit Card company that you used to make the booking as often times, they offer travel insurance as well. Thank you so much for your understanding.

[CEOofFUN]

I've been hosting for a long time and had a chance to deal with this scenario many times. You are left with a choice between refunding a guest for something that has nothing to do with you, or the possibility of getting a subpar review. I agree that, logically, you're not responsible. But economically I've determined that it's almost always better to give the refund, so ask for a 5 star review, and keep people happy.

Airbnb as a source of revenue is an extremely profitable compared to long term rentals, you need to do anything to keep them happy and keep that stream of revenue going. Better reviews also result in higher prices per night. I've tried taking the moral high ground and it doesn't help your bottom line if you're doing this long term. If you can afford to refund one night and maintain the peace and keep the business going (assuming you have stellar reviews) then I would consider that.