On August 22nd, Airbnb is increasing its last-minute cancellation fee on hosts to a maximum of $1,000.
Currently, Airbnb hosts who cancel reservations with less than seven days’ notice face a maximum penalty of just $100.
“When Hosts cancel on guests for preventable reasons — such as accidentally double-booking or wanting to host friends and family instead — guests lose the confidence to book on Airbnb, and this affects all Hosts and hurts our entire community,” the company explained in a blog post.
The tenfold increase is because the current fee structure doesn’t cover the costs that Airbnb incurs when they have to move guests to similar or better accommodations due to cancelations.
The fee will be calculated based on the amount of notice given. If a reservation is canceled with more than 30 days’ notice, the fee is 10% of the reservation amount. If the reservation is canceled with less than 48 hours notice, hosts will be charged 50% of the reservation total.
Hosts could also face account suspension and potentially lose their Superhost status.
Hosts will be able to apply for fee exemptions if they have a valid reason such as emergency repairs, illness, or proof that a guest intends to host a party on their property.
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