Last-Minute Reservation Changes and Extentions

Purpose:
To ensure proper documentation and communication when a guest departs the property before their scheduled checkout date.

1. Identify Early Departure

• Confirm that the guest has left the home before their scheduled checkout date.
  
  

• Verify through guest communication, cleaning/inspection team, or key/lock activity.
  
  

2. Create Task in System

• Use the template “Guest Left Early.”
  
  

• Title: Guest Left Early – [Guest Name]
  
  

3. Required Details to Include

• Guest Name: [Insert guest’s full name]
  
  

• Property Address: [Insert property name or ID]
  
  

• Original Checkout Date: [Insert scheduled date]
  
  

• Actual Departure Date: [Insert date guest left]
  
  

• Reason for Early Departure: [Explain if guest provided details]
  
  

4. Notifications

• Tag Supervisor On-Duty in the task.
  
  

• Tag Communications Supervisor for awareness and follow-up.
  
  

5. Next Steps

• Confirm property status (lock codes, utilities, cleanliness).
  
  

• Update the calendar/availability if necessary.
  
  

• Review if refund/alteration applies (per policy).
  
  

• Record in reservation notes for tracking.
  
  

• ⚠️ Important: If a long-term guest cancels mid-stay, it is often due to a payment issue. Be sure to check payment status in the system before closing out the task.

General Policy:

• We can accommodate reservation changes (cancellation, extension, change of dates) only if the check-in date is more than 1 month away.

Extensions (Adding Days to the Reservation)

1. Example Scenario:

   • “Hi, my checkout date is Jan 10th, but I would like to check out on Jan 11th.”

2. Steps to Handle:

   • Check Availability: Confirm the requested date is open on Guesty.

   • If the request is within 6 days or less of check-in or check-out, create a task use templete "EXTENSION REQUEST" then tag supervisor on. Wait for their confirmation before approving extenstion.

   • If the request is 7 days or more away, confirm the requested date is open and proceed with approval (no need to get approval from in home team).

3. Important Notes:

   • If there’s a scheduled cleaning, notify the Supervisor on Duty to adjust accordingly.

   • For approvals within 24 hours, add a “late checkout” fee of $50 as a line item in the reservation.

Changes to Reservation Dates (Full Date Changes)

1. Policy:

   • If the change request is within 1 month of the check-in date, we cannot modify the reservation. The guest must cancel the reservation through their original booking platform.

   • If the check-in date is more than 1 month away, we can process the change if the new dates are available.

2. Example Scenario:

   • “Hi, my original reservation is Jan 10-15, but I want to change it to Jan 15-20.”

3. Response to Guest:

   • If within 1 month: “Unfortunately, we are unable to modify the reservation at this time. You will need to cancel your current reservation through the booking platform you used.”

Extending a Stay – Comms Team Process

1. Check for Calendar Conflicts

• Verify that there are no calendar blocks in Guesty for the desired extended dates.
  
  

• If a block exists, remove it before proceeding.
  
  

2. Platform-Specific Instructions

• Airbnb
  
  

  • Go to the reservation.
    
    

  • Send an alteration request to the guest with the updated check-out date.
    
    

  • Guest must accept the change.
    
    

• All Other Platforms (VRBO, STRM.com, Booking.com, Direct)
  
  

  • Open the reservation in Guesty.
    
    

  • Extend the stay directly by modifying the check-out date.
    
    

  • Confirm the new total and send updated confirmation to the guest if needed.

Cancellations

Policy:

1. 30 or more days before check in 100% refund

2. 2 weeks (14 days)  before check in 50% refund

3. Anything less $0 refund 

4. General Policy:

   • Guests can cancel on their booking platform at any time.

   • Refund Exceptions:

     • Full refunds are allowed if the cancellation is made within 24-48 hours of booking OR more than 1 month before the check-in date.

5. Platform-Specific Procedures:

   • Airbnb:

     • Ask the guest to request cancellation through Airbnb Customer Support. If allowed a full refund, approve of the request. 

   • VRBO: Card on file, we must manually refund if within policy

   •  Booking.com: We can refund only transactions that we made, if a transaction has not been made by a comms team member, we do not have the ability to refund. We have to reach out to booking.com or issue a refund per jon on zelle or a check through the bank

   •  STRM: Card on file, we must manually refund if within policy

🔁 Scenarios Covered

• Owner wants to use the home when a guest has already booked the dates
  
  

• Guest is unwilling to cancel voluntarily
  
  

• Cancellation would violate the signed management agreement

• We promised in the past we would block a date and did not honor that we can do our due diligence and try to get the owner there stay
  
  

👣 Step-by-Step Process

🔹 Step 1: Acknowledge the Owner’s Request

Thank the owner for reaching out.
Confirm the dates and reason (if provided).

Example Message to Owner:

Thank you for letting us know you’re hoping to use the property from [insert date range]. Let’s look into this together and see what’s possible.

🔹 Step 2: Internal Assessment

Gather the following before proceeding:

• Platform (Airbnb, VRBO, STRM, etc.)
  
  

• When the guest booked
  
  

• Whether the calendar was blocked appropriately
  
  

🔹 Step 3: Owner Communication – Contract Terms & Risks

Let the owner know:

Per the signed management agreement, canceling a confirmed guest reservation is not permitted. Doing so violates platform terms and puts both your listing and our hosting profile at risk.

However, if the guest is willing to cancel voluntarily, we can proceed without triggering platform penalties or breaching contract terms. We’ll contact the guest now and keep you updated.

Key risks to remind owner of if they push for cancellation:

• Violation of the management agreement
  
  

• Public guest review
  
  

• Platform penalties to listing and company account
  
  

• Commission still owed
  
  

• Separate cancellation penalty charged by us for administrative and reputational impact
  
  

🔹 Step 4: Outreach to Guest

• Use friendly, professional messaging to check if they’d be open to a date change or relocation
  
  

• Offer incentive if needed (upgrade, discount, etc.)
  
  

• Do not cancel the reservation unless guest agrees and the owner accepts all contract consequences if it comes to that
  
  

🔹 Step 5: If Guest Refuses to Cancel

If the guest is unwilling:

• Inform the owner
  
  

• Reiterate that canceling would:
  
  

  1. Breach the management agreement
     
     

  2. Trigger platform and financial penalties
     
     

• Offer two options:
  
  

  1. Honor the reservation
     
     

  2. Proceed with cancellation in violation of contract, accepting all associated penalties and fees
     
     

🔹 Step 6: Formal Owner Notice (if they insist)

Document the cancellation in writing:

• Reference the management agreement
  
  

• Note that the owner is choosing to violate the contract
  
  

• Confirm associated fees
  
  

Example Notice Language:

Per your signed management agreement, canceling a confirmed guest stay is a contract violation and may result in platform penalties, commission loss, and guest compensation. We are moving forward per your direct instruction, but please note this may impact your listing’s future visibility and our ability to manage it.

 A cancellation fee will apply (amount to be determined) to cover administrative burden and reputational risk. Continued violations may result in termination of your contract.

✅ Summary: Goals of This Process

• Uphold the management agreement
  
  

• Avoid penalties and platform damage
  
  

• Allow voluntary guest cancellations when possible
  
  

• Maintain fairness, transparency, and brand reputation
  
  

Refer them back to the Owner FAQ that this is grounds for cancellation of contract

TIP:

Once a guest reservation is confirmed, we will not cancel or displace the guest in order to accommodate an owner stay. This ensures guest commitments are honored and avoids reputational or financial risk.

If the owner’s requested dates clash with an existing guest booking, the owner will need to adjust their plans.