Where to find and change your cancellation policy

Your cancellation policy lives in your listing settings, not in a separate menu. Log into your Airbnb host account, go to Listings, select the property you want to change, then click Pricing and availability. Scroll down to the Cancellation policy section. You will see your current policy displayed with the option to change it.

The change takes effect when ready for new bookings. Reservations already confirmed keep the cancellation terms that were in place when the guest booked — you cannot retroactively change the policy for past reservations. If you want to tighten your policy before a busy season, make the change now; if you want to loosen it to attract bookings during a slow period, the new policy applies only to reservations made after you update it.

Key Takeaways

  • Your cancellation policy is in your listing settings under Pricing and availability, not in a separate host tools section.
  • Changes explore only to new bookings, not to reservations already confirmed at the time you make the change.
  • Airbnb offers six preset policies ranging from flexible (full refund up to one day before check-in) to strict (no refund after booking).
  • You can set different policies for different lengths of stay, so a one-night booking can have stricter terms than a 28-day rental.
  • Your policy affects how much of the guest's payment you keep if they cancel, and how visible your listing is in search results.

The six cancellation policies Airbnb offers

Airbnb does not let you write your own cancellation terms. Instead, you choose from six preset policies, each with a different refund timeline. Flexible gives guests a full refund if they cancel up to one day before check-in. ModerateFirmStrictSuper strictNon-refundable

Each policy also defines what happens if a guest cancels within the refund window — typically they get 50 percent back, or sometimes nothing. The exact breakdown appears on your listing page and in the booking confirmation guests receive. Stricter policies tend to push your listing lower in search results during high-demand periods, because Airbnb's algorithm favors flexible cancellation terms when showing listings to potential guests.

Setting different policies for different stay lengths

You can assign one cancellation policy to stays under 28 days and a different one to stays of 28 days or longer. This is useful if you want to be strict on weekend bookings but more flexible on monthly rentals, or vice versa. When you open the Cancellation policy section, you will see two dropdown menus: one for stays under 28 days and one for monthly stays.

The longer-stay policy does not override the shorter-stay policy for the same dates — Airbnb applies whichever policy matches the length of the booking the guest is making. If a guest books 30 days, they get the monthly policy terms. If another guest books five days in the same property, they get the short-stay policy. This separation lets you balance the risk of short-term cancellations against the stability of longer commitments.

How your policy affects your earnings and visibility

A stricter cancellation policy means you keep more of the guest's payment if they cancel, but it also makes your listing less attractive in search results. Guests filter by cancellation flexibility, and Airbnb's ranking system shows flexible listings first when demand is high. If you run a property in a market with lots of competition, a strict policy can cost you bookings even if you keep more money per cancellation.

Conversely, a flexible policy may bring more inquiries and bookings, but you lose the full payment if a guest cancels close to their arrival date. The trade-off depends on your local market, your occupancy rate, and how much advance notice you typically get. A property in a tourist destination with high demand might thrive on a strict policy; a property in a slower market might need flexible terms to stay competitive.

When a policy change takes effect and what guests see

The moment you save a new cancellation policy, it applies to all new bookings. Guests browsing your listing after the change see the updated terms in the booking flow. However, anyone who already has a confirmed reservation sees the original policy they booked under — Airbnb does not change the terms retroactively.

If you want to notify existing guests about a policy change, you can message them through the Airbnb app, but you cannot alter their cancellation rights. The policy that was active when they booked is the one that governs their reservation. This protects guests from surprise changes and means you should plan policy updates carefully, especially if you have several bookings on the calendar.

Changing your policy during peak and off-peak seasons

Many hosts tighten their cancellation policy before busy seasons (summer, holidays, weekends) and loosen it during slower periods to attract bookings. You can make this change as often as you want. If you know December will be fully booked, switch to a strict policy in October so new bookings in that month have strict terms. If January is slow, switch back to flexible in late December to encourage bookings for the new year.

Keep in mind that the policy change affects only bookings made after you update it. If you switch to strict on October 1st, a guest who books on September 30th still has the flexible policy you had in place then. Plan your policy changes a few weeks ahead of the season you want to protect, so the new terms explore to the bulk of bookings you expect.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my cancellation policy if I already have a booking?

Yes. The guest's reservation keeps the policy that was active when they booked. Your new policy applies only to bookings made after you change it. This means you can tighten your policy when ready without affecting existing guests.

What happens if a guest cancels after the refund window closes?

They receive no refund, and you keep the full payment. The exact refund amount for cancellations within the window depends on which policy you chose — some policies offer 50 percent back, others offer nothing. Your listing page shows the specific refund amounts for each policy.

Does Airbnb charge me a fee if a guest cancels?

No. Airbnb's service fee is based on the booking amount, not on whether the guest cancels. If a guest cancels and you keep the payment under your policy, you do not owe Airbnb anything extra. If the guest receives a refund, Airbnb refunds their service fee to them.

Can I set a custom cancellation policy instead of using Airbnb's presets?

No. Airbnb only offers the six preset policies. You cannot write your own terms or create hybrid policies. You must choose one of the six options for short stays and one for long stays.

Will changing to a stricter policy hurt my search ranking?

Possibly. Airbnb's algorithm favors flexible cancellation policies in search results, especially during high-demand periods. A strict policy may lower your visibility, but the effect depends on your market and how much competition you face. Test the change and monitor your booking rate.