Instant books on Airbnb are reservations made directly by guests. Guests are not required to contact or inquire about the host in advance. Guests just select their travel dates, agree to the house rules, and click the booking button to complete their payment.
When homeowners activate immediate booking on their Airbnb listings, guests can search for homes that allow instant booking using the search filter “instant book”. This enables travelers to rapidly locate rentals that are available for immediate booking. Many tourists appreciate this because they do not need to wait for clearance from the host, which is especially useful for same-day appointments.
Numerous hosts reduce their rates when their calendars are empty to attract last-minute bookings – this is an optimal tactic that Lodgable taught us. Homeowners who use Airbnb must ensure they have entered the appropriate dates correctly to take advantage of the fast booking option. In this approach, guests can eliminate listings that require prior inquiry.
Airbnb Same-Day Reservations
Because Airbnb instant book allows guests to book directly, it also allows hosts to get same-day bookings. As with hotels, travelers can reserve accommodation on the same day if the host has enabled Airbnb to immediately book on their property.
Airbnb hosts can designate days during which the instant booking feature is unavailable. For instance, a host could specify a cut-off time of 5:00 p.m. After this time, guests will be unable to book the rental. Similarly, the property will not appear in their instant book search criteria. This benefits hosts because they have sufficient time before the cut-off time to prepare the rental and have it ready in case of same-day bookings.
Instant book is still available to hosts who wish to avoid same-day bookings. Homeowners can specify a notice period for their rental ranging from one day to one week. In this manner, hosts are notified directly when guests book and have sufficient time to prepare their property.
Requirements for Airbnb Instant Book
No significant prerequisites exist for hosts to have an immediate book. The only requirement is to allow guests to book immediately and, depending on their preferences, to offer same-day bookings or to be alerted up to a week in advance. As a host, it is critical to contact the guest immediately once they have booked. Hosts are responsible for informing visitors about the rental, such as how the check-in process works, whether they will need to unlock a lockbox or enter a code for the wifi door lock to enter the property, and so on.
Cancellation of an Airbnb Instant Booking
Without incurring any fines or fees, hosts may cancel immediate book reservations. This could be for a variety of reasons:
• Hosts are hesitant to have guests stay owing to their previous reviews, which may include no review or unfavorable reviews.
• Hosts fear that guests may violate their house rules or disrespect their property, for example, by throwing a large party.
• The guest has not communicated with the host following the booking.
Additionally, homeowners can cancel bookings during their visitors’ stay.
To cancel a reservation, hosts simply go into their account and navigate to “Your Reservations.” Once they’ve located the reservation they wish to cancel, they can proceed to cancel it by pressing “Change or Cancel.” After that, hosts are prompted to select a reason for canceling the reservation; they can select “I’m unhappy with the reservation” or “the guest violated my house rules.”
There are some restrictions on canceling the Airbnb instant book policy. Homeowners may cancel their subscriptions only three times each year. They must contact Airbnb community support if they exceed this limit to prevent further penalties.
If hosts consistently cancel, they may need to disable the fast booking feature.
How to Disable Instant Book
To stop the instant book option on Airbnb, hosts must check in to their accounts and click “Your listings.” They must then click on “Manage listing” followed by “Booking settings.” To disable this function, hosts must check the box next to “All guests must submit reservation requests.” Similarly, click on “Guests who satisfy all of your standards can book without requiring approval” to enable it.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Airbnb Instant Book
The Airbnb instant book option has several advantages and disadvantages.
Pros:
• Assists owners in becoming Superhosts
• Increases vacation rental search results
• Increases reservation volume
• Increases revenue earned
Cons:
• Rental must be ready each day
• Can result in several cancellations (both from hosts and visitors)
• Inadequate time to screen guests
Conclusion: To Book an Airbnb Instantly or Not to Book an Airbnb Instantly
The decision to have an instant book is entirely up to the host and their preferences. The instant book function is appealing to hosts who wish to attract last-minute bookers, who currently reside in the rental, or who want to increase their profit margins.
Whereas hosts who like to screen guests before their departure, have sufficient time to prepare the property, and wish to minimize any dangers, may decide to stay with standard inquiries. Learn more about the 8 most important property management tools today at Lodgable.
