Airbnb — how common guest tasks work
How guests cancel or change a reservation, request refunds, contact a host, leave reviews, and find check-in details on Airbnb.
Airbnb — how common guest tasks work
Product summary
Airbnb is a marketplace operated by Airbnb, Inc. where guests book homes, services, and experiences offered by hosts. Guests manage their bookings from the Trips area of the Airbnb website and mobile apps, and talk to hosts through Airbnb's built-in messaging. This page summarizes how common guest tasks behave, based on Airbnb's public Help Center.
What people ask
Cancel a reservation
- Open Trips and select the reservation you want to cancel.
- Under the reservation details, choose Cancel reservation.
- Pick a cancellation reason and confirm the cancellation.
Afterwards, any refund is determined by the listing's cancellation policy; the amount refunded is never more than what you had actually paid at the time you cancel (as of August 2026). Verify in the product: cancellation policies vary by listing — check the policy and the exact free-cancellation deadline shown on your reservation before you cancel.
Change reservation dates
- Open Trips and select the reservation.
- Choose Change reservation under the reservation details.
- Adjust the dates, save, review the price difference, and submit the request.
The host is asked to approve or decline; if the total increases you're charged after acceptance, and if it decreases the difference is refunded to the payment method used for the booking (as of August 2026). Verify in the product: approval requirements, repricing, and instant-extension options vary by listing and booking type.
Request a refund
- Message your host first — many issues are resolved directly in the message thread.
- Open the Resolution Center and choose Request money.
- Select the reservation, pick the reason that fits, set the amount, attach any supporting documents, and submit the request.
You have up to 60 days after your reservation's checkout date to submit a request, and you can ask Airbnb for help if you and the host can't reach an agreement (as of August 2026). Verify in the product: refund eligibility depends on the listing's policy and your specific situation.
Contact a host
- Before booking: open the listing and choose Contact host to send a message.
- After booking: reply in the message thread for your reservation.
Conversations stay in Airbnb messaging — email addresses and phone numbers aren't shared before a reservation is confirmed (as of August 2026).
Leave a review
- Open Trips and select the completed reservation.
- Start the review, write your feedback, and submit it.
You have 14 days after checkout to submit; reviews are published once both sides have submitted or when the 14-day window ends, whichever comes first (as of August 2026).
Find check-in details
- Open Trips and select your upcoming reservation.
- Open the Checking in section of the reservation to see how to get inside.
Hosts provide detailed check-in instructions about 48 hours before the reservation starts (local time); message the host if details are still missing inside that window (as of August 2026). Verify in the product: check-in method, times, and access details vary by listing.
Good to know
- Free-cancellation deadlines are measured from the listing's check-in time in its local time zone, or 3:00 PM if no check-in time is specified (as of August 2026).
- If you cancel after you've already checked in, you're expected to leave the property right away (as of August 2026).
- Refund timing depends on how you paid, when you paid, and where you live; most refunds arrive within 15 days, and you can track a refund from the reservation in Trips (as of August 2026).
- If the host declines or doesn't respond to a date-change request, the reservation stays as it was (as of August 2026).
- Reservations can't be changed once checkout has passed; some Instant Book stays can be extended without host approval at least 72 hours before checkout (as of August 2026).
- Reviews must relate to an authentic reservation and can be removed if they violate Airbnb's review policy (as of August 2026).
When to contact support
This page covers self-service guest tasks. It can't resolve account-specific problems: safety issues, a host you can't reach, disputed charges, or refunds the Resolution Center doesn't settle. For those, go to Airbnb's own Help Center at airbnb.com/help and follow its guidance for contacting Airbnb customer service.