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Airbnb says its calendar updates every 3 hours. That gap is where double bookings happen.
The short answer: Double bookings happen because booking sites check calendars on their own schedule, so a date booked on one site can still look free on another. Airbnb says its calendar updates every 3 hours. To stop them, connect your calendars through a tool that updates as bookings happen, keep one master calendar, stop editing calendars by hand, and add buffers between stays. If one happens, do not cancel right away, because Airbnb can charge a host cancellation fee of 10% to 50% of the booking.
It is the call every owner dreads. A guest arrives, and someone else is already in the house. Or you see two bookings for the same dates and your stomach drops.
Double bookings are not a sign you are careless. They are usually a sign that your calendars were not talking to each other fast enough. Here is why, and what to do.
Why do double bookings happen?
If you list on more than one site, each site keeps its own calendar. They copy dates from each other, but not instantly. A common way to connect them is called iCal sync. It shares only blocked dates, through a link that each site checks on its own schedule.
- Airbnb: says its calendar "automatically updates every 3 hours." You can refresh by hand, but the number of refreshes is limited (Airbnb).
- Vrbo: imported calendars sync about every 30 minutes, and Booking.com is not synced in real time, according to an industry guide. These are approximate.
That gap is the danger. If two guests book the same night inside it, both bookings go through.
Other common causes:
- Blocking dates by hand on one site and forgetting the others
- Setups where booking a main listing does not block its smaller units
- A tool or a site having an outage, so a booking is never passed on
- Owners and friends staying without the dates being blocked
What can a double booking cost you?
If you must cancel a guest on Airbnb, the host cancellation policy applies. According to Airbnb's policy, the fee is a share of the reservation amount, with a minimum of $50:
- More than 30 days before check-in: 10%
- 48 hours to 30 days before check-in: 25%
- 48 hours or less before check-in, or after check-in: 50%
You also get no payout for that booking, the fee is usually taken from your next payouts, your calendar can be blocked for those dates, and you can lose Superhost status. Fees may be waived for certain reasons outside your control, but you must show proof. On a $1,000 stay cancelled two weeks before check-in, that is a $250 fee plus the booking itself.
How can you stop double bookings?
- Use one master calendar. Make one tool the main place for all bookings, and let it update the others.
- Move from iCal to a tool that updates as bookings happen. One industry guide says iCal is fine for one or two homes, or for blocking dates far ahead. For many units, same-day bookings, or three or more sites, it recommends a direct connection (called an API) for the sites where you sell. Use iCal only to share read-only calendars, for example with a cleaner.
- Stop editing calendars by hand. Every manual change is a chance to forget one site.
- Add buffers between stays, so a late update does not turn into a clash on the same day.
- Check listings that are linked, so booking a main property blocks its smaller units.
- Weigh Instant Book. Turning it off cuts collisions, but it can hurt visibility and bookings, so decide with your numbers.
- Test it. Block one date on a single site, then see how long it takes to show up on the others.
No setup removes the risk completely. A connection still depends on each site and on your tool being online, so check your calendars after any outage.
What should you do if it happens?
One industry guide gives a sensible order. It comes from a software company, but the steps are common sense:
- Do not cancel right away. Cancelling on a site can trigger fees and blocked dates.
- Pause your listings, so nobody else books the same dates.
- Check every calendar for other clashes.
- Decide which booking to keep, looking at the rules, payout and length of each stay.
- Find another place first. Secure a comparable or better home before you speak to the guest.
- Call the guest with a solution, not just the problem. Offer an upgrade, not a step down.
- Contact the site's support and keep receipts and messages. If a sync delay caused it, ask whether the fee can be waived.
A guest who is moved quickly, politely and to a nicer place often forgives the mistake. A guest left waiting does not.
Where does your own website fit in?
A direct booking website is one more place to sell, so it must show the same dates as everything else. The safe way is to connect it to the booking tool you already use, and keep that tool as your master calendar. Ask any website provider how it gets your dates, and how often.
That is how we work. We connect your website to your booking tool and do not rebuild it, so your dates stay in sync with your site. See the tools we work with. Launch Pad starts at $999 to set up, is ready in 7 working days or it is free, and you pay the other half only when you go live.
Also read: do you need a channel manager, or just a website? and chargebacks on vacation rentals.
Not sure what is possible for you? Ask us
On a call, we will:
- Check how your calendars connect today, and show you where the gaps are.
- Explain how our website would connect to your booking tool, and how often your dates would update.
We will tell you honestly what is realistic. We do not promise results, because nobody honest can.
Common questions
- How often does Airbnb sync calendars?
- Airbnb says its calendar automatically updates every 3 hours. You can refresh a connected calendar by hand, but the number of refreshes is limited. Source: Airbnb.
- What happens if I have to cancel a guest because of a double booking on Airbnb?
- Airbnb's host cancellation policy charges a fee of 10%, 25% or 50% of the reservation amount, depending on how close to check-in you cancel, with a minimum of $50. You also get no payout, the fee is usually taken from later payouts, and your calendar can be blocked. Source: Airbnb.
- Is iCal sync enough to avoid double bookings?
- For one or two homes on a few sites, it can be. It shares only blocked dates, on each site's own schedule, so a gap remains. For many units or three or more sites, a direct connection that updates as bookings happen lowers the risk. Neither removes it completely.
- What should I do first if I find a double booking?
- Do not cancel right away. Pause your listings, check all calendars, decide which booking to keep, find a comparable or better home for the other guest, and then contact them with a clear offer.
Sources and helpful links
- Airbnb: sync your calendars — how often Airbnb updates connected calendars
- Airbnb: host cancellation policy for homes — the cancellation fees and other consequences
