What happens if you have a guest who has booked one of your properties, but something has changed, and now they need to stay in a different one of your properties?
If you just need to change dates but at the same property, see our support doc on Extending a Stay.
Sometimes this is easy! And other times not, depending on the channel and booking modification. There are several different cases:
- Move booking inside OwnerRez (Direct Bookings and channels that act like direct bookings, Vrbo API bookings)
- Move booking on the channel (Airbnb)
- Cancel and rebook (Vrbo non API, booking.com, TripAdvisor)
- Unlink calendars (all channels)
- Updated Rental Agreements
Here's what you can and cannot do to help your guests change properties:
Inside OwnerRez
For the following types of bookings, changing to a different property is easy and you can make the change right in OwnerRez:
- Direct Booking
- Channel booking that's booked like a direct booking - Florida Rentals, Find Rentals, Houfy
- Vrbo API booking where both properties are in the same Vrbo account
NOTE: This only works for moving Vrbo API bookings between properties that are in the same Vrbo API account. If you are using multiple separate Vrbo API connections, and you need to move between properties in different Vrbo accounts, skip down to the "Cancel and Rebook" section - sorry!
Here's how to make the change:
- Go to the Overview tab of the Booking
- Click the "Change/Move" button.
- Change the Property dropdown to the new property, and save your changes.
- Request an updated Rental Agreement. That's it!
If you are changing a Vrbo API booking, the change may not be reflected on Vrbo itself until the next day.
On the channel
If this is an Airbnb booking, you cannot make the change in OwnerRez. However, you (or the guest) can request a modification in your Airbnb or control panel.
For other channels such as booking.com, TripAdvisor, etc. you may be able to reach out to the support staff at the channel and ask them to make the modification to the booking, but you won't be able to make the change yourself.
If the guest approves, the booking will be moved, and calendars / API connection automatically updated.
NOTE: This only works for moving Airbnb API bookings between properties that are in the same Airbnb API account. If you are using multiple separate Airbnb API connections, and you need to move between properties in different Airbnb accounts, skip down to the "Cancel and Rebook" section - sorry!
Cancel and Rebook
Unfortunately, for bookings of the following types, there is no way to move between properties. You'll have to have the guest cancel and rebook.
- Vrbo non-API platform bookings
- Vrbo API bookings, if you are moving between properties in different Vrbo accounts
- Booking.com
- TripAdvisor
Unlinking Channel Calendars
"But, what if I just want to update the calendar in OwnerRez?" In fact, you can...
For channels like Airbnb, TripAdvisor, and Booking.com, where the booking has to be moved on the channel side (or canceled and start over), you do have the option to make changes only in OwnerRez. You can leave the booking just the way it is on the channel, unlink the OwnerRez booking from that calendar, and move the booking in OwnerRez.
To unlink the calendar, click the Move button to initiate the move process. You'll get a message that you can't move the booking because it's linked to the channel calendar. Click the "Unlink from channel" button and the booking will be unlinked from the channel which will open up the date and property selectors so you can move it on the OwnerRez calendar.
This is useful if, say, you want to move a booking across accounts, but don't want the guest to have to cancel. The booking will remain on the old property/dates for it's sourcing channel, but all other channels will see the original dates as available as it's been updated in OwnerRez.
All calendars on the new property will be properly blocked off, including with the original channel, which won't know it's really the same booking.
This can lead to problems if you happen to get in a dispute with the guest, since the channel won't know you switched properties on them and thus did not technically fulfill what you agreed to, so make sure the guest confirms this is what they want to do.
When you unlink a booking from the channel calendar, financial updates will remain linked (unless you separately switch those to manual mode). So charges, payments, etc. will continue to update for that booking via API connection or Channel Bridge even though the calendar side is unlinked.
Most Rental Agreement templates include the dates of the booking. If you move a booking to different dates, the previously signed Rental Agreement may not be fully legally valid - so, you may need to go to the Legal tab of the Booking, and use the Request dropdown button to ask your guest to sign a new one. Do this after making any needed changes to the Booking - Rental Agreements always include the most current data in OwnerRez at the moment they are signed.
Updated Rental Agreements
OwnerRez Rental Agreements, once they are e-signed by the guest, are legally valid and binding contracts. As such, it is not possible to change them after they have been signed.
However, they are automatically populated with the most current information available at the moment they are signed. So if, after changing the dates of a booking, you want the guest to sign a new rental agreement, you can do that to include the changed dates.
Unfortunately, a common problem can occur if the System Message template for "Send Renter Agreement Form To Guest" has been edited to use the {BUFIXUP} field code and there is already an Agreement on file for the booking because the link takes the guest to a page that says "All done! Your booking has been completed".
To fix this, create a new email template for requesting an additional lease (different from the "Send Renter Agreement To Guest" template you're currently using to ask for the Renter Agreement, Security Deposit, Photo ID) by navigating to Settings > Messaging > Templates.
Add the {BULEASE} by clicking on the field code icon or Insert Field.
Insert the {BULEASE} link in the new template by clicking on the Insert button.
Be sure to click Save!
Then, when you have a guest that needs to sign an updated Agreement, you can navigate to that specific Booking > Email this Guest.
Click on the Switch to Template drop-down list and select your email template that includes the {BULEASE} link. Click on Send Email.