[Updated Jan 2021] Updates about our extenuating circumstances policy in the latest Host Update

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[Updated Jan 2021] Updates about our extenuating circumstances policy in the latest Host Update

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Last Updated: Jan, 2021

 

Hello,

 

The policy update outlined below is now in effect. 

 

You can find out how cancellations will work under our updated extenuating circumstances policy, effective for reservations starting on or after January 20, 2021, here.

 

Thank you.

 

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Catherine Powell is back with a new Host Update, sharing how Airbnb is working to make our extenuating circumstances policy more transparent and fair for hosts. The changes—effective for reservations of stays and Airbnb Experiences with a check-in or start date on or after January 20, 2021*—will give hosts discretion over whether to refund guests who can’t travel due to unexpected personal circumstances. The policy will continue to cover natural disasters and similar large-scale events.

 

 

Get all the details about the upcoming changes to our policy here in this Help Center article. Please let us know what you’d like covered in future Host Updates with Catherine. As always, thank you for sharing the topics that matter to you.

 

*This policy doesn’t apply to Luxe reservations, which are subject to a separate Luxe guest refund policy.

 

175 Replies 175
Robin129
Level 10
Belle, WV

Now that the husband and I have both our vaccinations, I am looking to open my calendar back up after the COVID gap year. We are a home host, we share a room in our home not a separate commercial rental.

The revised cancellation has been in effect for a couple months now. I am curious how other home-hosts view them. Have they helped, hurt, or been neutral?

---> That's how I look at most guests, like cousins. And you know, some of those cousins are kooks.
Mary996
Level 10
Swansea, United Kingdom

Hi Robin  @Robin129 

Love your turn of phrase! The Covid Gap year....haha brilliant... and, well, its accurate too!

The cancellation policy has been neutral for me with one exception which I'm working on!

I look forward to receiving more cousins... and kooks too. You sound like a hoot. I hope to see you around here more often. Mary  xx

 

LOL I've been around for a while but I haven't posted in ages. I check in every so often to catch up on things. It's easy to loose massive amounts of time on boards like this. 

---> That's how I look at most guests, like cousins. And you know, some of those cousins are kooks.
Mary996
Level 10
Swansea, United Kingdom

Absolutely... but thankfully not crooks ....!! xx

Liz3481
Level 2
Jackson, MS

If I indicate in my review that I would not host a guest a second time I would like for that guest to be denied access to booking my property. It is difficult to recall all guests and taking a second booking is obviously not preferable nor should be allowed. 

Here is my circumstance I'm in due to having a seizure on the way to my stay in Arkansas  & all I've gone through trying to get a refund because I was in the hospital & am still on at home IV through a picc line but my hosts refuses to refund me after telling me this morning he would fully refund me if I called Airbnb support, which I did, and they sent a message that the host is unwilling to refund me anything after just saying he would. I feel like I've been robbed. Please somebody help me figure out how to take him to small claims court to get a refund I fully deserve.  Here is my story:   

I live in lower Alabama & had a trip planned to Conway Arkansas for my granddaughter's graduation. I booked five days with Old Town Lodge in Conway. I talked back & forth with them. We were set to arrive in Conway on May 20th and leave on May 25th. We had planned to stop half way in Tupelo so we could rest since we're 73. Well at 2:30 a.m on the 20th when we were due to arrive I had a bad seizure which comes with no warning. It ends up causing me to aspirate food into my lungs causing pneumonia & pleurisy. I go through a lot during the seizure & then pass out for a day, sometimes two. These seizures are caused from damage, I had blood clots, from covid which I had in March 2020. My lungs are very scared from it. My husband called the hosts explaining what was going on & telling them he had to turn around and head back home to see my doctor who knows & understands what is happening & how sick I get. I was totally out the whole trip home & that night. I ended up in the hospital two days getting an IV of strong antibiotics.  Then he had a picc line inserted into my upper arm so I could get 14 days of antibiotics straight into the vein. I assumed we could get a refund because of the policy Airbnb has about unforseen extenuating circumstances beyond your control. I certainly qualify. I'm getting little help from Airbnb at all, they offered a $200 coupon for my next stay. Not good enough. I might never book through Airbnb again after this. Well I posted a terrible review on Zach's page explaining what he's done to me & then this morning he sends me an apology of sorts telling me he would give me a full refund & I needed to call Airbnb & tell them to contact him so I did call Airbnb & held for almost 30 minutes before getting a person, told them my story, sent them a copy of the message Zach sent me & now I get a message saying the host refuses to refund me anything out of the $677 I paid him. So can I bring a suit against him & Airbnb through small claims court & if I can, how do I get started on filing it since he is in Arkansas & I'm in Alabama. It's the principle of the thing that gets me. I was robbed basically out of $677 & have no recourse as far as I know. If anybody can help me email me to carol.davis.hampton@gmail.com. & tell me how to move forward

 

 

@Carol6290  While I'm sorry you had such a terrible medical event, no, you were not robbed. Guests are held to the cancellation policy in place for the listing.

 

You wrote: "I assumed we could get a refund because of the policy Airbnb has about unforseen extenuating circumstances beyond your control."

 

You should never assume anything. You have to actually read the policy. This is what the EC policy says: 

What is not covered

Everything else. This Policy only allows for cancellations for the Events described above. Everything else is excluded. Examples of situations that this Policy does not allow cancellations for include: unexpected disease, illness, or injury;"

 

So as you can see, it specifically says that unexpected illness is NOT covered.

 

As you were already well aware that you have a pre-exusting medical condition, you should have purchased travel insurance, which would have covered you for this.

 

Airbnb hosts are not your travel insurers, who should lose out on their business income for whatever reason a guest feels they deserve a full refund. And I can assure that all guests think whatever reason they had to cancel, be it a major medical issue or that their friend can't make the trip with them, deserves a refund.

Well I did get a full refund.

@Carol6290  Bully for you. You got what you wanted and screwed over the host. 

Jennifer2868
Level 1
Cave Springs, AR

Hi Catherine, can you please have someone from the integrity team/hosting side please contact me personally? Thank you. 

@Jennifer2868  First of all, no one will know you are addressing them unless you use the tagging feature. Secondly, she rarely responds to any posts here. Thirdly, there isn't any such thing as "the integrity team/hosting side".

 

Is there maybe something other hosts here could advise you on?

Robin55
Level 1
Portland, ME

@ Catherine, I had to cancel a guest reservation because the last day was unavailable.  I wrote to the guest and explained 6 of the 7 days were available and I never heard back.  This was 3 months ahead of the reservation.  Since they did not respond, I finally cancelled the reservation and then airbnb blocked all 6 days that could have been rented.  I thought that was Totally unnecessary of airbnb. I would like to know why that policy isn't changed. I am a Super Host by your  standards and didn't warrant that  penalty!!

Mustang50
Level 2
Kuwait City, Kuwait

Dear Cathy, I booked a real-estate in February 2020 for a vication during august of that year. Due to Covid, me and the family were not able to travel. How can i refund the 1941$ i paid to the land lord? she asked me to contact Airbnb. Please advice

Thanks

 

@cathrine

Mike-And-Jane0
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

@Mustang50 @Catherine-Powell won't actually read this post. Did you contact Airbnb back in August 2020? If not, whilst it may be a bit late, why don't you contact them now?

Mustang50
Level 2
Kuwait City, Kuwait

Thank you for support, but i dont know how to!!