As the global pandemic continues to evolve, public health is one of our top priorities. We are continuing to monitor COVID-19 developments, local government guidance, and making changes as we learn more.
We know many of you have questions about our Extenuating Circumstances policy as it relates to documentation standards, travel credits, and policy changes as countries shift into recovery mode.
We want to share more information with you on this.
Documentation Standards & Travel Credit
To cancel under the Extenuating Circumstances Policy for COVID-19 related reasons, guests are required to attest to the facts of and/or provide documentation of their extenuating circumstances. With widespread travel restrictions prohibiting travel, many guests have been eligible to cancel under the Policy, and we have seen many guests elect to receive travel credit rather than pursuing a cash refund.
Most guests who cancel under the Policy for COVID-19 related reasons are cancelling for one of the following reasons:
- Government-mandated restrictions like border closures, quarantines and shelter-in-place orders
- Medical instructions not to travel
- Transportation disruptions, cancellations and closures
- Medical professionals required to work in connection with the COVID-19 outbreak
- Traveler is sick with COVID-19
Offering travel credit to guests who can’t travel now encourages them to book with an Airbnb host in the future.
Given the unpredictability of COVID-19, hosts will likely continue to see cancellations from guests who cannot travel because of COVID-19. We heard some of you are concerned with guests taking advantage of this policy by cancelling and rebooking for the same dates with another listing and lower price. We are continuing to monitor the course of the pandemic, the Policy, and guest cancellation options to ensure refunds issued to guests are merited under the Policy.
We plan to update this page with current information about the Extenuating Circumstances policy, so you can bookmark it to stay informed. As decisions are made, we’ll continue to keep you updated.
