COVID-19 EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES POLICY - LATEST UPDATE APRIL 16 2020

[Susan17]

Latest EC update, as of April 16

The world’s awareness of the coronavirus (COVID-19) changed dramatically when the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic on March 11, 2020.

We’ve worked hard to find solutions that will lessen the impact on our community. On March 30, we announced several key initiatives and policies, including $250 million USD to help accommodation hosts impacted by COVID-19-related cancellations.

Here's how it works:

For a reservation to be eligible under our extenuating circumstances policy, it must have been for accommodations and booked on or before March 14 with a check-in between March 14 and May 31, 2020.If a reservation is covered:

• Guests will be able to cancel for a full refund for COVID-19-related circumstances.
• Airbnb will pay 25% of what you would’ve received for a guest cancellation based on your cancellation policy. For example, if you would normally receive $400 USD through your cancellation policy, we'll pay you 25% of that—or $100 USD.
• Payments from the fund will be made to hosts with qualifying cancellations at least once a month for all eligible guest cancellations through May 31. Hosts will also receive an email detailing the eligible reservations and support amount for each payment.
• This policy will also apply retroactively, including any cancellations you may have had since March 14.

For reservations booked on or before March 14 with a check-in after May 31, we recognize there may still be uncertainty. In the coming weeks, we’ll be asking hosts and guests to revisit these reservations and choose to either cancel or re-commit to the reservation.

Finally, for any reservations booked after March 14, your cancellation policy will be in effect as usual and COVID-19-related extenuating circumstances will not apply.

You may be wondering about the importance of March 14. In response to the WHO declaring the disease a global pandemic, that’s the date we announced coverage under our extenuating circumstances policy for situations related to COVID-19. 

We know a lot of people are facing serious hardships right now, and we’re working around the clock to help you. Our $250 million USD in support will come entirely from Airbnb at no cost to the guest, and we hope you’ll accept it as a show of commitment to our hosts.

[Susan17]

You can learn more about the policy in detail here, and answers to some common questions below.

When can I expect to receive a support payment?
Starting in mid-April, payments will be sent to the default payment method in your account within five to seven business days. If you have an outstanding account balance, we’ll apply your support payment toward that first. Once the payment is made, it cannot be reversed or sent to another account. You’ll see each payment in your transaction history, and you’ll receive an email from Airbnb detailing the amount per eligible reservation. Learn more about payment information

When will future payments arrive?
We expect to send payments to hosts with eligible reservations at least once a month until the program is completed.

What should I do if I think I’m eligible but haven’t received a payment?
Please check the answers above to make sure your reservation is eligible. Note: Only guest-initiated cancellations that would’ve normally resulted in host revenue are eligible for payments through our $250 million USD commitment to help hosts. 

We started to pay eligible hosts from this fund in mid-April. If you are eligible but have not yet received a notification from Airbnb, your payment may be scheduled for the coming days or in the next batch.

Note: Community Support does not have information about your payments, so there’s no need to contact Airbnb to check on the status of processing.

Is Airbnb accepting fees on cancellations?
Airbnb is waiving all host and guest fees on COVID-19 cancellations under our extenuating circumstances policy. We’re either refunding our fees or providing a travel credit in an amount that includes our fees.

I’ve heard Airbnb is offering travel credit instead of refunds to guests. Is that true?
When guests cancel due to COVID-19-related circumstances, we’re giving them the option to take either a cash refund or a travel credit that can be used for a stay at a later date. This is our way of encouraging guests to book with Airbnb hosts in the future.

Why aren’t you providing guests with credit toward a future booking specifically for one of my listings?
We considered this, but there are several scenarios where it might not work for you or your guests. For instance, a guest may not be able to book when you can host or may not be returning to your area. This credit provides added flexibility for both of you.

Does this extenuating circumstances policy apply to all reservations?
This policy doesn’t apply to Airbnb Luxe, Luxury Retreats, or domestic bookings in mainland China, which all have their own policies.

What happens for reservations that were canceled before this March 30 announcement?
As long as the criteria above apply, and the guest cancels under our extenuating circumstances policy, we’ll pay 25% of the amount you would’ve received for a normal guest cancellation.

Why are hosts in mainland China not eligible for support payments from the $250 million USD?
Because of the way our business is structured as an independent unit in mainland China, we have a $10 million USD support fund to assist our community in mainland China directly.

If I received a cancellation for a reservation booked on or before March 14 with a check-in after May 31, will it be eligible for the 25% offer?
No, but we plan to provide the guest the opportunity to cancel or re-commit to the reservation. We know that nothing is more frustrating than getting a last-minute cancellation. We feel it’s better to be transparent in the near-term so that you have the opportunity to seek out another booking or make other plans for your property.

Why can't I receive my 25% support payment immediately after a cancellation?
You may actually qualify for multiple support payments. We can better manage and account for the support payments we’ll be sending to our hosts by sending them on a monthly basis instead of in a single batch.

What if a reservation was canceled under Airbnb’s extenuating circumstances policy before global coverage was announced on March 14?
You may be eligible to receive a support payment for cancellations under our extenuating circumstances policy if you had a reservation:

• In Italy, or with a guest from Italy, booked by February 29, with a check-in between February 29 and May 31, and canceled between February 29 and March 13, 2020

• In South Korea, or with a guest from South Korea, booked by February 25, with a check-in between February 25 and March 23, and canceled between February 28 and March 13, 2020

• Outside of mainland China with a guest from mainland China, booked by February 1, with a check-in between February 1 and March 13, canceled between January 28 and March 13, 2020

• In the United States, booked by March 13, with a check-in between March 13 and March 14, and canceled between March 13 and March 14, 2020

• In the Schengen Area with a U.S. guest, booked by March 13, with a check-in between March 13 and March 14, canceled between March 13 and March 14, 2020

• In India with a guest from outside India, booked by March 10, with a check-in between March 12 and March 14, and canceled between March 10 and March 14, 2020

• In Israel with a guest from outside Israel, booked by March 10, with a check-in between March 12 and March 14, and canceled between March 10 and March 14, 2020

I have a Flexible cancellation policy. Am I covered?
Since support payments depend on the amount owed to you by guests at the time of cancellation, those of you with Flexible and Moderate policies may be less likely to benefit from them. But we’re working on other ways to support you, starting with getting you more bookings as quickly as we can. We've rolled out a new search filter so guests can find your listings more easily, and we're making your listings more visible in other ways, too. And we're seeing signs that this is what guests want—the share of bookings with a Flexible policy is now 15% higher than it was before COVID-19.