Updated Extenuating Circumstance Policy Floods/Fires

[Crystal366]

I would love some input on the updated EC Policy.  Does anyone know if this includes frozen pipes that burst and cause complete damage to your home or a house fire?

All I can seem to find is natural disaster info that could qualify.

Thank you! 

[Colleen253]

@Crystal366 If you can’t host a guest because your house has been impacted by flood or fire, even if it’s only restricted to your place and not a broad disaster, you should be able to cancel without associated penalties if you’re able to verify for Airbnb the damage/disaster, and are ok with them blocking your calendar. Which they will do, naturally. 

[Crystal366]

I guess I should have asked if anyone has experience with this since the policy was updated in January, 2021.  

The vagueness of the new policy with "natural disaster" verbiage and specifically saying nothing else qualifies really raises this question for me.  

I would love to hear if anyone has experience with this in 2021. 

[Crystal366]

@Colleen253 thank you for that!  I see that the EC Policy prior to January 2021 had unexpected property damage that made the rental uninhabitable covered.  Now, it seems to be gone.  The new policy only seems to cover large-scale natural disasters.  

So, I guess the answer is that a house fire is not covered, but a large-scale wildfire is.   Broken pipes that ruined a home doesn't not qualify, but a flood of the entire neighborhood does. 

Ouch.  

[Colleen253]

@Crystal366 Airbnb seems to specialize in ‘vague’. Must be a good reason for it. I don’t necessarily think it’s that black and white though. If your listing were to sustain damage that made you unable to host guests, you are able to provide proof of it, and block your calendar, that you would be able to avoid penalties. But I could be wrong, and no, I do not have direct experience with this. Perhaps other hosts who do will chime in. 

[Crystal366]

@Colleen253 I just got off the phone with Airbnb, and it is as I suspected.  If your home floods or you have a fire, you still pay cancelation fees, and it affects your host status.  Kinda silly, since it does happen.  The Hilton here in Anchorage, Alaska just flooded from the 4th floor down.  

[Colleen253]

@Crystal366 The trouble is, you can ask 5 different customer circus reps the same question, and get 5 different answers. There is loads of evidence on this forum of just how little any of them actually know. But it remains that the policy does seem to exclude the scenarios you mention. However, I suspect if one was persistent enough, and got the right rep, any penalties could be waived. 
PS I hope neither of us ever has to test that theory.