New Extenuating Circumstances Policy release from January 2021

[Elena87]

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1320/extenuating-circumstances-policy#2021ecpolicy

Looks like the old EC policy has been completely ripped up and reset removing the requirement for hosts to become ad hoc travel insurance cover for travellers. 

What events are covered

This Policy uses the term “Event” to refer to the following situations that occur after booking, are unforeseen at the time of booking, and prevent or legally prohibit completion of the reservation.

Changes to government travel requirements. Unexpected changes to visa or passport requirements imposed by a governmental agency that prevent travel to the destination. This doesn’t include lost or expired travel documents or other personal circumstances relating to a guest’s authorization to travel.

Declared emergencies and epidemics. Government declared local or national emergencies, epidemics, pandemics, and public health emergencies. This does not include diseases that are endemic or commonly associated with an area—for example, malaria in Thailand or dengue fever in Hawaii.

Government travel restrictions. Travel restrictions imposed by a governmental agency that prevent or prohibit traveling to, staying at, or returning from the Listing location. This does not include non-binding travel advisories and similar government guidance.

Military actions and other hostilities. Acts of war, hostilities, invasions, civil war, terrorism, explosions, bombings, rebellions, riots, insurrection, civil disorder, and civil unrest.

Natural disasters. Natural disasters, acts of God, large-scale outages of essential utilities, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and other severe and abnormal weather events. This does not include weather or natural conditions that are common enough to be foreseeable in that location—for example, hurricanes occurring during hurricane season in Florida.

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; government obligations like jury duty, court appearances or military duties; travel advisories or other government guidance (that fall short of a travel ban or prohibition); cancellation or rescheduling of an event for which the reservation was made; and transportation disruptions unrelated to a covered Event like road closures, as well as flight, train, bus and ferry cancellations. If you cancel a reservation in these cases, the amount refunded will be determined by the cancellation policy that applies to the reservation.

[Cormac0]

@Elena87 

About time too, thanks for posting Elena

[Emilia42]

@Elena87 @Cormac0 

Check this out here:

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Airbnb-Updates/Updates-about-our-extenuating-circumstances-polic...

We are still waiting on confirmation from Lizzie and/or Catherine Powell on the "officialness" of hosts claiming EC for emergencies/home repairs, etc. 

[Sarah977]

@Elena87  While it looks good on the surface, there are still some things which need to be clarified before I'd get too excited about it.

As Emilia points out, it would appear, according to policy wording, that hosts won't be able to cancel penalty free if they are unable to host due to a serious medical event, or a property issue.

And the policy also states that guests no longer have to provide documentation for a EC that is covered, and that an Airbnb special team will decide if it's allowed. So that's concerning, as it would still seem to be up to the discretion of Airbnb to decide an EC qualification.

[Debra300]

I know the new EC policy has been previously discussed at length, but now that January 20 is soon approaching, I wanted to point out again that pandemics will still be covered, but there is no mention regarding the timeframe of the exception.  For example, only reservations made before the declaration of the pandemic should be allowed to claim a refund, and a time limit for submitting the refund request should be instituted.  Any reservation made after the declaration should not be allowed to claim a pandemic as a valid reason for cancellation.

There are still too many postings of guests getting refunds for recent bookings after claiming they have a COVID-19 related event.  True, they should not be traveling if they do or suspect they have the virus, but they should still have to adhere to the listing's chosen (or long-term) cancellation policy.

[Ann72]

@Debra300  Right, guests who cancel because they have tested positive for Covid, with symptoms or not, would presumably not be covered by the new EC because it says "unexpected disease, illness, or injury" is not covered.  Something to keep an eye on!

[Sarah977]

" I've been partying, not wearing a mask and not taking any precautions. Therefore the fact that I just contracted the virus is an expected, not unexpected, illness."

@Ann72