Power Outages in California - Airbnb, please guide us hosts in how to handle guest cancellations

[Julie3152]

Hi All! I'm hoping to start a major conversation on asking Airbnb to come up with a standard for us hosts in handling the power outages in CA. If someone wants to cancel because of the power outages, are we as hosts able to extend a credit rather than a full-on refund? Guidance from Airbnb management would be really helpful. Anyone else? Thanks! - Julie

[Helen427]

hello @Julie3152 and welcome to ABB CC from across the miles in Auckland, New Zealand.

Great topic you have started and so important for those impacted on by then power outages.

You may like to have a look using related keywords in the search box here in CC how others have coped and addressed power outages in their locations, including in California as you seem to often have fires etc that may contribute to them.

All the best

[Julie3152]

Thanks for your response, Helen! I have poked around. Haven't found anything specific to the combo of power outages and fire risk but will keep looking!

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Julie3152 

I don't think you need any special guidelines. As far as I know, it is treated like any other "extenuating circumstances" and if your guests want to cancel they will be fully refunded by Airbnb

[Alex-and-Vaughan0]

What happens if, say, a host has gone to significant effort and expense to get backup power to their property to it's not affected. Say, solar with batteries or a generator. Can the guests just cancel anyway? If so, it's not really an incentive for a host to do anything to mitigate the outages.