[Updated: March 13th] Coronavirus outbreak: Information on Airbnb’s extenuating circumstances policy coverage

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[Updated: March 13th] Coronavirus outbreak: Information on Airbnb’s extenuating circumstances policy coverage

Last updated: March 13th, 2020

 

As more information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak becomes available, Airbnb continues to prioritize the safety and well-being of our community of hosts, guests and employees around the world. 

 

As this situation evolves, we strongly urge you to review your local government’s travel guidance and health advisories and take necessary precautions to protect yourself and your guests when hosting or traveling. 

 

Following governmental and health authorities guidance and recommendations, Airbnb is offering impacted hosts and guests with eligible reservations the option to cancel their reservations without charges through our extenuating circumstances policy. We’ll continue to evaluate and update this policy in line with official guidance. 

 

Airbnb understands that you may have concerns, and we’d like to encourage impacted hosts and guests to reach out to our customer support team (https://www.airbnb.com/help/home) with questions or to get help with canceling reservations.


More details about our extenuating circumstances policy can be found here

 

Read the FAQs here: Answers to your hosting questions about coronavirus

306 Replies 306

@Brandon434 not one of your "facts" 1-4 is actually a known fact. Hopefully most people are smart enough to look to public health authorities and scientists for information, not their Airbnb host.

thanks for your response Lisa way back in March.  I was only trying to help others from my perspective early on in March.  

 

As a host you have a lot to say about the cleanliness of your home and to reassure guests traveling during COVID. 

 

What did you do to try to help other Airbnb hosts besides talking smack? 

 

@Brandon434  In the first paragraph of your post that Lisa responded to, you said "feel free to agree/disagree". Yet when someone disagreed, you get nasty. 

David887
Level 3
Woolooware, Australia
Kris105
Level 6
New York, NY

Why is Airbnb offering full refunds for cancelation???? No airline gives refund only free change fee booked before December 2020 only 1 change allowed per booking. 
airbnb gives full refund killing hosts

Gordon0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

For the record, @Kris105, when a would-be guest's circumstances are truly extenuating (eg. their airline has stopped serving your country), I sort of get it, despite the impact it has on me personally. These are extraordinary times, so extraordinary measures are called for.

airlines fly daily full of passengers, airbnb is giving full refunds to everyone who cancels with check in before april 1st as the virus has gone globaly. so no distinctions all bookings before april first are canceled same as mine. Guests are american flying in from nyc to aua and they got full refund 

Kayla4
Level 5
Albuquerque, NM

The extenuating circumstances policy needs to NOT apply to bookings AFTER cases became widespread in the United States.  The cancellation of older bookings due to this has been devastating to my Airbnb but I am still receiving some new bookings.  Guests who are booking right now, know exactly what is going on and still want or NEED to travel.  The policy should not apply to these reservations!  Your hosts are already losing money.  Don't make it harder on us by allowing new bookings to use this policy to get out of strict or moderate cancellation policies.

Gordon0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

Agree. This shouldn't be used as an ultra-flexible 'policy' for guests to get around the norm, @Kayla4

Betty105
Level 2
Miami, FL

Airbnb lack of clarity on the cancelation policies for this WHO declared pandemic is simply a nightmare. 

 

Guests are frustrated and stressed.  They don't want to travel in fear of contracting the disease.  National and local governments are making changes on a daily basis and guests are afraid of not being able to come back home even if they still want travel.  

 

As a host, I have a strict cancelation policy.  Given the circumstance, I am willing to provide a cancelation at no cost.  BUT I CAN'T DO IT ALONE WITHOUT AIRBNB's APPROVAL.  When trying to get through Airbnb from the USA, I get: busy tone on their main number, a message telling me to check their (unclear) policies on airbnb.com/COVID19, a message stating hours of wait, and the pitiful getting hung upon.

 

So, with a few dozen reservations trying to get canceled, the frustration is piling up.  This will certainly be a lesson for everyone involved.

 

Praying that this will soon pass and that everyone stays healthy and back to traveling again!

Chastity3
Level 8
Orlando, FL

Had my first cancellation on my other account on a condo where the bookings pay the mortgage. This guest is from Georgia and cancelled four days before check-in and wanted me to refund her the full amount, while playing “I’m also a small business owner” card. I live where Disney and Universal are the main attractions and with those closings, they don’t want to take the chance.  However, my strict policy stands. I gave a full refund to one cancellation with Airbnb mediating three weeks before that guest’s check-in as it worked out well because I was re-booked by other guests within 1-2 days. 

Heather133
Level 10
Stowe, VT

I don't expect that it will necessarily solve my problems, but I've just added the following to my house rules:  The cancellation policy for this property is Airbnb's Strict Policy. Please make yourself familiar with that policy and purchase trip insurance if you think there is a possibility you may need to cancel your trip. We are not able to issue additional refunds.

 

I've just cancelled my own vacation and have lost several deposits. It seems to me that if Airbnb is going to decide to impose hardships - it should be shared 50/50 between hosts and guests and not imposed 100% on hosts.

Airbnb is giving my guests full refunds even though I have a strict cancellation policy...

Courtney103
Level 2
Paso Robles, CA

Running a vacation rental is my livelihood. I find it extremely dissapponting that Airbnb has now added the entire United States to their extenuating circumstances list. I have almost lost an entire month of bookings. The guests could clearly afford a vacation and should have purchased travel insurance or booked a place with a softer cancellation policy. They may have been out 50% of their booking by canceling, but now I am completely out of a job. 

Tracy609
Level 2
Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA

There are ZERO confirmed cases in Monterey county. Why are you telling guests there is an incident in my city Carmel valley?????