[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
Sonia-And-Tim0
Level 1
Wales, United Kingdom

As a host I feel this is completely unfair, just had a weeks booking for Easter cancelled, £400 that was to pay bills and other essentials like oil and gas for the property completely wiped off!  I wouldn’t have minded but the booking had been done 7 months ago, surely I should have been given half for the time that booking has been logged onto my page?  We have mouths to feed, and this has upset me so much!  Can we sue Airb&b for loss of income and stress over all these cancellations!

Cynthia752
Level 2
Boulder, CO

Does the COVID-19 Temporary Eviction Moratorium, affect short term rental? If I guest refuse to leave/check out and not 

paying overstaying due to loss of job or now being sick. 

A scary possibility. 

The premise that guests should get the refund because they never actually stayed at the listing, so thereby did not use or "consume" the service, is based on a complete misunderstanding of what the consumable is. The consumable, from a market standpoint, is not the stay, it is the occupation of the host's calendar. The space on the calendar, for a particular point in time that cannot be renewed or reused, is what is being offered. For the host it is an income opportunity that cannot be replaced. Wether or not a guest actually stays there has little to do with the main cost for the host; the costs, which are usually fixed, like mortgage or rent, as well as the projected income that the host depends on, is not conserved by the guest not staying there. Hosts have built livelihoods around the trust that the cancellation  policy, that they supposedly could choose, would mitigate the many other risks they already  take on by opening their assets to total strangers. Unilaterally stripping this away from hosts without consent undermines the core value proposition of listing on Airbnb. 

So true. Also from a customer service perspect of view, this kind of policies will give the illusion to the guests that they can get fully refunded with "some" reason easily by shouting/crying out. I had a guest making a 4-day later reservation for her son moving out of dorm due to the pandemic and she was trying to cancel it last minute telling me that due to the virus her son could not stay and asked me to fully refund her. I told her it was not covered by the updated EC so she willl get 50% back according to my moderate cancellation policy plus the cleaning fee. She appeared very angry, saying that she deserves full refund and I generously told her that's not the case. She finally gave up after many back and forth words but I'm worried this represents the typical mindset guests are having these days, that they can very likely ignore the cancellation policy we set up in the reservation by shouting/crying out.

Norene1
Level 4
Bar Harbor, ME

I clean my own listings. I am a senior and therefore at risk for Covid-19. I want to cancel ALL my listings. I would like to offer 50% refund so guests and I would be impacted but not have it be a horrendous loss for myself. It will be a tremendous loss as it is. @Airbnb 

 

I am amazed you still have guests and all have not cancelled. For most of us the bookings and earnings vanished in a poof. Wear a proper mask, gloves, and change your clothes when you leave. Ask guests to strip their own beds. Maybe air out the place for a day before you start cleaning. Just my opinion, not a medical authority 🙂

@Maria481 As a non-medical authority, I don't think you should be advising hosts who are trying to keep themselves and others safe and don't wish to host until this pandemic is under control, to simply open the windows for a day and clean with a mask and gloves. 

You do you and let others make their own decisions.

Nanxing0
Level 10
Haverford, PA

Just a suggestion, as most hosts are suggesting a 50/50 split, it can be done in a little better manner by making the non-refunded 50% a voucher for future bookings with the same host. If Airbnb manages it right it might not necessarily be restrained to the same host. By doing this the guests will not lose anything given they travel again in the future, and the hosts will not suffer from a huge hit from sudden revenue loss. The logic is that for most guests this money is not what they immediately need because it's some money they have paid long time ago so it's not absolutely necessary to refund them immediately. They can be ultimately refunded or used as voucher. However at least some hosts are in immediate need of the money to pay their mortgage, utilities and maintenance of the property they are listing. The current 100% refund policy will probably not benefit guests too much, but it will hit some hosts deadly. We are a whole community so please help each other rather than keep demanding from one party.

Barbara-and-Mike0
Level 4
United Kingdom

@Airbnb  I have guests requesting cancellations and refunds for Covid 19 as UK government requires all hotels, guest houses, and b&bs to be closed from 3/24. I see no reason why I should be penalised, or Airbnb should get fees, for these cancellations outside the 3/14 to 4/14 date range that you set. Can you please, please, please start communicating with hosts to tell us what is going on, and when you plan to implement your flexible reservation and cancellations capabilities? ........

 

More Flexible Reservations

Today, we are announcing “More Flexible Reservations”, a suite of tools and programs we are developing to help hosts and guests navigate uncertainty and meet their needs to cancel or postpone their hosting and travel plans. Today, Airbnb hosts already offer flexible and moderate cancellation policies on over 60 percent of active listings. And we know millions of travelers are still booking business trips, getaways and other places to stay.

These enhancements aim at promoting a fair balance and additional transparency for our unique two-sided community, formed by hosts (home-owners and hospitality entrepreneurs) and guests (travelers who seek unique accommodations and local experiences). When a crisis like Coronavirus hits, we know both hosts and guests are affected. Hosts lose earnings that they rely on to make ends meet. Guests are losing hard earned vacation savings. We strive to support both sides and are taking a series of actions.

As travel restrictions and other impacts have become more widespread, we’re introducing “More Flexible Reservations” to give travelers more peace of mind when booking and help hosts secure more reservations in the long run:

  1. Rewards for Flexible Hosts
    We appreciate and are committed to supporting hosts who are willing and able to offer refunds on cancellations that would have otherwise been subject to charges. Hosts will have new tools to directly authorize extra refunds through our platform. We will also provide promotions that increase visibility for these listings to drive new bookings. Finally, we will waive our standard 3 percent host fee on new reservations for these listings* through June 1, 2020.
  2. Easy Filter Search for Travelers
    Guests will have filters that make it easier to find and book accommodation options that have the most appropriate cancellation policy (Flexible, Moderate or Strict), according to their needs and the current outlook on COVID-19.
  3. 100% Airbnb Guest Service Fee Refund
    We will also do our part to provide guests more peace of mind. For bookings made now through June 1, 2020, if guests need to cancel and are not due a refund of the Airbnb guest service fee, we will refund that fee as a travel coupon which can be used on a future trip.

Please note that most of our existing reservations are still eligible for a penalty-free cancellation. For severe and unforeseen conditions, the remainder may be eligible for an “extenuating circumstances” cancellation, which provides guests a 100 percent refund. Early in the outbreak, we expanded eligibility to cover certain conditions and locations that have been severely impacted, using criteria established by governments and health authorities. Please read about eligibility in this

 

Jo640
Level 2
Oatley, AU

Just need some assistance in regards to a trip I booked where I am unable to get to as a result of travel bans and corona pendemic . I’ve applied for a cancellation and my host has denied my refund . As this is a circumstance completely out of my control I feel I’m entitled to a full refund . Please advise how I’m able to take this further 

Janet939
Level 2
Sacramento, CA

Does AirBnB plan to update it's Extenuating Circumstances policy? The policy states full refunds will be given for reservations with Check-in dates before April 14, 2020.  Will AirBnB be extending that date for check-ins after April 14th? 

Ian26484
Level 2
England, United Kingdom

I've seen a number of hosts talk about their inability to pay mortgages because of this, many of whom do not appear to be businesses. Do their mortgage providers know this? As the owner of a buy to let flat, I'm aware that unforeseen circumstances can severely impact my revenue, and this is factored into affordability models. For example, if the mortgage amount is £1000 a month, the lender needs to be confident that you can pay £1000 a month based on your income.

Luana107
Level 2
Jericho, VT

I live in Vermont where our Governor ordered for all Airbnb businesses to shut down and to remove our listing until the fall.  If we did not do this we would be fined.  My point to all this is that I needed to cancel my future reservations. Reservations that were made in 2019 for July and August of this year.  These dates do not fall under the check in dates beginning 3/4 - 5/31.  I have still lost my income regardless of that time frame due to the virus.  50/50 would be most helpful for the income I lost and to the guest. The virus put both the host and guest into a situation that is our of our control.  

 

Jonathan-and-Sally0
Level 1
England, United Kingdom

Unfortunately, as hosts, we have been left in a very frustrating situation by Airbnb. The cancellation policy is understandable, however the way this has been applied means that Airbnb has overwritten original invoices with nil invoices and with no way of proving the original prices for those trips now cancelled. We are, by pure luck, able to claim for a portion of our losses by separate insurance policy. However, this is reduced to nil as Airbnb has now removed the evidence we need to supply to the insurance company. Not a happy Superhost. Airbnb - sort this out.