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

[Airbnb]

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

[Ika2934]

Hi @Airbnb 

I had to cancel my trip to South Korea which I should be going to next week because of the Coronavirus outbreak. Today (26/02/2020), 11 has died and 1000++ has been infected by this virus. Although I planned to postpone to a later date instead of cancel my booking, but my hosts does not allow me to do so.  I had no choice to cancel (I haven't yet) but I do believe that I should get a full refund for all my booking as this falls under your extenuating circumstances policy. I've sent few messages through your Airbnb Support, no response yet. Appreciate your reply. Thanks.

[Farred-Abduzzareen0]

Have you received any update from Airbnb?

[Kevin1747]

They are SUPER slow responding to any sort of questions/email about this (delay of 24hours between response) . I'm trying to cancel my South Korea reservation as well and here's their reply CLEARLY implying that all they care about is making Money and not anything the CDC or WHO are saying.

"I do apologize that Airbnb has to honor the cancellation policy in place to protect the hosts business interest, as it was part of the Terms and conditions we agreed upon when the reservation was booked."

What's the point of having an  Extenuating circumstances policy for Coronavirus if not for something like this.  The CDC has issued a level 3 warning for South Korea - Avoid nonessential Travel and yet Airbnb just ignores it.

Please someone at Airbnb come to your senses regarding this virus and allow guest to cancel in highly contagious area.

[Lilly28]

@Ika2934 

If you carefully read these extenuating circumstances - you would see that coronavirus is not there!!! It is only stated that you should follow your country advice according it - i.e. in Israel it is forbidden Chines, Iranians and travelers from other 5 countries to entrer through the border or by plane or by car.  But in all other countries you are just advised to take care 0 to ware masks, to wash your hands, ect...

[Farred-Abduzzareen0]

Circumtances that require special review

Epidemic disease or illness that suddenly affects a region or an entire group of people. This doesn’t include existing diseases that are associated with an area—for example, malaria in Thailand or dengue fever in Hawaii. Any updates to our policy regarding the outbreak of a disease, and the scope of policy application, will be determined based on announcements by the World Health Organization and local authorities"

Coronavirus should be count as epidemic disease or illness right?

[Nanxing0]

@Farred-Abduzzareen0 It's hard to say, depending on how you explain it. The illness or disease in the EC covers people affected, but if you are not affected then it's debatable if it should be covered. Think about the early 2009 H1N1 swine flu, I don't know if Airbnb issued similar policy at that time. Also each year between 2012 and 2019 there's MERS epidemic as well. I never heard any covered cancellation under this either. But again epidemics are different.

[Adam1161]

The profit motive is too high for Airbnb to NOT allow cancellations without penalties even as the coronavirus is spreading rapidly like wildfire. As Korea and Japan infection numbers are doubling and closing in on 1000 each with lightening speed, Airbnb is not willing to let me cancel the booking of 2 Japanese tourists from Tokyo (for public health reason) without severe penalty, thereby endangering my family and 3 other groups of guests from 2/28 and on. So I told Daniel, the supervisor, I will hold Airbnb responsible if anything catastrophic happens as a result. He just said “NO Airbnb will not be responsible and you are responsible because you accept the original booking request!”  Can you believe the arrogance and irresponsibility of the Airbnb corporate attitude/culture is?

[Gina136]

The beauty of "digital matching firms" like AirBnB: no accountability.

[Gina136]

.

[Kevin1747]

I'm trying to cancel a reservation in South Korea as well for June, but Airbnb will not allow me to without severe penalty. All they care about is the money. There's no accountability or regards for human lives or the risk it could pose to anyone except for their bottom line. This is my first and last time trying airbnb. If this is the level of customer service they provide forget it. 

[Andrew1896]

Hello Kevin, I am a reporter with the Los Angeles Times who is writing a story on coronavirus and the impact it is having on guests and hosts. Would you be willing to talk about your experience and concerns? If so, would really appreciate any time you have. I can be reached by email at  *sensitive information hidden*

Thanks so much, 

Andrew

[Roy604]

I have guests arriving from Italy from an area not far from the main outbreak there. My wife is 8 months pregnant and I am concerned about her safety. 2 more people have died today in Italy which is concerning. What should I do? 

[Susan17]

I'm not one for panic @Roy604, - more of a "Be grand" type here - but if your wife is 8 months pregnant, and the guests are going to be staying in the same house, I'd be calling Airbnb and requesting an immediate cancellation under the Extenuating Circumstances policy, if I were you. No point in taking any unnecessary risks, however small they may be. 

If you find the first customer service agent you speak with isn't particularly knowledgeable or helpful on this issue (there's a lot of confusion going on in the CX dept over what's permitted and what's not), just hang up and try again until you reach an agent who can properly assist you. Good luck, and stay safe 🙂

Airbnb Customer Service Ireland 

01 697 1831

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Susan17 @Roy604  it seems it is possible to cancel reservations from Italy now without any penalties. Try and let us know please

[Susan17]

Apparently, someone forgot to send CX the memo, @Branka-and-Silvia0 (now there's a shocker!). I've had loads of calls and messages today about this - Ireland was scheduled to play Italy in the Six Nations rugby match here next weekend, and it was called off yesterday, so there's a bit of a cancellation flurry going on at the moment (from both sides)

Experiences with CX have been mixed - some cancelling the affected bookings under EC with no problems at all, others insisting it doesn't apply. Nothing new there then.