[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
Kevin1752
Level 2
San Jose, CA

Hi @Airbnb 

I am trying to get full refund under the extenuating circumstances  for my canceled stay in Rome 3/12-3/19 . Airbnb staff refused to provide full refund for this stay despite the State Dept and WHO advisement to avoid nonessential travel to Italy. Airbnb staff even suggested that I knowingly booked my stay in Rome when the coronavirus was announced on 1/30 for China. At that time, Italy was not affected by the virus so that doesn't make sense. Staff was not empathetic and understanding of the situation.  Appreciate if @Airbnb can assist. 

+1

 

Having a pretty similar issue with upcoming trip to Bologna (part of the Emilia Romagna region in Northern Italy which as the 3rd highest amount of cases). In fact, I was told my by customer service rep that, I kid you not, Italy does not fall under the EC policy as it's "safe to travel there" - advice that is directly contradicted by the CDC, American State Department, and WHO (on a side note, I feel like it's pretty ridiculous for him to be telling me Italy is safe when the US government clearly disagrees).

 

Told only the host can issue me a refund at this point - would like to see what happens here!

The @Airbnb staff that I chatted with suggested that since it's not a total travel ban for Italy, it's safe to travel to Rome. So it has to be a total ban of the country for airbnb to even provide full refund? 

 

While I understand the northern region of Italy was hit the hardest with the virus, I'm not going to risk getting sick to fly to Rome at this time. Why are airlines allowing its guests to cancel/reschedule/get full refund for flights to Italy then?

The impact on a holiday maker of a cancellation is a single holiday - possibly insured. The impact on Airbnb hosts is possibly up to an entire season or more of cancellations.  This is a policy that disproportionately impacts on hosts, with severe consequent financial distress for many, and possibly business closures/ home sales as a result when hosts can't meet their running costs.  As a relatively new host, it is very surprising that Airbnb can simply change a policy and enforce it in this way.  Guests that made bookings, particularly those with Strict cancellation policies, did so knowingly, and could have made different choices.  Hosts that have Strict policies will have chosen that option amidst financial planning that keep their businesses afloat.  Here in the UK businesses are already going under; a national airline carrier closed yesterday, with cancelled bookings due to Coronovirus the final straw that made them unviable.  I think the new cancellation policy is a poor decision by Airbnb, and for the other reasons noted in this thread, and that hosts should have a right of reply.  

 

If we know that Airbnb can make these kinds of decisions arbitrarily, perhaps the conclusion would be to prefer other platforms that are fairer to hosts. 

 

Serafina2
Level 4
Bp, Hungary

Hello @Airbnb 

 

I am a host in Hungary and i am managing several apartments. I was hoping that you could help me to better understand some policies regarding extinuating circumstances due to the coronavirus. Cureently several airlines are canceling flights from Italy but also to and from other countries. The reasons for those flight cancelations might be that airlines do not find it economical to operate half-empty airplanes during the coronavirus-crisis. If a guest who is already booked for lets say June of this year gets his flight canceled now because the airline made a business decision, is that an extinuating circumstance?  Is fear of contagion of the virus an extinuating circumstance?

 

I get it that people who are infected with the virus can not travel and people under quarantine can't either. But what about those guests who are simply uneasy with traveling during this crisis or who have to change or rebook their flights, or the event that they are traveling for (such as a festival, concert of sports event) got canceled. Does the guest get a full refund? I am having a strict cancelation policy in place, bytheway. 

 

Thank you for the answers.

Gail-and-Beth0
Level 5
San Diego, CA

Once again, AIRBNB exposes hosts to losing funds, while failing to properly vet guest’s claims under this policy.  

 

Case in point:  A party of 5 presents themselves in writing as a couple and 3 friends, all of whom live and work together in San Francisco.  The night prior to arrival (we have strict cancellation), we receive notice that the reservation has been cancelled under EC.  For the EC claim, the guests have represented themselves as an entirely different group — one consisting of a bunch of colleagues from several international locations.  One of the five (not the guest who booked) is/was flying from South Korea.  Airbnb sends us an airline ticket as proof — of what?  The flight dates do not coincide with reservation dates.  In fact, the flight occurred 10 days prior.  

 

So here we are asking ourselves, “Why don’t the flight dates align with the booking dates, they’re not even close?  If the flight was cancelled due to COVID-19, the cancellation would have occurred at least 10 days ago, why are we just finding out about this cancellation now, the night before arrival?  Why is this now a different group than presented to us for booking purposes?  Why has AIRBNB approved this and why are they refusing to listen and consider our response?  Does/should the policy extend to all unidentified potential guests or parties now claimed to be  ‘guests’ for the purpose of such claims?  How many more of these are we going to see this week and going forward? “


If this becomes a prolonged issue, as it is likely to be, all the people who are simply afraid to fly or have changes in plans for personal reasons will be gaming EC.  Could be a lot.  Could mean mortgages not paid.  Could mean finally switching back to long term rentals, as saturation in supply has reduced bookings and pricing, while costs continue to increase.

 

In a travel industry comprised of mega players — airlines, hotel chains, cruise lines, AIRBNB — why on earth would AIRBNB implement this special EC without keeping hosts whole financially, or at the very least, properly vetting claims?  Neither.  Unacceptable.  This certainly is no partnership, we’re serfs, let’s all face it.  Except we own the properties.


Please, no 
push-back and other nonsensical comments from AIRBNB community bots or hosts who’ve imbibed the cool aid.  This platform puts ordinary people at risk, who clearly lack the cost structures of hotels and other enterprises, and there’s no justification whatsoever.

 

Good luck with COVID-19 related cancellations everyone, real and falsified.

I agree with you 100%. Are we not as important as the guests in helping them make money? The policy sucks and I'm terrified I won't be able to pay my bills for several months. What then?

Viola129
Level 2
Phoenix, AZ

 Airbnb refunded only the service charge for me despite having a reservation for 30 days in King County, WA.  They said it did not fall under extenuating circumstances.  Airbnb and the Host I stayed with have been quiet since reaching out to them and I now have to reach out to my bank to dispute the charge. 

Update -Guest POV - I was able to get pro rated refund and I am content with that.  Only difference between my case and some other is I wasn’t being precautionary - I stayed in the affected area (King County, WA ) while waiting for Airbnb to refund me. 

@Airbnb 

 

Under EC guests are allowed to cancel just of fear - and I understand this. But hosts are not allowed to do the same!!! The situation is special and I think that what is allowed to guests should be allowed to hosts - but as this is a special situation which affects all - I repeat - all EC cancelations must give the chance to hosts to receive 10% of the sum they would have been receiving and Airbnb must retain 50% of its service fee. 

Please - Airbnb - please, instead of 200$ for a week stay I better receive 20$ but stay safe, and the guest would not suffer so much as all the world is suffering - not only tourist industry, Airbnb, all hosts, industry, ect. I think guests and hosts must have the possibility to cancel under EC with only 10% retained to cover at least a tiny proportion of the big loss we allas hosts suffer - Airbnb to retain 50% of its service fee is also a fair deel. Now it is just the other way round - all guests are receiving their FULL refund just of simple fear - and airbnb and hosts get zero! And hosts are staying exposed to penalty in case they cancel and in case they are having guests from countries with high level of infected people. New rules under EC for coronavirus are a must, I think.

Stephanie
Community Manager
Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Hi everyone,

 

A new update has just been published, which you can review here: Coronavirus information and extenuating circumstances policy

 

You can also review the FAQ on the following: Answers to your hosting questions about coronavirus

 

Thanks,

 

Stephanie

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Please follow the Community Guidelines 

Hi @Stephanie , I note that @Airbnb added in policy to cover Italy. May I know when will the check-in date of 9 March 2020 be pushed back to end of March in light of the worsening COVID-19 condition in South Korea? At the moment, the infected stands at 6,593 and 43 deaths. 

 

Thanks

Stephanie
Community Manager
Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Hiya @Tf0 ,

 

The policy is updated at least daily but we are aware the deadline is close. Rest assured, we will update the policy as soon as we have the information from the team, who are working around the clock inline with the event, globally. 

 

Thanks,

 

Stephanie

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Please follow the Community Guidelines 

@Stephanie 

 

Appreciate the reassurance. Ta.

Hi @Stephanie , i am afraid that the policy is vague and i would like to ask you to clarify a couple of things: I am mostly worried about situations where for example a guest does not want to travel because of generally being afraid of traveling during the spread of the virus. If for example a guest booked my listing for May but the airline cancels his/her flight now (two months in advance) because there is a lot less demand for flights do to the general spread of the virus, is that an extinuating circumstance? 

 

Thank you for your time.

 

Serafina