Changes to Airbnb Cancellation policies - did they eliminate the ability to edit for specific dates?

[Jennifer5444]

Hello, 

I am a new host and have been going around and around with Customer Service about the ability to edit my cancellation for specific dates. I found the instructions for doing so in the help center but when I click on "Custom Settings" there is no option to "click on cancellation policy" - I only see Rule Settings. I have Rule Settings in place but there was no way to add a specific cancellation policy to a rule setting (that would be IDEAL!). I am now on the phone with a help center supervisor who is telling me that Airbnb recently updated their cancellation policies and that the ability to change your policy for specific dates is NO LONGER AVAILABLE. This is absurd to me and I am hoping she in wrong. Please comment if you have noticed this change or have a work-around. 

[Emiel1]

@Jennifer5444 

Yes, you can set a custom cancellation policy for a specific time period.

You FIRST have to select that time period in the listing calender and  then the option shows up in "custom settings".

Added: screen shot

[Jennifer5444]

Hi @Emiel1, Thank you for the quick reply. I received an email from Airbnb support that confirmed that this is no longer the case for homes in the US. We must now set the same cancellation policy for all short term stays regardless of the rate rule. It’s unfortunate and I hope

they change it back. 

[Emiel1]

@Jennifer5444 

Sorry to hear hosts in the US can not use this facility (anymore)

Airbnb should mention this limitation in the help article:

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/4049

[Jennifer5444]

Agree! This is why I was going back and forth with them, and the matter was escalated to senior support. The help center article contradicts what they were telling me on the phone. Apparently, this new change took effect in October, but the article has not been updated. 

[Joelle43]

Hello @Emiel1 

I'm so jealous - do you already have this dynamic cancellation policy showing up on your calendar?!  I've just checked mine again and still not available and can't wait for "early 2026" to be able to use this much needed feature.  

So whilst I have the price tips feature, I don't have the possibility of applying different cancellation periods to my calendar.

@Jennifer5444 , like @Joan2709 says, I have never known Airbnb to allow hosts to have use a different cancellation policy according to dates before so there is some good news in the pipeline at least😉

[Joan2709]

@Joelle43 

I believe Airbnb has released this functionality outside the US to select Hosts in specific countries to "beta test" it. Eventually it will be available in other countries. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll be notified of when that happens. We'll just have to keep checking the calendar. 

I thought they would put it under the Cancellation Policy Section with an option to select a date range. Apparently that is not the cased based on @Emiel1 's screen shot and it will be on the actual calendar as an option when dates are selected.

[Emiel1]

@Joelle43 

Yes, as you can see on the screenshot the option is available to set a specific cancellation policy to reservations starting on specific dates.

But i learned now from this thread it is only available in some countries, and we (the Netherlands) belong to the lucky ones....

Airbnb also introduced recently "extended cancellation" , which is an option for guests, it is also only  available in a few countries and yes, in the Netherlands again, but at least this limitation was announced...:

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/4061

[Joelle43]

Hi @Emiel1 

Thanks for the info on the extended cancellation policy.  In the link it says that "guests pay more to Airbnb".  What just Airbnb and not the host?  And how much more?  Who sets the price?

Have you had any feedback by any chance on how hosts feel about this new policy?

[Emiel1]

@Joelle43 I have same questions, so i will start a post about it !

[Joan2709]

@Jennifer5444 

Customer Service is wrong...yet again. Airbnb never previously had dynamic cancellation policies (in the US anyway). The CS rep stating they are no longer available is wrong - they were never available. It's a new feature not yet available.

Airbnb announced in October 2025 that dynamic cancellation policies would be available starting after early 2026. They did not offer this previous (in the US at least). It is a new feature:

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