Airbnb aims to make booking accommodations seamless for both guests and hosts. However, unforeseen events occasionally arise that disrupt travel plans and prevent bookings from being fulfilled as expected. In these extenuating circumstances, Airbnb has policies in place to help support both parties and handle cancellations and refunds fairly.
Here is an overview of Airbnb's approach to dealing with major disruptive events like war and pandemics.
What Are Extenuating Circumstances?
Extenuating circumstances are events that occur after a booking has been made, making it impractical, impossible, or illegal for the guest to complete their stay or for the host to accommodate them.
Examples of common extenuating circumstances include:
Natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, or earthquakes – Severe weather events make it impossible to go on vacation in the affected areas. If a hurricane hits, the last thing anyone should do is travel. In this instance, a refund is possible. However, if the weather event is reasonably foreseeable, such as a hurricane in Florida, then Airbnb may not be willing to refund a booking. In this instance, a refund will only be possible if there is another event, such as a mandatory evacuation or massive outage of utilities that make a trip impossible.
Travel restrictions imposed by the government - this clause only covers mandatory travel restrictions, such as those implemented during Covid-19. Travel advisories and non-binding government guidance about travel to a location do not count.
Outbreak of war or terrorism in the area you are travelling to count as disruptive events, so if you were booked to go to Ukraine around the time Russia invaded, Airbnb would have refunded your booking.
Why They Matter
Extenuating circumstances can significantly impact both hosts and guests.
For hosts, a last-minute cancellation due to extenuating circumstances means lost income and an empty property. It also may limit their ability to book new guests on short notice. Trying to find a new booking on short notice can be very difficult for hosts. They may have to reduce rates significantly or let the property sit vacant. This results in lost earnings they were counting on.
For hosts who rely on Airbnb as a major source of income, multiple cancellations under extenuating circumstances can be financially devastating. They may struggle to pay mortgages, employees, and other business expenses.
Some hosts purposely block their entire calendar far in advance to avoid this uncertainty. However, this reduces potential bookings and earnings. Hosts must weigh revenue risks with leaving calendar dates open for possible reservations.
One way to avoid disruption to your income is to work with an Airbnb management company like UpperKey. Since UpperKey acts as your primary tenant, your rental income is secure. If a guest cancels and is refunded by Airbnb because they can’t travel for one of the reasons on the extenuating circumstances list, you won’t lose any money.
For guests, extenuating circumstances can derail long-awaited vacations and result in forfeited booking costs. Travellers could lose hundreds or thousands of dollars for trips that can no longer happen.
Luxury and international trips often require large upfront deposits. In addition, many travellers booking months in advance take advantage of non-refundable rates to secure the lowest prices. If unforeseen events prevent these travellers from taking trips as planned, they can face massive cancellation fees.
Guests also lose anticipation and excitement for vacations ruined by extenuating circumstances. Some may have planned once-in-a-lifetime experiences like destination weddings or bucket list adventures. Missing out due to lost deposits creates huge disappointment.
Extenuating circumstances can also leave guests scrambling to make new arrangements last minute if reservations get cancelled. Alternatives may come at much higher costs.
Airbnb's Extenuating Circumstances Policy
Policy Overview
Airbnb's Extenuating Circumstances Policy provides guidelines for handling reservations disrupted by unforeseen events. It establishes protocols for cancellation, refunds, and other remedies when travel becomes impractical, impossible, or illegal. The policy aims to protect both guests and hosts when factors outside their control interfere with bookings, offering them a full or partial refund.
Conditions Covered
Natural disasters - This includes severe weather events like hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis. The disaster must directly impact the location of the booking, but foreseeable weather events are not covered unless other events overlap.
Public health emergenices – Government-declared epidemics qualify, with Covid-19 being a good example. Endemic diseases like malaria in locations commonly affected do not qualify.
Government-imposed travel restrictions - This covers new visa requirements or sudden government bans prohibiting entry to a location after booking.
Military action and other hostilities – Acts of War, civil war, terrorist events, insurrection, and similar events count as extenuating circumstances, such as the war in Ukraine.
Prolonged utility outages – if water, power, and other utilities are affected and unavailable in a location, with most homes affected, this would count as an extenuating circumstance.
Conditions Not Covered
Examples of circumstances not covered include:
Ordinary weather changes or foreseeable events
Pre-existing or chronic medical conditions
Personal obligations like work, school, or family needs
Cancellation of an event associated with the booking
Transportation disruptions and delays
Being selected for jury duty
How to Make a Claim
Steps for Guests
If an extenuating circumstance arises that prevents a guest from taking a trip, they should:
Contact Airbnb immediately and explain the situation.
Provide documentation to verify the circumstances. This may include news reports of a natural disaster, doctor's notes explaining injury/illness, or official government travel advisories.
Steps for Hosts
If an extenuating circumstance leads a guest to cancel, hosts can:
Review the guest's documentation and claims carefully.
Accept the cancellation if sufficient evidence supports the guest's claims. Or, dispute the cancellation if the circumstances are unclear.
If disputing, provide Airbnb documentation proving why the booking should not be cancelled.
Impact on Bookings
Guest Refunds
If Airbnb approves a guest's extenuating circumstances claim, the guest will receive a refund. Refunds are typically issued within 1-2 weeks after a claim is accepted. The amount refunded depends on the circumstances and timing of the cancellation.
Host Cancellations
When Airbnb approves a guest's extenuating circumstances claim, the host must cancel the booking. They will not receive payout for those dates. Airbnb will also automatically block calendar dates so the host cannot re-book those nights.
Real-Life Scenarios
Scenario 1: Natural Disaster
In 2017, Hurricane Irma caused widespread destruction in the Florida Keys. Many travellers had pre-booked Airbnb stays in the months before. Due to safety concerns, loss of power and other utilities, and infrastructure damage, they could no longer visit as planned. Airbnb quickly activated its extenuating circumstances policy. It allowed guests to cancel and receive full refunds, while also informing hosts they must accommodate cancellations. This protected both parties financially in the crisis.
Scenario 2: Medical Emergency
A guest suffered an unexpected heart attack one week before his trip. His family contacted Airbnb with medical records showing a 7-day hospital stay overlapping with the travel dates. Unfortunately, Airbnb didn’t offer a refund as their extenuating circumstances policy does not cover illness.
Other Ways To Get a Refund From Airbnb If It's Not An Extenuating Circumstance
Here are some other ways to get a refund from Airbnb if your situation does not qualify as an extenuating circumstance under its extenuating circumstances policy:
Book a listing with a Moderate or Flexible cancellation policy. These policies allow cancellations and refunds 1-5 days before check-in, minus the Airbnb service fee.
Find a replacement guest to book the same dates. If you can't travel but find someone else to take your reservation, you can get a full refund minus the service fee after they book and pay.
Negotiate directly with the host. While hosts are not obligated to offer refunds outside of their cancellation policy, you can always ask politely if they'd be willing to make an exception. Some may agree to partial refunds.
File a dispute through Airbnb Resolution Center if the listing was misrepresented. You must provide documentation, but you can get a refund if the space differs significantly from the listing description.
Cancel within 24 hours of booking for a full refund if you have "buyer's remorse." This only applies to reservations made at least 14 days before check-in.
Purchase a travel insurance policy from a third-party provider. This would reimburse you for cancellations due to reasons not covered by Airbnb's extenuating circumstances policy.
Use PayPal, some credit cards, or other payment methods with built-in refund protections not tied to Airbnb's policies.
Accept a travel credit if the host agrees to one instead of a cash refund. While not ideal, it lets you rebook a future stay.
Summary
Airbnb's extenuating circumstances policy allows for fair cancellation and refunds when unforeseen events affect bookings. It aims to protect hosts and guests alike if circumstances outside their control prevent travel or accommodation. Understanding the policy ensures a smooth process for all in difficult situations. The key is acting quickly and providing sufficient documentation.
FAQs
What to do if unsure about a situation
When in doubt, contact Airbnb. Explain your circumstances and let them determine if it meets the extenuating circumstances policy eligibility requirements.
How long does the process take?