Airbnb Allows No Penalty Cancellations to Bookings

Photo Source: Airbnb

In response to the extraordinary events and global disruption to travel caused by COVID-19, Airbnb announced that it has activated its updated Extenuating Circumstances Policy.

Airbnb’s Extenuating Circumstances Policy allows hosts and guests to cancel eligible reservations with no charge or penalty. This policy now applies to existing reservations for stays and Airbnb Experiences made on or before March 14, 2020, with check-in dates between March 14, and April 14, 2020.

This policy applies to bookings of places to stay and Airbnb Experiences in every country and region around the world, with the exception of domestic travel in mainland China which is scheduled to return to normal rules on April 1.

“We understand that this announcement will impact hosts around the world, many of whom depend on the economics they generate on Airbnb. We will be working in the days and weeks ahead to identify tools and initiatives to support our hosts during these very challenging times,” the company said.

“It’s also important to note that Airbnb will not collect any fees or benefit in any way from any reservations cancelled under this policy. We’re in this together,” Airbnb added.

The company also thanked all hosts around the world that have generously provided guests cancellations outside of their existing cancellation policies. Airbnb examined reservations that were canceled in the last month and found that 86 percent of the money that would have been spent by guests on these reservations was returned to them in the form of refunds.

The company is regularly updating its Help Center with the latest information and guidance from the World Health Organization, governmental and health authorities.