Understanding Airbnb’s Cancellation Policy – Updated for Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Airbnb Allowing Refunds Across the World for Cancellations due to Coronavirus

March 14, 2020 Update: Airbnb has announced the activation of their extenuating circumstances policy for reservations around the world due to Covid-19’s disruption to global travel. This allows hosts and guests to cancel reservations with no charge or penalty. The policy applies to existing reservations for stays and experiences made on or before March 14, 2020, that have check-in dates from March 14, 2020 until April 14, 2020. Read Airbnb’s full press release here.

Airbnb’s cancellation policy is designed to offer flexibility and protection for both guests and hosts. There are five different variations of cancellation policies for short stays (from flexible to super strict), a separate cancellation policy for long term stays, and variations on the cancellation policies for Italy and South Korea. Along with this, Airbnb’s cancellation policies for hosts vary in comparison to the guest cancellation policies. It’s important for both hosts and guests to understand the different cancellation policies and their intricacies in order to choose the one that works best for them.

Before diving into the different Airbnb cancellation policies, there are some aspects of cancellation which remain persistent no matter the cancellation policy. Cancellation occurs when a guest clicks “Cancel” and agrees to the Airbnb cancellation policy terms. If a host cancels a reservation guests are always given full refunds, and cleaning fees are always refunded to the guest if they cancel their reservation before check-in. Airbnb also provides guests with refunds of the Airbnb service fee up to three times a year, only if the guest cancels within 48 hours of booking and at least 24 hours (flexible), five days (moderate), or 14 days (strict) before their check-in depending on the cancellation policy of the listing.

For any hosts worried about guests taking advantage of their cancellation policy, Airbnb lets hosts see the number of reservations a guest has cancelled over the past 12 months when a guest submits a request to book.

Flexible Cancellation Policy

Airbnb’s flexible cancellation policy offers the most leeway for guests when cancelling their reservations. A guest can receive a full refund of accommodation fees if they cancel their reservation a full 24 hours before the listing’s local check-in time (3:00pm if not specified). If a guest cancels less than 24 hours before their check-in time, their first night is non-refundable, with the rest fully refunded. Lastly, if a guest checks into their Airbnb and decides to cancel and leave early, the accommodation fees for nights not spent 24 hours after the official cancellation are fully refunded.

Moderate Cancellation Policy

The moderate cancellation policy provides a full refund of accommodation fees if the guest cancels a full five days prior to the listing’s local check-in time (3:00pm if not specified). If a guest cancels less than five days before check-in, their first night is not refundable and 50% of the accommodation fees for remaining nights will be refunded. Similarly, if a guest checks in and cancels during their stay, they’ll receive a refund for 50% of their accommodation fees for the nights they don’t spend 24 hours after their cancellation.

Strict Cancellation Policy

Airbnb’s strict cancellation policy follows the same pattern as the moderate and flexible policies, but has some additional conditions for a full refund of accommodation fees. A guest must cancel their reservation within 48 hours of booking and at least 14 full days before the listing’s local check-in time (3:00pm if not specified) for a full refund of their accommodation fees. If they miss the 14-day pre-check-in period, guests can still get a 50% refund of accommodation fees if their cancellation is made at least a full seven days before check-in time. However, if a guest cancels less than seven days in advance of their check-in date, their nights not spent won’t be refunded.  

Super Strict 30 and 60 Day Cancellation Policies

Along with the strict cancellation policy, there are also two additional cancellation policies called Super Strict 30 Days and Super Strict 60 Days, which apply to special circumstances with only certain hosts given the invitation to use these cancellation policies. Neither one of these policies allows for a full refund, and for a 50% refund in accommodation fees a guest must cancel their booking either 30 or 60 days prior to the listing’s local check in time. If the guest doesn’t cancel before the 30 or 60 day period prior to their arrival, their nights not spent are not refunded. Along with this, for listings with a super strict cancellation policy the Airbnb service fee is non-refundable for guests.

Long Term Cancellation Policy

Long term stays of 28 nights or more have a significantly stricter cancellation policy in order to protect hosts. If a guest has booked a long term reservation and cancels at any point before the start date, the first month of the reservation is not refunded to the guest. Similarly, if a guest cancels their long term reservation during their stay, they must agree to a new checkout date and pay accommodation fees for 30 days following the day of cancellation (or just the remaining days if the original reservation is less than 30 days).

Cancellation Policies in Italy and South Korea

Airbnb’s cancellation policies are slightly altered for reservations in Italy and for any reservations in South Korea that have a strict cancellation policy. While the flexible cancellation policy is largely the same, the refund for guests that cancel during their stay varies depending on the time of day they cancel their reservation. If a guest cancels their reservation before 12pm local time, they’ll be refunded any unspent nights excluding fees, with cancellations after 12pm refunding unspent nights excluding the night of the date they cancelled.

The moderate cancellation policy is slightly stricter, requiring cancellation seven days (rather than five) in advance of check-in for guests to receive a full refund including fees. The strict cancellation policy for Italy and South Korea requires guests to cancel 30 days (rather than 14) before their check-in for a full refund, receiving a 50% refund if they cancel within 30 days of their reservation. For long term reservation cancellations, if guests cancel more than 30 days before their trip they receive a full refund. If guests cancel within 30 days of their reservation the first month’s payment is non-refundable, with a full refund for the rest of the nights of their reservation. The super strict 30 and 60 day cancellation policies are also slightly different in Italy, with cancellations 30 or 60 days before the check-in date giving guests a full refund rather than the 50% refund in the general super strict 30 and 60 day cancellation policies.

Airbnb’s Cancellation Penalties for Hosts

• If a host cancels more than seven days before the guest’s check-in date, Airbnb deducts $50 from the host’s next payout,
• If the host cancels less than seven days before the check-in date, Airbnb deducts $100 from the host’s next payout.
• If a host cancels before the check-in date, Airbnb leaves an automatic review on the listing profile mentioning the cancellation.
  • This review cannot be deleted, but hosts can post a response to explain their cancellation.
• If a host cancels on the day of check-in or later, guests can leave a public review on the listing’s profile.

Just like guests might need to cancel a booking, hosts are also able to cancel a guest’s booking if unforeseen circumstances arise. Cancelling a booking as a host can incur a variety of penalties outlined on Airbnb’s Host Questions page. When you cancel a booking as a host, your calendar remains blocked for the cancelled reservation’s dates and you won’t be able to accept another reservation for the same dates.

Hosts using the Instant Book feature on their listing can always cancel without any penalties if they are uncomfortable with a reservation. Instant Book hosts can cancel online a maximum of three times in one year for being uncomfortable with a reservation, and after three cancellations will have to call in for any further cancellations for the same reason. For any aspiring or current Superhosts, cancelling a booking will result in the loss of your Superhost status for one year after your most recent cancellation. If a host cancels three or more reservations within a year, Airbnb may deactivate their listing.

While Airbnb does mention that there can be exceptions for extenuating circumstances, they state that there will be no exceptions to their cancellation policy. The main extenuating circumstances that Airbnb considers are airport and road closures, severe damage to the home, government mandated obligations, serious illness, or death, with all of these requiring a form of proof. Along with unavoidable circumstances, Airbnb provides a list of additional circumstances that require special review for cancellations.

About Airbnb Cancellation Policy Disputes

Not every cancellation will be clear cut, and guests or hosts might choose to lodge a complaint with Airbnb about the other party. As incidents like hidden cameras being found by guests in their Airbnb continue cropping up, Airbnb specifies that complaints from either party should be sent to Airbnb within 24 hours of the guest’s check-in. The company will look to mediate disputes when necessary, and has the final say in all disputes. Along with this, cancellation policies may be superseded by the Guest Refund Policy, extenuating circumstances, or cancellations by Airbnb for any reason permitted in the Terms of Service.

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