Airbnb will no longer offer refunds for Covid-related cancellations

By Judy J. Beasley Last updated Jan 15, 2023

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Last update 9 months ago

Airbnb has announced that it will no longer offer refunds to guests for Covid-related cancellations. The immensely popular accommodation booking platform had previously offered customers refunds throughout the pandemic for the cancellation of their reservations for reasons related to Covid-19, as the host or guest tested positive for the virus.

However, with the situation in the world getting closer to a return to normal every week, the company is about to stop offering this service to its users.

Although the change is not yet in effect, travelers should be aware that it is expected to go into effect very soon.

Here’s a more in-depth look at this AirBnB announcement, including why it was made, when it will go into effect, what the new refund rules will be — plus a rundown of destinations travelers may have trouble finding. an Airbnb for their vacation.

Airbnb Halts Covid Refunds – What Travelers Need to Know

Offering travelers a more unique, curated, and personal accommodation choice for their vacation, Airbnb’s success and popularity cannot be understated, with the app now a staple for travelers around the world.

Even in the midst of a pandemic, last year more than 350 million nights were booked through Airbnb, with the platform offering more than 12 million different accommodation choices at the end of last year.

In order to address the upheaval and disruption the travel industry has faced throughout the pandemic, AirBnB has updated the coverage of its extenuating circumstances policy to allow travelers and hosts to cancel qualifying reservations without charge or penalty.

The policy has given travelers confidence when booking, allowing them to book stays without having to worry about losing their money in the event of a Covid-19 contraction – but the policy is about to change.

Starting May 31, Airbnb is updating its extenuating circumstances policy to no longer cover circumstances related to Covid-19 as a reason for refunds for bookings made on or after this date.

This means that if a guest contracts Covid-19 and is unable to make their reservation, they are not guaranteed a refund in the event of cancellation, the matter depending on the cancellation policy from its Airbnb host.

Addressing their reasons for making the move in a blog post, Airbnb said:

“Some in the travel industry stopped this type of policy months ago, while others have not provided one at all. After consultation with our medical advisors, as well as our community, we believe that the time has come to take the same step.

The only exceptions are China and South Korea, where travelers will still be covered.

The company also highlighted the flexible cancellation options already offered on its platform. According to Airbnb, about two-thirds of the listings on their platform offer a moderate or flexible cancellation policy, which allows guests to cancel at least five days before check-in, with some guests even able to cancel reservations up to 24 hours before. they must stay and receive a full refund, depending on the reason for the cancellation.

The best way for travelers to still be protected is to get travel health insurance that covers covid. This way, if they fall ill before their trip and end up ill and unable to travel, the insurance will kick in to cover part of the accommodation costs.

As travel begins to heat up in time for summer, travelers should also know that not all cities are AirBnB friendly. Laws in domestic cities such as Santa Monica and New York can make it difficult for travelers to find AirBnB accommodations, while some popular international destinations, such as bangkok, also consider renting through AirBnB illegal – although this is still possible. Other cities, like Amsterdam, Paris, and Reykjavik, have caps on room rentals, making it harder to find a good place to stay.