POLICY
RETURN POLICY
Reservations made on or before March 14, 2020
If your reservation was made on or before March 14, 2020 and COVID-19 affects your travel plans, you can find out what your current cancellation and refund options are by going to cancel your reservation and choosing My travel plans have changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Depending on your circumstances, you may see one or more of the following options:
- A refund according to your Host’s cancellation policy
- A full cash refund after submitting official documentation for review
- An extenuating circumstances travel credit
- Ask your Host for a full refund
Cancellations due to emergencies or issues with a listing
If you need to cancel because of an emergency, and your reason is covered by our Extenuating Circumstances Policy, you might be able to apply for a full extenuating circumstances refund.
If the listing is inaccessible, unclean, unsafe, or if there’s an animal present that the host didn’t mention in the listing description, we’ll issue a refund or help you find a new place to stay.
If a host can’t or won’t fix an issue, you should contact us within 24 hours of finding the issue. In qualifying cases, we’ll cancel the reservation and issue a refund.
Extenuating Circumstances Policy
Effective date: January 20, 2021
Overview
This Extenuating Circumstances Policy explains how cancellations are handled when unforeseen events beyond your control arise after booking and make it impracticable or illegal to complete your reservation. This Policy applies to reservations for both accommodations and Experiences.
When this Policy allows for cancellation, it controls and takes precedence over the reservation’s cancellation policy. Guests that are impacted by an event covered by this Policy can cancel their reservation and receive, depending on the circumstances, a cash refund, travel credit, and/or other consideration. Hosts that are impacted by an event covered by this Policy can cancel without adverse consequences, but, depending on the circumstances, their calendars may be blocked for the dates of the cancelled reservation.
What events are covered
This Policy uses the term “Event” to refer to the following situations that occur after booking, are unforeseen at the time of booking, and prevent or legally prohibit completion of the reservation.
Changes to government travel requirements. Unexpected changes to visa or passport requirements imposed by a governmental agency that prevent travel to the destination. This doesn’t include lost or expired travel documents or other personal circumstances relating to a guest’s authorization to travel.
Declared emergencies and epidemics. Government declared local or national emergencies, epidemics, pandemics, and public health emergencies. This does not include diseases that are endemic or commonly associated with an area—for example, malaria in Thailand or dengue fever in Hawaii.
Government travel restrictions. Travel restrictions imposed by a governmental agency that prevent or prohibit traveling to, staying at, or returning from the Listing location. This does not include non-binding travel advisories and similar government guidance.
Military actions and other hostilities. Acts of war, hostilities, invasions, civil war, terrorism, explosions, bombings, rebellions, riots, insurrection, civil disorder, and civil unrest.
Natural disasters. Natural disasters, acts of God, large-scale outages of essential utilities, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and other severe and abnormal weather events. This does not include weather or natural conditions that are common enough to be foreseeable in that location—for example, hurricanes occurring during hurricane season in Florida.
What is not covered
Everything else. This Policy only allows for cancellations for the Events described above. Everything else is excluded. Examples of situations that this Policy does not allow cancellations for include: unexpected disease, illness, or injury; government obligations like jury duty, court appearances or military duties; travel advisories or other government guidance (that fall short of a travel ban or prohibition); cancellation or rescheduling of an event for which the reservation was made; and transportation disruptions unrelated to a covered Event like road closures, as well as flight, train, bus and ferry cancellations. If you cancel a reservation in these cases, the amount refunded will be determined by the cancellation policy that applies to the reservation.
What to do next
If we notify you or publish information confirming that this Policy applies to your reservation, please follow the cancellation instructions that we provide. When we have notified you or published information about how this Policy applies, you should have the option to cancel under this Policy by going to your Trips page and canceling the impacted reservation. If you believe this Policy applies to your reservation, but we have not notified you or published information about the Event, please contact us to cancel your reservation. In all cases, you should be prepared to provide documentation that shows how the Event has impacted you or your reservation.
Good news—if you’re eligible for a refund, you’ll get it automatically within 10 days. Maybe even sooner.
We’ll send your refund as soon as you cancel, but your bank or credit card issuer may take longer to get it to you—it all depends on how you paid and where you live:
24 Hours
- Airbnb for Work credit
- Airbnb gift credit
- Apple Pay
- Hongbao credit
- PayPal
1 Business Day
- Alipay
- WeChat Pay
Up to 5 Business Days
- iDEAL
- Sofort Überweisung
Up to 15 Business Days
- Major credit cards, including prepaid credit and debit cards
- Other payment methods
- Google Pay
- Postepay
Up to 2 Credit Card Statements
- Aura
- Elo
- Hipercard
- Major credit cards in Brazil only
Not sure if you’re eligible for a refund? Check our Guest Refund
Effective as of: December 15, 2019
These terms and conditions govern Airbnb’s policy for Guest refunds (“Guest Refund Policy”) and the obligations of the Host associated with the Guest Refund Policy. The Guest Refund Policy applies in addition to Airbnb’s Terms of Service (“Airbnb Terms”). The Guest Refund Policy is available to Guests who book and pay for an Accommodation through the Airbnb Platform and suffer a Travel Issue (as defined below). This policy does not apply to refunds for Luxe Bookings (as defined in the Airbnb Luxe Guest Refund Policy). The Guest’s rights under this Guest Refund Policy will supersede the Host’s cancellation policy.
All capitalized terms shall have the meaning set forth in the Airbnb Terms or Payments Termsunless otherwise defined in this Guest Refund Policy.
By using the Airbnb Platform as a Host or Guest, you are indicating that you have read and that you understand and agree to be bound by this Guest Refund Policy.
A “Travel Issue” means any one of the following:
(a) the Host of the Accommodation (i) cancels a booking shortly before the scheduled start of the booking, or (ii) fails to provide the Guest with the reasonable ability to access the Accommodation (e.g. does not provide the keys and/or a security code).
(b) the Listing’s description or depiction of the Accommodation is materially inaccurate with respect to:
- the size of the Accommodation (e.g., number and size of the bedroom, bathroom and/or kitchen or other rooms),
- whether the booking for the Accommodation is for an entire home, private room or shared room, and whether another party, including the Host, is staying at the Accommodation during the booking,
- special amenities or features represented in the Listing are not provided or do not function, such as decks, pools, hot tubs, bathrooms (toilet/shower/bathtub), kitchen (sink/stove/refrigerator or major other appliances), and electrical, heating or air conditioning systems, or
- the physical location of the Accommodation (proximity).
(c) at the start of the Guest’s booking, the Accommodation: (i) is not generally clean and sanitary (including unclean bedding and/or bathroom towels); (ii) contains safety or health hazards that would be reasonably expected to adversely affect the Guest’s stay at the Accommodation in Airbnb’s judgment, or (iii) has vermin or contains pets not disclosed in the Listing.
What qualifies as a Travel Issue is described in more detail in the Guest Refund Policy Help Center article.
If you are a Guest and suffer a Travel Issue, you are covered by this policy as follows:
Up to 24 hours after check-in. If you report a Travel Issue up to 24 hours after check-in, we agree, at our discretion, to either (i) reimburse you the amount paid by you through the Airbnb Platform (“Total Fees”), or (ii) use our reasonable efforts to help you find and book for any unused nights left in your booking another Accommodation which is reasonably comparable to or better than the Accommodation described in your original booking in terms of size, rooms, features and quality. Airbnb shall decide whether an issue reported by a Guest qualifies as a Travel Issue, whether to reimburse or rebook a Guest who suffers a Travel Issue, and whether an alternate Accommodation is comparable or better.
More than 24 hours after check-in. If you report a Travel Issue more than 24 hours after check-in, we agree, at our discretion, to either (i) reimburse you up to the Total Fees depending on the nature of the Travel Issue suffered, or (ii) use our reasonable efforts to help you find and book another Accommodation for any unused nights left in your booking which is reasonably comparable to the Accommodation described in your original booking in terms of size, rooms, features and quality.
Airbnb’s decisions under the Guest Refund Policy are final and binding on Guests and Hosts but do not affect other contractual or statutory rights you may have. Any right that you may have to initiate legal action remains unaffected.
3. Conditions for making a Claim
To submit a valid claim for a Travel Issue and receive the benefits with respect to your booking, you are required to meet each of the following conditions:
(a) you must be the Guest that booked the Accommodation;
(b) you must report the Travel Issue to us in writing or via telephone within 24 hours of discovering the existence of the Travel Issue, and you must provide us with information (including photographs, videos, or other written or tangible evidence) about the Accommodation and the circumstances of the Travel Issue;
(c) you must respond to any requests by us for additional information or cooperation on the Travel Issue within the time specified by Airbnb;
(d) you must not have directly or indirectly caused the Travel Issue (through your action, omission or negligence);
(e) unless otherwise specified by Airbnb or Airbnb advises you that the Travel Issue cannot be remediated, you must use reasonable efforts to try to remedy the circumstances of the Travel Issue with the Host; and
(f) in order to receive a reimbursement of Total Fees or assistance with booking an alternative Accommodation, you must agree to vacate the Accommodation. If you choose to stay in the Accommodation, you may still qualify for a partial refund at Airbnb’s discretion as described in this policy (regardless of whether you reported the Travel Issue up to 24 hours after check-in).
4. Minimum Quality Standards, Host Responsibilities and Reimbursement to Guest
4.1 If you are a Host, you are responsible for ensuring that the Accommodations you list on the Airbnb Platform are accessible, adequately and accurately described in the Listing description, safe and clean, and do not present a Guest with Travel Issues, as specified in these terms and in the Guest Refund Policy Help Center article. During a Guest’s stay at an Accommodation, Hosts should be available, or make a third-party available, in order to try, in good faith, to resolve any Travel Issues or other Guest issues.
4.2 If you are a Host, and if (i) Airbnb determines that a Guest has suffered a Travel Issue related to an Accommodation listed by you and (ii) Airbnb either reimburses that Guest (up to their Total Fees) or provides an alternative Accommodation to the Guest, you agree to reimburse Airbnb up to the amount paid by Airbnb within 30 days of Airbnb’s request. If the Guest is relocated to an alternative Accommodation, you also agree to reimburse Airbnb for reasonable additional costs incurred to relocate the Guest. You authorize Airbnb Payments to collect any amounts owed to Airbnb by reducing your Payout or as otherwise permitted pursuant to the Payments Terms.
4.3 As a Host, you understand that the rights of Guests under this Guest Refund Policy will supersede your selected cancellation policy. If you dispute the Travel Issue, you may notify us in writing or via telephone and provide us with information (including photographs or other evidence) disputing the claims regarding the Travel Issue. In order to dispute a Travel Issue, you must use reasonable and good faith efforts to try to remedy any Travel Issue with the Guest unless Airbnb advises you that the Travel Issue cannot be remediated or the Guest has vacated the Accommodation.
5.1 No Assignment/No Insurance. This Guest Refund Policy is not intended to constitute an offer to insure, does not constitute insurance or an insurance contract, does not take the place of insurance obtained or obtainable by the Guest, and the Guest has not paid any premium in respect of the Guest Refund Policy. The benefits provided under this Guest Refund Policy are not assignable or transferable by you.
5.2 Modification or Termination. Airbnb reserves the right to modify or terminate this Guest Refund Policy, at any time, in its sole discretion. If Airbnb modifies this Guest Refund Policy, we will post the modification on the Airbnb Platform or provide you with notice of the modification and Airbnb will continue to process all claims for Travel Issues made prior to the effective date of the modification according to the then applicable policy.
5.3 Entire Agreement. This Guest Refund Policy constitutes the entire and exclusive understanding and agreement between Airbnb and you regarding the Guest Refund Policy and supersedes and replaces any and all prior oral or written understandings or agreements between Airbnb and you regarding the Guest Refund Policy.