Airbnb's updated policy will make it easier for guests to cancel reservations
Airbnb said it's updating its policy to make it easier for reservations to be canceled and refunded without consequences due to "foreseeable weather events."
The short-term vacation rental company announced Thursday that its existing extenuating circumstances policy would be renamed to the major disruptive events policy to better reflect the new cancellation and refund support guidelines.
"The changes to this policy, including its new name, were made to create clarity for our guests and hosts and ensure it’s meeting the diverse needs of our global community," Juniper Downs, Airbnb's Head of Community Policy, said in a statement. "Our aim was to clearly explain when the policy applies to a reservation, and to deliver fair and consistent outcomes for our users. These updates also bring the policy in line with industry standards."
As the policy currently stands, guests can cancel an upcoming or active reservation when "unexpected major events" out of their control – such as natural disasters or changes to government travel restrictions – impacts their ability to stay at a location, regardless of the host's cancellation policy. A host can also cancel reservations without fees.
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The updates to the policy will take effect on June 6 and will include foreseeable weather events like hurricanes during hurricane season. Under the current policy, a reservation would be ineligible for a refund even if there is a mandatory evacuation order for a destination during a hurricane.
The updated policy will only cover the location where the major disruptive event is happening to "help balance the needs of our entire community."
Mid-trip cancellations will also be allowed, and guests will be refunded for the nights they didn't stay.
Airbnb will also ask hosts to cancel reservations if their listings become uninhabitable or no longer match what was advertised to guests. There will be no cancellation fees for hosts if they do this.
The new policy does not cover all emergencies, and Airbnb recommends travelers still look into travel insurance for the most protection.
Earlier this month, to increase guest privacy, Airbnb announced that all indoor security cameras in its listings would need to be removed by April 30, including cameras that are turned off.
Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at kwong@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Airbnb's new policy allows cancellations due to 'foreseeable weather'
