Airbnb has announced revisions to its Extenuating Circumstances Policy, which will henceforth be known as the Major Disruptive Events Policy. The renaming aims to better reflect the policy's purpose, which is to provide cancellation and refund assistance for guests affected by unforeseen major events.
The updated Major Disruptive Events Policy addresses unexpected significant occurrences such as natural disasters, government travel restrictions, or severe weather conditions that impede guests' ability to stay at a location. Effective from June 6, 2024, this policy allows guests to cancel eligible reservations for a refund and enables hosts to cancel bookings without fees or repercussions, according to an Airbnb press release.
"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. 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," said Juniper Downs, Airbnb's head of community policy in a press release.
According to another Airbnb press release, the revised policy restricts coverage to significant events occurring specifically at the destination location. Guests are now permitted to cancel mid-trip due to covered events and receive refunds for any unused nights. Simultaneously, hosts can cancel reservations without facing fees or repercussions. It is incumbent upon hosts to cancel bookings if their listing becomes uninhabitable or deviates from the original booking.
Founded in 2007, Airbnb has seen remarkable growth with over 5 million hosts who have welcomed more than 1.5 billion guest arrivals across nearly every country globally. Hosts play a pivotal role in offering unique stays and experiences while fostering authentic connections between guests and communities worldwide. As of December 31, 2023, Airbnb boasts over 7.7 million active listings in 100,000 cities and towns across 220 countries and regions, according to the About webpage provided by Airbnb.