Courtesy of Airbnb
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Here's Airbnb's Policy for Coronavirus-Related Cancellations

By Published On 03/06/2020

The global spread of COVID-19, or coronavirus, is causing significant changes to the way we travel. Be sure to read up on the latest information and travel recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). And if you're concerned about flying in the coming weeks, airlines are rolling out relaxed policies so you can change your plans.

As the coronavirus outbreak continues to unfold, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is advising travelers to rethink travel plans that may put them at greater risk. And many companies, including major airlines and Royal Caribbean cruises, are responding with relaxed change and cancellation policies. Now, Airbnb has outlined its own policy. 

The home rental and experiences marketplace has deemed the outbreak eligible under its "extenuating circumstances" policy, meaning customers impacted by the outbreak can cancel their stay or experience reservations for free. Additionally, the company is asking both hosts and guests to review travel and health advisories, including the latest updates from the World Health Organization (WHO).

To be clear, this doesn't mean you get an automatic free cancellation. Currently, the policy only covers severely impacted areas, including Mainland China, Italy, and South Korea. 

Here are the requirements for guests: 

  • Mainland China: The policy applies to reservations booked on or before January 28, 2020 with a check-in date of April 1, 2020 or earlier. If you're traveling from outside mainland China, reservations booked on or before February 1, 2020 with a check-in date of April 1, 2020 or earlier.  
  • Italy: The policy covers reservations booked on or before February 29, 2020 with a check-in date of March 14, 2020 or earlier. Travel must be within the Lombardy, Veneto, or Emilia-Romagna regions to qualify. 
  • South Korea: reservations must have been booked on or before February 25, 2020 with a check-in date of March 9, 2020 or earlier. 

"As governments and organizations work to contain and mitigate the outbreak, travel and other restrictions have been implemented in several places around the world," Airbnb said in a statement. "To help accommodate these disruptions, we have activated our 'extenuating circumstances policy' to offer impacted hosts and guests the option of cancelling eligible reservations without charge." 

The company went on to say that its policy will be updated based on news and recommendations from the WHO as well as from  governmental and health authorities. 

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Megan Schaltegger is a staff writer at Thrillist. 

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