OTAs
Airbnb Cancellation Policy Options and How to Pick One
As a host, you want financial certainty and zero cancellations. Your guests, however, want maximum flexibility with the ability to cancel the last minute (without any penalties). Is there a happy medium?
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A guest books five nights, then cancels two weeks before check-in. How much of that money stays with you depends on one setting you probably chose when you created the listing and haven't opened since.
Airbnb reworked that setting in October 2025. A new Limited policy arrived, Strict became invitation-only, and every standard policy now comes with a 24-hour free cancellation window. If your listing still runs on a policy you picked a few years ago, it's worth a second look.
Here's what each policy pays you, and who it fits.
Airbnb Cancellation Policy Options at a Glance
You set two policies for each listing. One covers stays of 27 nights or fewer. The other covers monthly stays of 28 nights or more and replaces your standard policy for those bookings.
Any host can pick one of four standard policies.
Flexible, with a full refund up to 24 hours before check-in
Moderate, with a full refund up to 5 days before check-in
Limited, with a full refund up to 14 days before check-in
Firm, with a full refund up to 30 days before check-in
Three stricter policies, Strict, Super Strict 30 Days, and Super Strict 60 Days, are available only to certain hosts by invitation from Airbnb. For monthly stays, you choose between Firm Long-Term and Strict Long-Term. You can also add a discounted non-refundable rate on top of your standard policy.
Whichever policy you choose, make sure it complies with your local rules and regulations. Airbnb leaves that check to the host.
The 24-Hour Free Cancellation Window
Every standard policy now includes a 24-hour cancellation period. Guests can cancel for a full refund, taxes included, for up to 24 hours after the reservation is confirmed. There's one condition. The booking has to be confirmed at least 7 days before check-in.
So a reservation made three weeks out can be canceled for free the next day, even under Firm or Strict. A booking made four days before arrival gets no such window. The rule covers the non-refundable rate too, which means a guest who books at a discount still has those 24 hours.
Airbnb applies this window to stays shorter than 28 nights. Monthly stays follow your long-term policy.
Airbnb Flexible Cancellation Policy
Flexible gives guests the most freedom. They can cancel up to 24 hours before check-in for a full refund, and you won't be paid. If they cancel later, you're paid for each night they stay plus one additional night.
In practice, a guest can back out the day before arrival. You're left with one night's pay and an empty calendar. That hurts when your dates are hard to rebook on short notice.
Pros
Guests see almost no risk in booking, which can make your listing easier to choose
Works well for listings that fill last-minute gaps quickly
Cons
A guest can cancel the day before check-in, and you keep only one night
You carry nearly all the financial risk of late cancellations
Lost nights are hard to recover in areas with little short-notice demand
Who it suits
Flexible makes sense for new hosts building up their first reviews and for budget listings with short stays in busy markets. Skip it if you have a longer minimum stay or a higher nightly rate. One lost booking costs too much.
Airbnb Moderate Cancellation Policy
Moderate moves the free cancellation deadline to 5 days before check-in. If a guest cancels after that but before check-in, you're paid for one additional night plus 50% of all unspent nights. If they cancel after check-in, you're paid for the nights they stayed, one additional night, and 50% of the remaining nights.
It's still guest-friendly. But a late cancellation no longer wipes out the whole booking.
Pros
A late cancellation still pays you a share of the reservation
Five days' notice gives you some time to rebook
Guests get enough flexibility to book without much hesitation
Cons
You lose half of the unspent nights when a guest cancels late
Five days often isn't enough to rebook during a slow season
Who it suits
Moderate suits established hosts with mid-range listings and short minimum stays. It's a sensible default if you want to stay flexible without taking on all of the last-minute risk.
Airbnb Limited Cancellation Policy
Limited is the newest option, available for reservations booked on or after October 1, 2025. Guests get a full refund if they cancel at least 14 days before check-in. If they cancel between 7 and 14 days out, you get 50% back and are paid 50% for all nights. If they cancel less than 7 days before check-in, or after check-in, you're paid 100% for all nights.
This is the policy we'd point most hosts to. Two weeks is enough time to rebook in most markets, and the final week before arrival is fully protected. You also don't need an invitation to use it.
Pros
The last 7 days before check-in are fully protected
Two weeks of notice gives you time to fill the dates again
Every host can turn it on
Cons
Guests may prefer listings with a shorter free cancellation deadline
A cancellation between 7 and 14 days out still costs you half of the booking
Who it suits
Limited fits most listings with steady demand, especially those with a minimum stay of three nights or more.
Airbnb Firm Cancellation Policy
Firm asks guests to commit early. They get a full refund only if they cancel at least 30 days before check-in. Between 7 and 30 days, they get 50% back, and you're paid 50% for all nights. Within 7 days, or after check-in, you're paid 100% for all nights.
Firm used to give guests a separate 48-hour free cancellation option after booking. That's gone. The standard 24-hour window now covers early second thoughts.
Pros
A month of notice gives you plenty of time to rebook
Late cancellations pay you half or all of the booking
Fits guests who plan their trips well in advance
Cons
Some guests will skip a listing that asks for a 30-day commitment
It can slow down bookings in markets with a lot of last-minute travel
Who it suits
Firm works for listings that book far ahead, like vacation homes in peak season or properties near big annual events.
Airbnb Strict Cancellation Policy
You can't pick Strict from the menu anymore. Airbnb now offers it only to certain hosts by invitation.
Under Strict, if a guest cancels 7 or more days before check-in (after the 24-hour window), they get a 50% refund, and you're paid 50% for all nights. Less than 7 days out, or after check-in, you're paid 100%. Outside the 24-hour window, the guest can't get a full refund.
Pros
Guests can't get a full refund once the 24-hour window closes
The last week before arrival is fully protected
Cons
It's available only if Airbnb invites you
The terms may put off guests comparing your listing with similar ones
Who it suits
If Airbnb has invited you and your listing books steadily, Strict is worth testing. If it hasn't, Limited and Firm are the closest options you can turn on yourself.
Airbnb Super Strict 30 Days Cancellation Policy
Super Strict 30 Days is invitation-only too. A guest who cancels at least 30 days before check-in, after the 24-hour window, gets 50% back, and you're paid 50% for all nights. If they cancel later than that, you're paid 100% for all nights.
Pros
Half of the booking is protected even when a guest cancels well in advance
Any cancellation within 30 days pays you in full
Cons
It's available only by invitation from Airbnb
Guests carry most of the risk, which can mean fewer bookings
Who it suits
This policy fits high-value listings where a single cancellation is expensive, as long as Airbnb offers it to you.
Airbnb Super Strict 60 Days Cancellation Policy
Super Strict 60 Days works the same way with a longer deadline. A guest who cancels at least 60 days before check-in, after the 24-hour window, gets 50% back. Cancel any later, and you're paid 100% for all nights. It's Airbnb's strictest standard policy, and it's also invitation-only.
Pros
It gives you the most protection Airbnb offers for shorter stays
Any cancellation within two months pays you in full
Cons
It's available only by invitation
Guests who aren't sure of their plans are likely to book elsewhere
Who it suits
Super Strict 60 Days is built for expensive properties that book months ahead, like large luxury homes.
Airbnb Long-Term Cancellation Policies
Your long-term policy applies to monthly stays of 28 or more consecutive nights. It replaces your standard policy for those reservations, so a host on Flexible can still have firmer terms for a three-month booking. You choose one of two options.
Firm Long-Term
Guests get a full refund if they cancel at least 30 days before check-in. If they cancel later, you're paid 100% for the nights already spent plus 30 additional nights. If fewer than 30 nights remain when they cancel, you're paid for all of the remaining nights.
Strict Long-Term
Here, a full refund requires two things. The guest must cancel within 48 hours of booking, and the cancellation must happen at least 28 days before check-in. Otherwise, you're paid 100% for the nights already spent plus the next 30 nights, or for all remaining nights if fewer than 30 are left.
Pros
A canceled monthly stay still pays you for up to 30 nights
You get time to find another long-term guest
Cons
Monthly stays usually come with a discount, so you earn less per night
Strict Long-Term leaves guests very little room for a free cancellation
Who it suits
Strict Long-Term suits hosts who want the most security on monthly bookings. Firm Long-Term is the friendlier choice if you compete for traveling professionals and other monthly guests.
Airbnb Non-Refundable Option
The non-refundable option is a discount you add on top of your standard policy and any other discounts. Guests see the discounted rate in search. At checkout, they choose between your standard rate, covered by your cancellation policy, and the cheaper non-refundable rate.
If a guest on the non-refundable rate cancels after any free cancellation period, you keep your entire payout for all nights booked. The discount is typically 10% off the base price.
A few conditions apply. The reservation is eligible only if checkout is within 60 days. The discount doesn't apply to bookings made with a pre-approval or a special offer. And guests can book the non-refundable rate only until your regular policy takes effect, so the cutoff depends on the policy you've set.
Flexible, up to 1 day before check-in
Moderate, up to 5 days before check-in
Limited, Firm, and Strict, up to 14 days before check-in
Guests may still get a full refund if a Major Disruptive Event affects their reservation.
Pros
Guests who are sure of their plans get a lower price
A cancellation on this rate doesn't cost you the booking
Your standard policy still covers guests who want flexibility
Cons
You earn less on every completed non-refundable booking
Guests can still cancel within the 24-hour window or after a Major Disruptive Event
Who it suits
Try it if your guests cancel often, or if you want to pick up more bookings during the slow season.
When Airbnb Can Override Your Cancellation Policy
Your policy isn't the final word in every case. A guest may get a full or partial refund regardless of your settings if they cancel because of a Major Disruptive Event or because of an issue covered by Airbnb's Rebooking and Refund Policy for homes. If you've already been paid, Airbnb can recover the money by deducting an adjustment from your next payout.
The Airbnb refund policy covers these Reservation Issues.
The host cancels the reservation before check-in
The host doesn't give the guest access to the property
The place isn't reasonably clean and sanitary, or it has safety or health hazards
The listing is significantly different from what was listed, such as the wrong space type, the wrong number of bedrooms or bathrooms, an inaccurate location, or a pool, hot tub, or other special amenity that's missing or doesn't work
The listing doesn't disclose that the host, another person, or a pet will be present during the stay
Guests have to report an issue within 72 hours of discovering it and back it up with evidence such as photos or videos. Whenever it's feasible, they also need to contact you first and try to solve the problem directly. You can dispute a claim through Airbnb. Its decision is binding.
If Airbnb refunds the guest, your payout is reduced by the refunded amount, or you don't get a payout at all.
Airbnb Host Cancellation Policy
Things work differently when you're the one canceling. Airbnb charges a cancellation fee of at least $50, and you don't receive a payout for the canceled reservation. The fee depends on timing.
48 hours or less before check-in, or after check-in, it's 50% of the reservation amount for the nights not stayed
Between 48 hours and 30 days before check-in, it's 25% of the reservation amount
More than 30 days before check-in, it's 10% of the reservation amount
The reservation amount includes the base rate, cleaning fee, and any pet fees, but not taxes or guest fees. For stays of 28 nights or more, the fee is calculated on the non-refundable portion of the reservation at the time of cancellation, up to 30 days after the cancellation date.
The fee isn't the only cost. Airbnb may block your calendar for the canceled dates, and hosts who cancel without a valid reason can lose their Superhost status or have their listing suspended. You can also be held responsible for a cancellation the guest starts if the listing was grossly misrepresented or double-booked. Airbnb waives the fee for Major Disruptive Events and certain valid reasons beyond your control.
One more rule. You can't encourage a guest to cancel a reservation for you.
Final Thought
Pick your policy based on how quickly you can refill a canceled night. In a busy market where last-minute bookings come easily, Flexible or Moderate costs you little. Where they don't, Limited or Firm protects the nights you can't resell.
Table of contents
Common questions
What cancellation policies does Airbnb offer hosts?
Airbnb offers four standard cancellation policies for stays of 27 nights or fewer: Flexible, Moderate, Limited, and Firm. Strict, Super Strict 30 Days, and Super Strict 60 Days are available only to certain hosts by invitation. For stays of 28 nights or more, hosts can choose Firm Long-Term or Strict Long-Term. Airbnb also allows hosts to offer a discounted non-refundable rate alongside their standard policy.
What is Airbnb's 24-hour free cancellation rule?
Airbnb allows guests to cancel for a full refund, including taxes, within 24 hours of booking confirmation, provided the reservation was made at least 7 days before check-in. This rule applies to all standard cancellation policies, including Strict, and to discounted non-refundable bookings. It covers stays shorter than 28 nights; monthly reservations follow separate long-term cancellation policies.
What is the difference between Flexible, Moderate, Limited, and Firm cancellation policies?
The main difference is how far in advance guests must cancel to receive a full refund. Flexible allows free cancellation until 24 hours before check-in, Moderate until 5 days, Limited until 14 days, and Firm until 30 days. Moderate provides partial compensation for late cancellations, while Limited and Firm pay hosts 50% when guests cancel during their respective intermediate windows and 100% when cancellation occurs within 7 days of check-in. All four policies include Airbnb's standard 24-hour free cancellation window for eligible bookings.
Can Airbnb hosts still choose a Strict cancellation policy?
Strict is no longer available for hosts to select freely. Airbnb offers Strict, Super Strict 30 Days, and Super Strict 60 Days only to eligible hosts by invitation. Under Strict, guests receive a 50% refund when canceling at least 7 days before check-in, outside the initial 24-hour free cancellation window. Cancellations within 7 days generally result in a full payout to the host. Limited and Firm are the closest widely available alternatives.
Can Airbnb override a host's cancellation policy?
Yes. Airbnb can issue full or partial refunds regardless of the host's selected cancellation policy when a reservation is affected by a Major Disruptive Event or qualifies under Airbnb's Rebooking and Refund Policy. Covered issues can include inaccessible accommodations, serious cleanliness or safety problems, or significant differences between the listing and the actual property. Guests generally must report reservation issues within 72 hours of discovering them and provide supporting evidence. Airbnb may reduce the host's payout or recover an already issued payment through a future payout adjustment.