Airbnb Refunds: a Host’s View

In a perfect world, if you did your job well as a host to make your guests happy during their stays, you actually wouldn’t have to worry about giving them a refund. But in the real world, plans may change, and sometimes, under certain circumstances, you may be asked to give back the money.

So how should you handle Airbnb refunds for guests? In this short guide, you’ll find some useful information that can help you get the best outcome for your Airbnb business and reputation.

Airbnb Refund Policy

In most cases, the refund amount a guest may get depends on their host’s cancellation terms and the time when they cancel their reservation. But in some exceptional cases, guests may get a full refund or one larger than the standard refund of the host’s cancellation terms:

• When guests have to cancel because of unforeseen events beyond their control that occur after booking and make it impracticable or illegal to complete their reservation, such as changes to government travel requirements, acts of war, declared emergencies, etc.

• When guests have to cancel because of a valid reason that is covered by the Airbnb Rebooking and Refund Policy

• If, during their stay, guests are experiencing a travel issue covered by the Airbnb Rebooking and Refund Policy.

The Airbnb Rebooking and Refund policy explains how the company handles refunds when a host cancels a reservation, or another travel issue disrupts a guest’s stay.

The policy states that if a host cancels a reservation before check-in, their guest will automatically receive a full refund. If a host cancels 30 days or less before check-in, and the guest contacts Airbnb, they will also help the guest find comparable or better accommodations.

If another travel issue disrupts a stay, a guest has 72 hours to report that issue to Airbnb. But the Airbnb refund policy states that before submitting a claim, the guest must notify the host and try to resolve the travel issue directly with their host.

The company will investigate the claim, and if they determine that the claim is supported with appropriate evidence, they will provide a full or partial refund. The amount of refund will depend on the severity of the travel issue, its impact on the guest, the portion of the stay affected, and whether the guests remain in the rental space.

Guests can get full refunds for significant issues that cause them to leave the rental space within the first 24 hours of their stay. They won’t get a refund if a host can resolve a severe issue quickly enough to avoid any negative impact on their stay or if it’s a minor issue. Guests won’t receive a full refund if they remain for an entire stay and report the case only after leaving the property.

Airbnb Refunds: What Are the Terms?

So when can a guest ask for a refund? In fact, there might be several reasons for guests to ask for Airbnb refunds. For example, family and health issues can cause a guest to cancel a trip, or nasty weather can impact a person’s travel plans. As to work trips, they can also fall through at the last minute.

Airbnb identifies several scenarios or travel issues in which guests are eligible to receive a refund:

• Inability to access the accommodation. That happens when a host cancels the booking within 24 hours of check-in, changes the reservation to another listing without the consent of the guest, or fails to provide the keys or access code for check-in.

• Incorrect or inaccurate listing description, for example, the wrong accommodation location, the number of rooms or beds is different, or accessibility features are missing. Then, your guests have reason to request a refund.

• Key amenities are missing or not working, for example, the kitchen is under construction, or the heating system is broken during the winter. It can also relate to home appliances that don’t function as they should or are broken.

• Airbnb property is not safe or clean. If a guest arrives and finds that the property has not been cleaned (dirty sheets, rubbish lying around), they have a right to request a refund. This also relates to safety or health hazards such as infestations, broken locks, or extreme mold.

Keep in mind that most of these issues and complaints from guests can be avoided with careful planning and preventative measures like regular cleaning and maintenance. It’s also important to create an honest and upfront listing to manage your guests’ expectations and communicate with them at key moments to show you care about them. 

You should always be available to your guests, quickly respond to their questions, and be ready to address their concerns if any issues arise. It may be rather time-consuming, but with Hospitable.com, you’ll be able to automate conversations with your guests and save a lot of time. 

What Is Airbnb Refund Time?

If guests encounter any of these situations, they need to submit a claim to Airbnb within 72 hours. Airbnb will make the final decision about whether or not the guest will be reimbursed or book alternative accommodation.

First, guests will need to gather evidence to support their claim, for example, take photos or videos to document issues like dirty linen or incorrect access codes.

Then guests have to send a request to their host. They’ll have the option to ask their host to fix the issue if they want to continue their stay or request a refund if they’d rather cancel their reservation. It’s important to do it within 72 hours after they notice a travel issue because it may impact their refund amount.

After that, guests have to wait for a response. You, as a host, will have to respond and try to resolve the issue promptly. If you don’t, Airbnb will review the claim and respond to the guest with their decision.

As to Airbnb refund time, if a guest is eligible for a refund, they’ll get it automatically within ten days or maybe even sooner. That depends on the original payment method.

But generally, most hosts prefer to quickly resolve any issue by fixing it, offering a partial refund, or both.

Airbnb Full Refund

If your guest contacts you directly before their check-in date, you have the power to issue a full refund if it is stated in your cancellation terms. Just go to your Reservations overview, select the reservation, and click Issue Refund. Besides, full refunds are generally available to guests for significant issues that cause them to leave the rental property within the first 24 hours of their stay.

Airbnb Partial Refund

But what if a guest has a problem during their stay? Let’s assume an offered amenity like Wi-Fi is missing, or the hot water doesn’t work. You should discuss the issue with your guest to determine what has concerned them and what kind of refund they want.

You, as a host, can send them a partial refund through the Resolution Center. Here is what you need to do to issue an Airbnb partial refund:

• Go to Resolution Center and click Send money.

• Choose a guest to send money and click Next.

• Under Select a reason, you need to choose the reason that best describes your refund situation and click Next.

• Enter the refund amount, and add a message to your guest.

• Click Next and then Send.

Your guest will receive a notification about the refund, and Airbnb will process your transaction within 48 hours. Once you submit the refund amount, the transaction is considered final. As to any additional refunds, you or your guest will need to submit a new request through the Resolution Center.

One way to prevent a situation where a guest demands a refund is to gather a support team. It should consist of a cleaner, a plumber, an electrician, and a co-host who can help you handle challenging hosting moments.

Create a cleaning checklist for your cleaner to ensure that your rental space is clean and shiny for new guests. And take advantage of using short-term rental software like Hospitable.com that can help you assign tasks to your team automatically and ensure perfect communication with guests.

Conclusion

Airbnb refunds are a part of the experience of being a host or a guest and are regulated by a specific set of rules—terms and conditions developed by Airbnb. All users who have booked accommodation through the platform can request a refund if any problems with their booking arise.

There are two types of scenarios that justify a refund: a reservation canceled either by a traveler or by a host or an unexpected incident that occurred during a guest’s stay. The good news is that Airbnb has made the refund process automatic and as easy as possible for you as a host.