Airbnb announced changes to its “extenuating circumstances policy” for travelers due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The extenuating circumstances policy “allows guests to cancel eligible reservations without charge.” The policy applies to Airbnb bookings in the United States, mainland China, South Korea, and Italy.

Travelers with Airbnb reservations in the U.S who booked on or before March 13, with a check-in date of April 1 or sooner, won’t be charged a fee. Also, U.S. travelers with reservations in the Schengen Area of Europe who made reservations on or before March 11 for travel between March 13 to April 13 can cancel without facing a fee. On Wednesday, President Trump announced a ban on travel from Europe to the U.S. for 30 days.


Airbnb’s policy also applies to global hosts or guests who need to change or cancel travel because of the following reasons:

Restrictions by government or health authorities;

Medical or disease control duties because of the outbreak;

Flight or ground transportation cancellations initiated by providers due to the outbreak;

A diagnosis or suspected infection of coronavirus by a medical professional.

Read the policy change here.

The company announced a “More Flexible Reservations” system on Tuesday to help hosts and guests cancel or postpone hosting and travel plans.