Canceling a reservation as a host without adverse consequences

We understand that cancellations are sometimes unavoidable due to circumstances outside of the host’s control.

It’s important to know that hosts should never cancel for any reason that violates our policies, including our Nondiscrimination Policy and Accessibility Policy.

Valid cancellation reasons

If a home, service or experience host has to cancel a reservation, they may be subject to fees and other consequences as outlined in the Host Cancellation Policy for homes and the Host Cancellation Policy for services and experiences.

If a host cancels for a valid reason beyond their control that prevents honoring the reservation, we will waive cancellation fees or other consequences.

For home hosts

Valid cancellation reasons include, but are not limited to:

• Circumstances beyond the host’s control, such as major damage to a home listing, emergency repairs (like a gas leak or a burst pipe), or unexpected issues with the service or experience venue that prevent hosting
• Serious personal illness that prevents hosting
• Proof that a guest intends to break one of the house rules included in the home listing details, have an unauthorized party or otherwise violate our Party and Events Policy
• A Major Disruptive Event, such as declared public health emergencies or government travel restrictions

For service or experience hosts

Valid cancellation reasons include, but are not limited to:

• Unexpected issues with the host’s health or venue conditions that are outside of the host’s control
• Guest-caused disruptions that prevent the host from hosting or completing a service or experience, like failing to follow stated instructions
• If a service or experience is at an Airbnb home, and the stay has an issue that prevents hosting
• If the host and guest agree to an alternate date and/or time to hold the service or experience and the host cancels so that the guest can rebook

Home hosts that use Instant Book

If a home host uses Instant Book, they may be able to cancel for additional valid reasons without consequences under certain circumstances. Some examples include:

• The guest makes it clear they’ll likely break one of the host’s house rules, like bringing a pet or smoking
• The guest has several unfavorable reviews or a lack of profile information that concerns the host

Hosts may be able to cancel Instant Book reservations online for these reasons in most cases, but sometimes they may have to contact us to cancel without consequences. Otherwise, fees and consequences will apply. If a host cancels a large number of Instant Book reservations, they may be required to turn off Instant Book.

To cancel without consequences, or have consequences waived in one of these situations, a host may be required to submit proof. For example, they might be asked to provide photos, videos, and other documentation in the case of emergency repairs, or a letter from a doctor in the case of serious personal illness.

Hosts must cancel in a timely manner

If a host cannot honor a reservation—regardless of the reason—it’s their responsibility to cancel in a timely manner to allow their guest time to adjust their plans. If the check-in time is within 24 hours, the option to cancel online won't be available—the host will need to contact us.

If a problem stems from an API software provider and the host needs to cancel a reservation as a result, the host must provide evidence of the API software provider’s outage or incident for consideration when requesting a fees and consequences waiver.

If you’re not sure if your situation qualifies, contact us before you cancel, and find out more about our cancellation fees for home hosts or service or experience host cancellation fees.