Does Airbnb cover cancellations related to Hurricane Milton?

A woman must choose with an Airbnb host who refused to refund her reservation during a recent hurricane.

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In a viral video with over 142,900 views, TikTok user WhitePineHomesLLC | Realtor (@whitepinehomesllc) called the host. He also urged others to be more considerate of their PSA guests.

The woman presented her scenario as a theorist. He asked what would happen if a guest contacted an Airbnb host to delay their vacation by a few days because of a hurricane. They wanted to make sure that the rent had power and that they would not be competing with local residents for resources during a crisis.

Most importantly, the guest wanted to keep his family, which included children, safe during a disaster.

“And you still make them lose their money?” she said “This is a lack of empathy and humanity.”

The mother then explained that the hypothetical scenario was hers.

what happened

The TikToker recorded the video on the day he was supposed to leave on a trip to Amelia Island in Florida.

“We go every fall break,” the woman explained. “It’s a place that’s very close to my heart.”

In total, the party had seven children and four adults. The woman, who has foster children, had to approve the holidays for the State. He also booked the trip well in advance.

However, incoming Hurricane Milton disrupted these plans. Contacted your Airbnb host about booking options.

“Let’s keep an eye on it,” said the host.

The mom immediately felt that the host was “trying to ignore” the whole situation, but still gave her the benefit of the doubt. His hunch turned out to be correct.

Despite the hurricane that was predicted to hit a large part of the state of Florida, the host refused to refund their guest.

“My only option for you is to change your dates,” the host said before offering a specific, limited option.

“Well, normally, maybe it would be okay for other people who don’t have foster children, but I can’t change the dates,” said the mother.

Airbnb also said it could not help the woman get a refund.

“As a business owner, I can’t understand charging someone for services they didn’t receive,” the woman said.

What is Airbnb’s refund policy?

According to Airbnb’s website, hosts decide the cancellation policy for a listing, which guests agree to when booking.

The company maintains a major disruptive event policy, but only covers unforeseeable events.

Hurricane-related cancellations during hurricane season are not covered by this policy. However, if the hurricane causes some other disruptive event, the reservation can be refunded.

“To support our community, our Major Disruptive Events Policy is currently in effect in affected areas of Florida, including those experiencing government travel restrictions,” an Airbnb spokesperson told the Daily Dot by e-mail.

“This policy means that hosts can cancel eligible stays without consequence, and guests who have an eligible reservation can cancel for a refund. Hosts and guests can view eligible reservations in their Airbnb account at via their Trips page. Our customer service team is also available to help with any questions,” the spokesperson said.

In a follow-up video, the woman explained that Airbnb reached out and gave her a full refund.

Spectators respond

In the comments section, many said that travel insurance would have protected the woman from liability.

“In general, in the tourist rental business, you either buy vacation insurance or you lose. Money is always returned if there is a mandatory eviction for the rental,” said one user.

“I see your point. But as a homeowner, I also know the bills don’t pay themselves. I think there’s an option to buy insurance for things like this on AirBnB. Always buy travel insurance,” she said. write another user.

“We’re also real estate investors, but sometimes safety, empathy and humanity, especially in a record-breaking natural disaster, come first,” the mother replied.

@whitepinehomesllc @airbnb please do better #momsoftikt #ameliaislandflorida #ameliaisland #fostercare #fosterparent #airbnbhost #airbnbhost #vacation #hurricane #hurricanemilton ♬ original sound – WhitePineHomesLLC | Real estate agent

The Daily Dot reached out to WhitePineHomesLLC | Realtor TikTok comment and direct message and Airbnb email for feedback.

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