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What to Do if Your Airbnb Host Cancels Your Reservation

Ask the host to cancel through Airbnb, then choose a refund or rebooking assistance. Here’s what to do if you’re pressured to cancel or the stay has already begun.
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If your Airbnb home host says they can’t accommodate your stay, ask them to cancel the reservation through Airbnb—don’t cancel it for them. Then read Airbnb’s cancellation email, choose whether you want a refund or to try rebooking, and contact Airbnb through the reservation if you need help. A host cancellation before check-in qualifies for a full-refund route; a replacement stay is assistance, not a guarantee.

What to do first when your host cancels

  1. Ask the host to cancel through Airbnb. Keep the cancellation attributed to the host. Airbnb tells guests not to cancel for a host who says they cannot accommodate the stay. See Airbnb’s guest instructions.
  2. Keep the conversation on Airbnb. Save the host’s messages and any cancellation notice. If the host pressures you to cancel, contact Airbnb through the reservation or support route instead of agreeing to cancel on their behalf.
  3. Read Airbnb’s cancellation email. Airbnb says it includes next steps and information about the refund.
  4. Choose refund or rebooking. If you want help finding another stay, contact Airbnb. If you prefer your money back, follow the refund instructions in the email or contact support.

If you already canceled because the host asked you to, explain that clearly to Airbnb and ask support to review the situation. Airbnb’s guidance is to contact it if a host asks you to cancel or you have already canceled for the host: If your host asks you to cancel.

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Refunds and booking credit after a pre-check-in cancellation

Airbnb’s Rebooking and Refund Policy for Homes, effective February 6, 2025, lists a host cancellation before check-in as a Reservation Issue and says the guest is entitled to a full refund. Airbnb’s guest instructions specify that if you choose not to rebook, the full refund includes service fees.

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Eligible guests may be offered Airbnb booking credit to use for rebooking. If you do not use that credit, Airbnb says it automatically refunds it to your original payment method after 72 hours. You can also request a refund to the original payment method rather than take the credit. The 72-hour period applies to unused credit; it is not a general promise about how long a refund takes to reach your account.

Airbnb says it initiates a refund once the reservation is canceled, but the time for the money to arrive depends on your bank or financial institution. Check the cancellation email and your payment provider for the status; Airbnb does not give a universal arrival date.

Refund or rebooking: how to choose

Option What it means What to consider
Refund Choose not to rebook and receive a full refund, including service fees, under Airbnb’s pre-check-in home cancellation guidance. Use this if you would rather arrange travel elsewhere or no suitable replacement is available.
Rebooking assistance Airbnb may help find a similar place, depending on availability and comparable pricing. Compare the location, amenities, dates, availability, and price with your canceled booking. Assistance does not guarantee an identical or available replacement.
Booking credit Eligible guests may receive Airbnb credit to rebook; unused credit is automatically refunded to the original payment method after 72 hours. If you prefer the money back directly, request a refund to the original payment method.

Airbnb describes its help for finding a similar stay as dependent on location, amenities, availability, and comparable price. Its AirCover for guests page also says help may include finding a similar place, or a full or partial refund including service fees if no similar place is available or you prefer not to rebook.

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If the host cancels after check-in or the stay has a serious problem

If a host cancels after you have checked in, or another problem disrupts the stay, Airbnb says it may provide a full or partial refund and rebooking assistance depending on the circumstances. For a covered Reservation Issue, the reservation holder must contact Airbnb or the host within 72 hours after discovering the issue. Report it promptly and preserve useful evidence, such as photos, video, or the host’s written confirmation.

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The policy also covers certain other serious problems, including being unable to access the accommodation, a home being uninhabitable at check-in, or a material difference from the listing. Examples include an inaccurate accommodation type or room count, undisclosed people or pets, or an advertised feature that is materially absent or not functioning. The outcome depends on factors such as severity, how much of the stay was affected, whether you leave, mitigating circumstances, and the strength of the evidence; a refund amount is not automatic.

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Does this advice apply to Airbnb services or experiences?

This guidance focuses on home reservations. Airbnb says a host cancellation of a service or experience before its start time results in a full refund, but the home rebooking details and Reservation Issue rules should not be assumed to apply identically to those booking types. See Airbnb’s host-cancellation guidance for the relevant booking category.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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