What To Do If Your Airbnb Host Cancels Last-Minute
By Mina Elwell
VACATIONS
Airbnbs can cancel on guests last-minute for many reasons, such as accidentally double-booking or intentionally scamming guests by raising rates near events.
Do not cancel your booking on the app, even if your host asks you to. If you do, you are not entitled to a refund, and the host can keep your money without providing accommodation.
Instead, you can submit a cancellation request to Airbnb and choose "My host needs to cancel." This will prompt the host to cancel it themselves, and you can still get a refund.
If your Airbnb host has canceled on you right before your trip, contact Airbnb ASAP. You should be entitled to a full refund once the host has officially canceled through the app.
Because your host left you in the lurch, you should also be able to get the refund relatively quickly. Alternatively, they may offer you a voucher to book an alternative Airbnb.
Airbnb will try to help you find a similar booking, but if not much is available at short notice or prices have gone up, you may have to take the refund and find a place yourself.