SANTO DOMINGO – As meteorologists predict an above-average hurricane season and wildfires become more frequent, Airbnb has partnered with Americares to offer tips to help its community host and travel safely this summer.
These prevention-focused tips and resources aim to help hosts prepare their homes and guests for the season, as well as provide information on how Airbnb is helping the community if they are affected by an extreme weather event.
“Having reliable information is essential during hurricane and wildfire season. Through easily accessible resources and our partnership with Americares, our goal is to help our hosts and travelers plan ahead and feel prepared while enjoying their summer travels,” said Raychel Gary, Airbnb’s Director of Disaster Response.
“Extreme weather events are a leading cause of property damage and injuries worldwide. These events can occur without warning, so being prepared is crucial. Storing an emergency kit on your property, following local weather alerts, and noting where to take shelter in case of an approaching storm can help keep guests safe,” said Nathaniel Matthews-Trigg, Americares’ Director of Climate and Disaster Resilience for the Americas.
Disaster preparedness tips
To help hosts promote the safety of their guests and homes, they partnered with the health aid and development organization Americares to suggest measures hosts can take, available in more than 60 languages.
This guidance is especially important to help guests traveling to other destinations who may not be familiar with local information and resources.
These recommendations include:
- Help guests who may not be familiar with what to do in case of a weather emergency by gathering important information—such as emergency contacts, the property address, the location of a storm shelter, or a map of the surrounding area—and making it available in a visible location in the house.
- Consider seasonal weather in your listing, messages, and cancellation policy by adding details about the local weather to your house rules, using the tools in the Messages tab to save tips you can share when bad weather is forecast, and offering guests a flexible cancellation policy that gives them more leeway to plan based on the forecast.
- Inform your guests of weather advisories and remind them of local resources and tips for staying safe during their stay.
- Reduce the risk of property damage by planning routine maintenance before hurricane and wildfire season begins, such as preparing an emergency kit, pruning trees, and checking drainage systems.
Large Disruptive Events Policy
disruptive events policy helps hosts and guests affected by disasters that make it impossible for them to host, travel, or stay in a destination.
When the policy is in effect, it overrides the host's reservation cancellation policy and allows guests to cancel eligible active and future reservations at the affected location for a refund, and allows hosts to cancel eligible reservations without fees and other related consequences.
The policy for major disruptive events is typically applied when natural disasters trigger events such as evacuation orders or large-scale cutoffs of essential services.
We encourage hosts and guests to familiarize themselves with this policy if they believe their travel destination or accommodation may be at greater risk of suffering a natural disaster or consequences such as a large-scale disruption of basic services.
Help people affected by disasters through Airbnb.org
Supporting local communities after a disaster is also incredibly important. Airbnb.org , an independent nonprofit organization founded by Airbnb, can leverage the Airbnb platform and community to provide free temporary housing to disaster victims and relief workers in partnership with local governments and organizations. In the past year, Airbnb.org has responded to natural disasters across the U.S., including wildfires in Los Angeles and Oklahoma, flooding in Ohio and Kentucky, and Hurricanes Helene and Milton in the Southeast.
Airbnb doesn't charge any service fees to hosts or guests for stays on Airbnb.org and offers hosts AirCover with every booking. Hosts across the country continue to sign up to open their homes for free or at a discount through Airbnb.org, so they're ready to help if Airbnb.org responds to a disaster in their area.
Other security measures are also available year-round
Wherever our community travels, Airbnb is making more measures and resources available to promote responsible travel and accommodation, including:
- Tips for hosts on how to post safety information and safety tips for guests on how to choose a place to stay.
- A 24-hour security hotline so hosts and guests can contact our security team directly.
- Our Local Emergency Services feature, accessible in the app to users 24/7, whether they are traveling with Airbnb or not, to quickly connect them with local emergency services, with assistance in 70 countries and regions.
