March 18, 2026 · 9 min read
80,000 Bookings Cancelled: Airbnb's War Refund Policy Explained for Dubai Hosts
By Masaya Team
On March 13, 2026, Airbnb activated its extenuating circumstances policy for bookings affected by the Iran-UAE military escalation (Skift). More than 80,000 Dubai STR bookings had already been cancelled in the first week of disruption (IBTimes, The National). Tens of thousands more are pending.
If you're a Dubai host trying to understand what this policy actually means for your revenue, your host status, and your upcoming bookings — this is the complete picture. For a broader view of what this crisis means for your next 90 days, the Dubai crisis survival playbook covers the specific moves to make starting now.
What Is Airbnb's Extenuating Circumstances Policy?
Airbnb's extenuating circumstances policy allows guests and hosts to cancel bookings without the standard penalties when certain qualifying events occur. These include:
- Natural disasters
- Government travel bans or restrictions
- Military conflict and acts of war (the applicable category here)
- Public health emergencies
The policy is activated by Airbnb at the platform level — not by individual hosts or guests. When Airbnb declares a qualifying event, it defines a geographic scope (which bookings are affected) and a date range (which check-in dates fall under the policy).
Airbnb activated this policy for UAE-affected bookings on March 13, 2026 (Skift).
What the Policy Covers: Military Conflict
Under extenuating circumstances for military conflict, the policy covers guests who have bookings for stays in the affected area (UAE) during the covered period. Guests who qualify can cancel and receive a full refund, regardless of the host's cancellation policy.
Key points:
The host's cancellation policy is overridden. Whether you have a strict, moderate, or non-refundable policy, Airbnb's extenuating circumstances declaration supersedes it for qualifying bookings.
The policy is triggered by the event's date range, not the booking date. A guest who booked six months ago and has a check-in date falling within the active conflict period qualifies — regardless of when they booked.
Guests must submit a claim. Cancellation under extenuating circumstances isn't automatic. Guests must go to their booking, initiate a cancellation, and select the qualifying reason. Airbnb's team reviews and approves.
What Hosts Lose (And What They Don't)
What you lose:
- The payout for covered cancellations. When a guest cancels under a verified extenuating circumstances claim, Airbnb refunds the guest in full. You do not receive your host payout for that booking.
- The revenue you were counting on. This is the hardest part. Non-refundable bookings you built cashflow projections on are now subject to reversal.
What you don't lose:
- Your host metrics. Extenuating circumstances cancellations do not count against your cancellation rate. Your Superhost status is not affected by cancellations in this category.
- Your listing position. These cancellations do not trigger algorithmic penalties.
- Your review standing. Guests who cancel under extenuating circumstances are not prompted to leave a negative review for the host.
What's ambiguous:
- Bookings for future dates. The policy covers stays during the active conflict period. What happens to bookings with check-in dates 45, 60, or 90 days from now is less clear. Airbnb typically extends or closes the covered date range as the situation evolves. Check Airbnb's Help Centre regularly — the covered date range will be updated there. For the broader historical context on how geopolitical crises impact STR revenue, the three-phase pattern from COVID and Ukraine is repeating.
Free STR Operations Blueprint
Templates and checklists for guest comms, cleaning coordination, and upsells.
How to Handle Guest Communications Right Now
Your guests are anxious. Some have already cancelled. Some have bookings weeks or months out and don't know what to do. Some are currently mid-stay. Each group needs a different message. If you're managing this communication volume across multiple properties, the hosts who have automated guest communication infrastructure in place are handling it without burning out — the rest are manually fielding every cancellation request one by one.
Guests who haven't cancelled yet (upcoming bookings within 30 days):
Reach out proactively. Don't make them chase you. A calm, factual message reduces the chance they cancel without asking first — and some guests may be willing to hold if they feel the host is on top of the situation.
"Hi [Name], I wanted to check in given the current situation in Dubai. If you have any questions about your upcoming stay, I'm available. If your plans have changed and you'd like to discuss your booking, please don't hesitate to message me — I'm happy to work through options together."
Don't promise refunds you can't control. Don't tell guests what Airbnb's policy will or won't do — direct them to Airbnb support for policy specifics. What you control is your tone and responsiveness.
Guests with bookings 30–90 days out:
These guests are in a wait-and-see mode. Monthly check-ins are appropriate. Let them know you're monitoring the situation and will update them. Set a clear expectation: "I'll be in touch again in two weeks with an update."
Guests currently mid-stay:
If you have guests currently in the property, their primary concern is safety and exit logistics. The UAE government has stepped in to cover accommodations for stranded travellers (Skift), but guests in your unit are your guests. Be available. Provide practical information about airport status, transport, and relevant official advisories. Don't speculate — share verified sources (UAE NCEMA, local transport authority).
UAE Government Assistance for Stranded Travelers
The UAE government has stepped in to cover accommodations for travellers stranded in the country as a result of the conflict (Skift). This affects the hospitality sector broadly — if guests in your unit need to access this assistance programme, direct them to UAE government emergency services and official travel channels.
This intervention doesn't provide direct relief to STR hosts, but it does provide a safety net for guests who might otherwise be in dispute situations with their hosts over extended stays they can't exit.
OTA Comparison: How Booking.com and VRBO Handle Military Conflict
Booking.com: Booking.com's Force Majeure policy covers cancellations due to extraordinary circumstances, including military conflict. In practice, Booking.com activates a similar override mechanism to Airbnb — guests in affected areas can cancel without penalty and receive refunds. Hosts on Booking.com in Dubai should check their extranet for any active policy notifications. Booking.com typically communicates these via the property management portal.
VRBO: VRBO's cancellation policy framework is different — it's more host-controlled than Airbnb or Booking.com. However, VRBO does allow force majeure cancellations and has historically applied similar protections during major military events. Hosts on VRBO should contact VRBO directly if they have bookings affected by the UAE conflict, as the platform has not issued a blanket public policy announcement as of this writing.
Key takeaway: If you're on multiple OTAs, check each platform's extenuating circumstances or force majeure notification centre individually. Policies are not uniform across platforms.
What to Do About Bookings 30, 60, and 90 Days Out
30-day bookings: These are highest risk. Most guests with 30-day-out bookings are already decision-making. If they haven't contacted you, proactive outreach (as above) is warranted. Be prepared for cancellation requests.
60-day bookings: The calculus here depends on the conflict trajectory. If the situation stabilises meaningfully in the next 30 days, some 60-day bookings will hold. If conflict continues, expect another cancellation wave as guests move out of "wait and see" mode. Maintain communication cadence. Don't hold guests to bookings they'll be unhappy about — a clean cancellation is better than a disputed stay.
90-day bookings: This is your positioning window. For guests 90+ days out, you have time to build reassurance and demonstrate you're a trustworthy host who responds to crises professionally. Some of these guests will hold their bookings if they believe Dubai will recover. Your communication with them now shapes their decision in 30–60 days.
Consider offering a one-time free date-change option for 90-day bookings. "I want to make this easy for you — if you need to shift your dates by 30–60 days as the situation develops, I'll accommodate that at no charge." This reduces the chance they cancel outright and increases the chance they stay in the booking ecosystem. For a full tactical playbook on navigating the next 90 days, see the Dubai crisis survival guide.
FAQ
Does Airbnb's extenuating circumstances policy apply automatically to all my Dubai bookings? No. Guests must proactively submit a cancellation request and cite the extenuating circumstances reason. Airbnb's support team reviews and approves each claim. The policy doesn't auto-cancel bookings. You may still have guests who choose to maintain their bookings even during an active policy period.
Can I cancel on behalf of my guests to avoid disputes? You should not cancel on a guest's behalf without their explicit request — doing so without a valid reason could result in penalties to your host account. If a guest wants to cancel, guide them through the Airbnb cancellation process themselves. If there's a safety issue that makes the property uninhabitable, contact Airbnb support directly.
What happens to my payout if a guest cancels mid-stay under extenuating circumstances? For mid-stay cancellations, Airbnb typically refunds the unused portion of the stay. You retain payment for nights already completed. The specifics depend on when the guest cancels relative to the covered date range — confirm with Airbnb support for each specific case.
Will Booking.com issue the same refunds as Airbnb for UAE bookings? Booking.com has a force majeure policy that covers military conflict, similar in structure to Airbnb's extenuating circumstances policy. However, the exact date ranges and application process differ. Check your Booking.com extranet for active notifications. For the broader 90-day tactical response and long-stay pivoting strategy, see the Dubai crisis survival playbook.
Is there any financial assistance for STR hosts impacted by the war? As of this writing, no specific STR host relief programme has been announced by the UAE government or Airbnb. The UAE government's accommodation assistance programme (Skift) is directed at stranded travellers, not accommodation providers. Monitor official UAE government channels and Airbnb's Host Resource Centre for updates.