Airbnb: refund request

Collect

• reservation code
• cancellation policy shown at booking
• booking and cancellation times

Steps

1. Check the listing's cancellation policy in the trip details.

2. Cancel from Trips. For an agreed refund outside the policy, ask the host to send it through the Resolution Center.

   OnlineResolution Center (send or request money; ask Airbnb to mediate) Sign-in required

3. Submit Resolution Center requests within 60 days after checkout; if you cannot agree with the host, ask Airbnb to mediate (you have 1 hour to respond to a mediation request).

   OnlineResolution Center (send or request money; ask Airbnb to mediate) Sign-in required

More contacts for this issue

Facts you can cite

• Policy

  Standard stays (27 nights or fewer): Flexible gives a full refund until 24 hours before check-in; Moderate until 5 days before; Limited until 14 days before; Firm until 30 days before. Limited and Firm refund 50% from 7 days up to that limit, and no refund inside 7 days.

  Source: airbnb.com, verified 2026-10-12

• Deadline

  A 24-hour cancellation period applies to all standard cancellation policies for shorter stays, if the reservation was confirmed at least 7 days before check-in (listing's local time).

  Source: airbnb.com, verified 2026-10-12

• Deadline

  Resolution Center requests can be submitted up to 60 days after the reservation's checkout date.

  Source: airbnb.com, verified 2026-10-12

• Fee

  Guests pay a service fee of 14.1% to 16.5% of the booking subtotal; it is shown in the price breakdown before booking.

  Source: airbnb.com, verified 2026-10-12

• Policy

  The US Terms of Service require binding individual AAA arbitration after a 30-day Pre-Dispute Notice, with a class action waiver; either side may use small claims court.

  Source: airbnb.com, verified 2026-10-12

Rules in force

• FTC Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees (live-event tickets and short-term lodging)
  16 CFR part 464 (90 FR 2066, January 10, 2025)

  Since May 12, 2025, any business that offers, displays or advertises a price for live-event tickets or short-term lodging (for example hotels, motels and inns) must show the total price, including all mandatory fees, more prominently than other pricing information. Only government charges, shipping and optional add-ons may be left out, and those must be disclosed before the consumer pays. Misrepresenting any fee is prohibited.

  Source: ecfr.gov, verified 2026-10-12

  1 citable point

  • Policy

    A business may not misrepresent the nature, purpose, amount or refundability of any fee, or the identity of the good or service the fee is charged for.

    Source: ecfr.gov, verified 2026-10-12

If that fails, escalate

Go up one step at a time. Keep the reference numbers and dates from each contact.

1. Customer service

   OnlineResolution Center (send or request money; ask Airbnb to mediate) Sign-in required

   Message the host first; then ask Airbnb to step in.

2. Written complaint

   OnlineContact Airbnb support (sign in to see options) Sign-in required

3. Card or bank dispute

   Fair Credit Billing Act billing-error and purchase-dispute rights (Regulation Z)

   Electronic Fund Transfer Act error resolution and unauthorized-transfer liability (Regulation E)

4. State agency

   Your state’s attorney general. Find it in the list of state agencies (also as JSON: states/<code>.json, for example states/ny.json).

5. Arbitration

   MailPre-Dispute Notice and arbitration notice address (US Terms of Service, Section 23) CSC Lawyers Incorporating Service, 2710 Gateway Oaks Drive, Suite 150N, Sacramento, California 95833

   Send a Pre-Dispute Notice 30 days before AAA arbitration; small claims court is allowed.

Watch out

Related

• Refund request at other companies
• How Airbnb complaints actually go (dossier, checked 2026-10-12)
• Hotels and vacation rentals — how complaints work
• Airbnb: reservation not honored
• Airbnb: damage charge after a rental or stay
• Airbnb: deposit not returned