Short answer: How much Airbnb refunds depends on the host’s cancellation policy. With Flexible, you can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before check-in; with Firm, up to 30 days before, and in the last week nothing is refunded. Illness and injury aren’t grounds for an exception. That’s where cancellation insurance taken out in advance helps: it reimburses what Airbnb doesn’t refund after deducting the 10% excess.
One-minute summary
- The host chooses the cancellation policy. You’ll find it in the listing before you pay and with the confirmed booking.
- Within 24 hours of confirmation, you can cancel for a full refund if you booked at least 7 days before check-in. Airbnb’s service fee is only refunded if you cancel within the free cancellation period.
- The Major Disruptive Events Policy covers things like wars or natural disasters at the destination. Not illness, injury or a cancelled flight.
- Cancellation insurance reimburses what Airbnb doesn’t refund after deducting the 10% excess. For a stay costing CZK 24,000, the premium is CZK 2,160, and if you fall ill it pays back CZK 21,600.
- More than 30 days before check-in, you can insure even a booking you’ve already paid for. Later, only on the day of payment.
Hosts’ cancellation policies on Airbnb
For stays shorter than 28 nights, each host chooses one standard cancellation policy and can also offer a cheaper non-refundable rate. An overview based on Airbnb’s help pages (verified 26/10/2026):
| Cancellation policy | Full refund if you cancel | If you cancel later, before check-in |
|---|---|---|
| Flexible | at least 24 hours before check-in | You lose the price of one night. |
| Moderate | at least 5 days before check-in | You lose the price of one night and half the price of the other nights. |
| Limited | at least 14 days before check-in | 7 to 14 days before, 50% is refunded. Less than 7 days before, nothing is refunded. |
| Firm | at least 30 days before check-in | 7 to 30 days before, 50% is refunded. Less than 7 days before, nothing is refunded. |
| Strict | only within 24 hours of booking | 7 or more days before, 50% is refunded. Later, nothing is refunded. |
| Super Strict (30 or 60 days) | only within 24 hours of booking | At least 30 or 60 days before, 50% is refunded. Later, nothing is refunded. |
| Non-refundable rate | only within 24 hours of booking (except some hotels) | Nothing is refunded. |
You’ll find which policy applies to your booking in the listing details before you pay, and for a confirmed booking under Trips. The host can change the policy, but only for new bookings. Yours is governed by the policy in force on the day you booked.
24 hours after booking and the service fee
All the standard policies have a 24-hour window: within 24 hours of confirmation, you can cancel the booking for a full refund including taxes, if you confirmed it at least 7 days before check-in. This also applies to the non-refundable rate, except for some non-refundable hotel offers.
Airbnb’s service fee is only refunded if you cancel within the free cancellation period, or if the host refunds you the full amount after you cancel. Airbnb shows you how much you’ll get back before you confirm the cancellation.
If the host cancels the booking
If the host cancels the booking before check-in, you get a full refund including service fees, and Airbnb may help you find similar accommodation. You don’t need cancellation insurance here, and it wouldn’t pay anything anyway: it only covers situations where you can’t make it.
The Major Disruptive Events Policy: what it covers and what it doesn’t
In exceptional cases, you can cancel regardless of the host’s cancellation policy and get a refund or credit. This only applies to large-scale events at the destination that occur after you booked and that make the stay impossible or prohibit it:
- epidemics and public health emergencies declared by a government (not common illnesses such as flu),
- binding government travel restrictions, such as evacuations or curfews,
- war, terrorism, unrest and other armed conflicts,
- long outages of water, heating or electricity across a large part of the area,
- unforeseeable natural disasters and extreme weather.
According to Airbnb, this policy doesn’t cover, for example:
- an unexpected injury or illness,
- obligations to the authorities, such as a court summons,
- cancellation of the event you’re travelling for,
- a cancelled flight, transport strikes and road closures,
- weather that’s normal for the time and place.
You’ve fallen ill: what to do
- See a doctor before departure. You’ll need a medical report with the diagnosis and length of treatment for the insurer.
- Write to the host. A refund beyond the cancellation policy is entirely the host’s decision, but they may meet you halfway, for example with other dates.
- Cancel the booking as soon as possible. The later you cancel, the less Airbnb refunds. The insurer may reduce the payout if cancelling in time would have been cheaper.
- Save the cancellation summary showing the amount Airbnb refunded, and report the claim to the insurer. The process is on the how to make a claim page.
When cancellation insurance helps
Cancellation insurance is made for exactly the situations Airbnb doesn’t cover: you fall ill or get injured, someone in your family or the person you booked the stay with falls seriously ill, or you have to look after a sick loved one. It reimburses the amount Airbnb doesn’t refund under the cancellation policy after deducting the 10% excess.
Insure the full price of the stay. With the stricter policies and the non-refundable rate, you can lose everything in the last few days before check-in. The insurance is always taken out for that specific booking and covers everyone named in the policy.
What to watch out for
- The 30-day deadline. More than 30 days before check-in, you can take out the insurance at any time, even for a booking you’ve paid for. A booking made 30 days or less before check-in can only be insured on the day you pay for it.
- Only new events. The insurance covers reasons that arise after it’s taken out. Illness, injury, death and pregnancy no more than 180 days before check-in; other reasons no more than 30 days before it.
- 10% excess. It doesn’t apply if the insured person is hospitalised for at least 24 hours or dies.
- Not a change of plans. If you change your mind, it rains or you don’t get time off work, the insurance covers nothing. All the reasons and exclusions are in the overview what the insurance covers.
You’ll find details about insuring stays on the accommodation cancellation insurance page. Booking.com reservations have different rules — see the guide non-refundable booking on Booking.com.
What insuring an Airbnb stay costs
A week in a seaside apartment for CZK 24,000 at the non-refundable rate: the premium is CZK 2,160. If you fall ill a week before departure, Airbnb refunds nothing and the insurer pays you CZK 21,600. If the policy were Firm and you cancelled 7 to 30 days before, Airbnb would refund half and the insurance the lost half: CZK 10,800.
The premium is 9% of the price, at least CZK 26 per policy. Work out your own amount in the price calculator.
We’ll email you a quote for insuring your stay: I’d like an accommodation insurance quote.
Frequently asked questions
Will Airbnb refund me if I fall ill?
Only under the host’s cancellation policy. Illness and injury aren’t grounds for an exception under the Major Disruptive Events Policy. The host may refund you more as a goodwill gesture. Otherwise, cancellation insurance taken out in advance helps: it reimburses what Airbnb doesn’t refund after deducting the 10% excess.
Is Airbnb’s service fee refunded if I cancel?
Only if you cancel within the free cancellation period under the cancellation policy, or if the host refunds you the full amount. If the host cancels, you get the service fees back too.
Does the Major Disruptive Events Policy cover a cancelled flight?
No. Airbnb explicitly lists cancelled flights, transport strikes and illness and injury among the cases it doesn’t cover. A cancelled flight is the airline’s responsibility; illness is a matter for cancellation insurance.
Can I insure an Airbnb booking I’ve already paid for?
Yes, if there are more than 30 days until check-in and nothing has happened yet. A booking made 30 days or less before check-in can only be insured on the day you pay for it.
Sources
We verified Airbnb’s rules on 26/10/2026 in its Czech and English help pages. The links lead to third-party websites.
- Airbnb — cancellation policies for homes (opens in a new window)
- Airbnb — a host changing the cancellation policy (applies only to new bookings) (opens in a new window)
- Airbnb — where to find the host’s cancellation policy (opens in a new window)
- Airbnb — what’s refunded when you cancel a home booking (opens in a new window)
- Airbnb — service fee refunds (opens in a new window)
- Airbnb — if the host cancels your booking (opens in a new window)
- Airbnb — Major Disruptive Events Policy (opens in a new window)
- PP STORNO CZ 11/2025 policy terms — on the Documents page
Related
This article is general information, not legal or financial advice. The wording of the policy terms and your seller’s terms is what counts. The example scenarios are illustrative.