An Airbnb host in Florida has come under fire after refusing to refund a mother who cancelled her family trip due to Hurricane Milton. Kaitlynn Thayer, a mother of five, took to TikTok to express her disappointment with the host who owns a beachfront property in Amelia Island. Hurricane Milton wreaked havoc in Florida, causing tornadoes, 28ft waves, strong winds, heavy rainfall, and leaving 23 dead and over a million homes without power.
Thayer had booked the Airbnb rental for her family to arrive on 9 October, but with the impending storm, she requested a refund for the first two days and planned to arrive on 11 October instead. Despite her efforts to negotiate with the host, they refused to offer a refund to the family of seven, even with the dangerous storm approaching. In a video that gained over 160,000 views, Thayer highlighted the host’s lack of empathy and humanity in refusing the refund.
Although the family had booked and paid for the Airbnb back in June, they realised the severity of the Category 3 hurricane and reached out to the host a few days before their scheduled departure. The host initially seemed unresponsive to the situation, and though they discussed options over a few days, the host ultimately decided not to refund any money. Due to laws regarding travelling with foster children, changing the vacation dates was not a feasible compromise for Thayer.
Thayer emphasised the importance of not charging for services not rendered and expressed concern about being a potential liability for the property owner if any issues arose during their stay. Initially, Airbnb stated there was little they could do, but after parts of Amelia Island were placed under an evacuation order, Airbnb’s executive team granted a full refund to the family, ensuring they were not financially penalised for prioritising their safety.
Airbnb has a policy in place for ‘Major Disruptive Events’ in certain areas, allowing guests and hosts to cancel or receive refunds during events that could inhibit the completion of a reservation, such as hurricanes. However, hosts are not obligated to refund solely due to a hurricane; there must be additional circumstances like evacuations or utility outages to trigger a refund. An Airbnb spokesperson clarified that this policy aims to provide flexibility for hosts and guests in such situations.
Thayer underscored that their primary concern was ensuring the safety of their children, being responsible foster parents, and avoiding paying for a vacation they could not take. The incident with the Airbnb host serves as a reminder of the importance of empathy and understanding in times of crisis, especially when safety and well-being are at stake.