Airbnb

Airbnb Review: Clearer Total Prices, but Refund Rules Still Vary by Host

Service Fee in 2026: 14.1% to 16.5% for Guests, or 15.5% Paid by the Host

Two fee models now coexist. Under the older split fee, guests pay a service fee of 14.1% to 16.5% of the booking subtotal (nightly price plus host fees such as cleaning); paying in a different currency from the host's pushes it toward the 16.5% ceiling. Under the single fee, the whole charge, typically 15.5%, comes out of the host's payout and no guest service fee appears. That model is already mandatory for hotels and hosts using property management software, and the help center says every home host is being moved to it. Since April 21, 2025, search results show totals with fees but before taxes, so the figure can still rise at checkout. Vrbo, by contrast, still adds a traveler service fee at checkout. Rates vary by region and may change.

AirCover for Guests: Rebooking or a Refund, Reported Within 72 Hours

AirCover comes with every home reservation. It applies when a host cancels before check-in, when the host fails to provide access, or when the place is significantly different from the listing: fewer bedrooms, a private room sold as an entire home, a missing pool or kitchen, no heating in winter. You have 72 hours from discovering the problem to report it, with photos as evidence. The company then helps find a comparable place or issues a full or partial refund, service fees included. When a host cancels, the payment usually becomes travel credit first; unused credit returns to the original payment method after 72 hours, or you can request a direct refund. Two limits matter: it is not insurance, so trip delays and carrier-damaged luggage are excluded, and Experiences and Services fall outside it.

Flexible, Moderate, Limited or Firm: When Your Money Comes Back

Each host picks a cancellation policy, shown under Things to know before you pay. For stays of 27 nights or fewer, Flexible refunds in full until 24 hours before check-in, Moderate until 5 days, Limited (available for bookings made from October 1, 2025) until 14 days, and Firm until 30 days, with half back between 7 and 30 days. Every standard policy also allows a free cancellation within 24 hours of confirmation, provided check-in is at least 7 days away. The guest service fee is returned only inside the free window or when the host refunds in full. Experiences and Services follow separate terms: most refund in full until 24 hours before the start, some need 72 hours, and refunds arrive within 10 business days.

ID Photo, Selfie and Ad Data: What Booking Asks of You

Every booking guest must pass identity verification, for homes, Experiences and Services alike. Sometimes a legal name and address are enough, but you may be asked for a photo of a driver's license, passport or national ID plus a selfie; the reservation stays pending until you finish, and an unfinished check means no booking. The privacy policy, updated February 5, 2026, lists facial recognition data derived from those images, collected where offered and with consent where the law requires it. The US privacy supplement says data shared for advertising may count as selling, sharing or targeted advertising under California and other state laws, and that the company tries to honor Global Privacy Control signals. Hosts never see the ID.