As data released by Airbnb shows families are searching for homes with pools, barbecues and access to beaches and lakes this summer, Airbnb is partnering with experts like Americares to help our community make the most of the season. We’re sharing safety-focused tips and resources to help hosts ensure their listings are prepared and support guests to have great stays. This includes new home safety and weather preparedness tips, and a discount on pool fences for US hosts.
Fire and carbon monoxide safety
We urge hosts to install carbon monoxide and smoke alarms, test them regularly and make sure their listing description is up to date with information about the presence of carbon monoxide and smoke alarms.
Additionally, Airbnb’s program offers free carbon monoxide and smoke alarms to active hosts. As of July 2024, we have distributed alarms to over 250,000 hosts globally through this industry-leading program.
On Airbnb, guests can filter search results for listings that report having carbon monoxide and smoke alarms present, and we provide dedicated safety information for hosts and guests.
Pool safety
Some of the top-booked listing categories by families this summer have water access, such as our Amazing Pools category. With this in mind, Airbnb is issuing updated tips for hosts and families to help support home and pool safety. The pool safety recommendations from Safe Kids Worldwide include installing safety equipment like a pool fence, performing routine inspections, adding details about pool features to the listing description and house manual to help guests stay informed, and displaying a pool safety checklist for parents by the pool.
US hosts with pools as an amenity also have the opportunity to purchase pool gates from Life Saver Pool Fence at a special discount, and we urge them to do so. According to the CDC, pool fences have been shown to reduce a child’s risk of drowning by 83 percent, and this discount aims to help hosts access this potentially life-saving equipment.
Extreme weather preparedness
To help hosts prepare their listings for potential weather emergencies, Airbnb has partnered with disaster preparedness experts at Americares — a health-focused relief and development organization — to share tips on suggested steps they along with their guests can take. These tips are available to hosts in over 60 languages and include suggestions to:
Have important preparedness information available for guests displayed in a prominent place. This could include: contact information for the local emergency services, the property address, map of the area and highlighting if there’s storm shelter on the property or nearby for hurricane or tornados, or established evacuation routes.
Account for seasonal weather in the listing description and welcome messages. Hosts can update their House Rules to include important weather information, utilizing the message settings to automate messages to guests to share local weather news, and selecting the flexible cancellation policy to give guests more flexibility during seasons of inclement weather.
Message guests about weather advisories via message thread. Hosts can remind guests of local resources and share tips to help guests stay protected during their stay.
Plan routine maintenance for the listings to help reduce the risk of property damage due to natural disasters or extreme weather events such as securing outdoor furniture that could become projectiles in high winds and trimming trees and branches that could damage the property during a storm.
Stock emergency kits with essentials such as water, first aid supplies, flashlights, and batteries. Equip your listing with emergency communication tools like battery-powered radios to ensure guests can receive local alerts and warnings. Place these kits in easily accessible locations.
“As travelers embark on their summer vacations, our team continues to work hard to help them have added peace of mind so they can focus on enjoying their trips. Partnering with Americares supports our efforts to help guests and hosts feel equipped with the resources they need to have great stays.”
Tara Bunch, Airbnb’s Global Head of Operations
“At Americares, we know that preparation is key to reducing the impacts of natural disasters, so it’s important to get ready now before disaster strikes. That’s why we are proud to partner with Airbnb to remind hosts and guests of steps they can take in advance of severe weather. Proactive measures such as reminding hosts to keep an emergency kit on property and to share local alerts for extreme weather events can help guests stay safe.”
Provash Budden, Americares Deputy Senior Vice President of Emergency Programs
In addition to extreme weather preparedness, Airbnb is sharing information on wildfire safety with hosts in certain locations in the US, including tips to prepare and protect their property against wildfires and support their guests. These tips include suggestions for inspecting and securing their property and providing emergency information to guests.
Earlier this year, we also updated our Major Disruptive Events Policy. When this Policy applies, guests can cancel their reservation and receive a refund, travel credit, and/or other consideration regardless of the reservation’s cancellation policy, and Hosts can cancel without fees or other adverse consequences, although their listing’s calendar will be blocked for the dates of the canceled reservation. We encourage hosts and guests to be familiar with this policy if they believe their travel destination or listing may experience a natural disaster or large-scale essential utilities outage.
Continuing to help people impacted by disasters through Airbnb.org
Support in the aftermath of a disaster is also incredibly important. Following a disaster, there can be a critical need for emergency housing. Airbnb.org works with nonprofits and governments to provide free, temporary housing to people displaced by disasters and relief workers and Airbnb hosts can open their homes for free or at a discount through Airbnb.org. Airbnb waives all host and guest service fees for Airbnb.org stays and provides hosts with free AirCover protection with every reservation. Hosts across the country continue to sign up to host through Airbnb.org, so they are ready to support if Airbnb.org responds to a disaster in their area.
In addition to these efforts, our team continues to work to help promote positive stays. As part of this, the following resources and features, among others, are also available to our community:
Tips for hosts on listing safety information and safety tips for guests on choosing a place to stay
Our 24-hour Safety Line, available in-app to users during a stay, so if a host or guest feels unsafe they can directly reach our specialized Safety team for help
Our Local Emergency Services feature, accessible in-app to users 24/7 – whether or not they’re traveling on Airbnb – to quickly connect them to the local emergency services (i.e. 911), with support in 70 countries and regions.
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