A woman slams Airbnb after a host refuses to refund her stay amidst a raging hurricane

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One woman is raising a storm of her own, calling out an Airbnb host who flatly refused to refund her booking as a hurricane battered the region.

In a viral TikTok video racking up over 142,900 views, user WhitePineHomesLLC | Realtor (@whitepinehomesllc) didn’t hold back as she called out the Airbnb host who refused to accommodate her during a hurricane.

In her passionate PSA, she urged hosts everywhere to show more compassion for their guests in times of crisis.

Framing her situation as a hypothetical, she questioned how a host could deny a simple request to push a vacation back by a few days. The guests just wanted to ensure their rental still had power and that they wouldn’t be fighting local residents for scarce resources.

But, above all, she stressed, the most pressing concern was her family’s safety—including her children—amid the dangerous disaster.”

And you still make them forfeit their money?” she said. “That’s a lack of empathy and humanity.”

The mom then explained the hypothetical scenario was her own.

So, what went down?

The TikToker recorded her viral video on the very day she was supposed to be heading out for a much-anticipated trip to Amelia Island, Florida. But instead of enjoying her vacation, she found herself caught in the eye of a different storm—her Airbnb host’s refusal to budge, despite the looming hurricane.

“We go every single fall break,” the woman explained. “It’s a place that’s very close to my heart.”

The group wasn’t small—seven kids and four adults, including the woman’s foster children. In fact, she had to get the entire vacation pre-approved by the state, and everything had been carefully planned, with the trip booked far in advance.

But then Hurricane Milton barrelled toward Florida, throwing everything into chaos. Hoping for some flexibility, she reached out to the Airbnb host, looking for options to adjust their stay in light of the storm. What happened next, though, left her stunned.

“Let’s keep an eye on it,” she alleged the host said.

From the start, the mom had a gut feeling the host was ‘trying to ignore’ the unfolding situation, but she still chose to give them the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately, her instincts were spot-on.

Even as the hurricane threatened to sweep across a vast portion of Florida, the host flat-out refused to offer a refund, leaving the family stuck between a natural disaster and a frustrating policy

“My only option for you is to change your dates,” the host said before offering a specific, narrow option.

“Well that would normally maybe be fine for other people that don’t have foster children, but I can’t just change dates,” the mom said.

To make matters worse, Airbnb itself allegedly washed its hands of the situation, telling the woman they couldn’t help her secure a refund. With both the host and the platform refusing to budge, she was left scrambling for solutions in the face of an impending hurricane.

“As a business owner myself, I just can’t fathom charging somebody for services they didn’t receive,” the woman said.

So, what does Airbnb’s refund policy actually say?

According to the platform’s website, it’s ultimately up to the hosts to set their own cancellation rules—ones that guests agree to when booking

Airbnb does have a Major Disruptive Events Policy in place, but it only covers truly unforeseeable disasters. Unfortunately for this guest, hurricane-related cancellations during hurricane season aren’t protected under that policy. That said, if the hurricane triggers a different major disruption, there could still be grounds for a refund.

“To support our community, our Major Disruptive Events policy is currently in effect for impacted areas of Florida, such as those experiencing government travel restrictions,” an Airbnb spokesperson told the Daily Dot via email.

“This policy means hosts can cancel eligible stays without consequences, and guests who have an eligible booking can cancel for a refund. Hosts and guests can see eligible bookings on their Airbnb account via their Trips page. Our customer support team is also available to help with any questions,” the spokesperson said.

In a surprising twist, the woman shared in a follow-up video that Airbnb eventually stepped in and offered her a full refund. After the initial frustration and back-and-forth, the platform reached out, reversing course on their earlier stance and resolving the issue in her favor.

Viewers Respond

In the comments section, many users chimed in, suggesting that travel insurance could have shielded the woman from this liability. They emphasized how such coverage could have provided peace of mind and financial protection against unforeseen disasters like hurricanes, urging fellow travelers to consider it in the future.

“Generally in the tourism rental business, you either buy the vacay insurance or you forfeit. Money is always refunded if there is a mandatory evacuation for the rental,” said one user.

“I see your standpoint. But as a landlord, I also know that the bills don’t pay themselves. I believe there is an option to purchase insurance for stuff like this on AirBnB. Always buy travel insurance,” wrote another user.

“We’re also real estate investors, but sometimes safety, empathy, and humanity, especially in a record-breaking natural disaster, comes first,” the mom responded