Airbnb host refuses refund for mum who cancelled Florida trip due to Hurricane Milton

An Airbnb host has come under fire from a mum who was refused a refund after cancelling due to in .

Georgia mum-of-five Kaitlynn Thayer had booked to stay in the storm-hit state's Amelia Island, which was set to be hit by the category three hurricane. The 33-year-old took to TikTok to share her anger that her host had been unyielding in waving the free for her family's trip.

She had booked the days-long trip back in June but has slammed the owners of the property's "lack of empathy and humanity" after being forced to change plans due to the impending danger. The holiday was set to kick off on the same day Milton made landfall, with several outlets predicting torrential rain and winds topping 160 miles per hour.

READ MORE:

Thayer claimed she wanted to ensure the host's house had power and that the Georgia-based family would not be using resources of those affected by the coastal storm. She claims to have contacted the host in the days ahead of the trip to express her concerns but felt that the host "was trying to ignore the situation" entirely.

She went on to suggest the host said the family could come on the days after the storm arrived, but this wasn't possible. The mum's four-minute video went into detail about her three biological children and two foster children who require "extensive and hard to get" paperwork to get across state lines, .

The mum contacted Airbnb who told her if the host is unwilling to refund the trip "there is nothing we can do." Annoyed at the response, she explained: "I just feel like that is super tough,' she said following the short-term rental company's response. We are not the only people I know this is happening to right now. We are staying safe, we are keeping our children safe, we're being responsible foster parents and at the same time trying not pay for a vacation we are not taking."

Following the viral video, Thayer's posted an update that said the host wasn't willing to refund or compromise, but due to a state-issued evacuation order Airbnb policies required a full refund be granted. The mum and her husband, David, 38, claim they were "very thankful" for Airbnb's Escalations Team who notified them of the refund.

When asked about the policy an Airbnb representative explained: "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 or large-scale utility outages. This policy means hosts can cancel eligible stays without consequences, and guests who have an eligible booking can cancel for a refund."

The policy also allows a host to cancel a trip without fees or other adverse consequences. It also states that if a reservation is cancelled the host does not receive a payout for the cancelled dates of the reservation, or, if the payout has already been made, the refunded amount will be withheld from the next payout. Multiple people who have watched the video have weighed in on the situation, with some relieved for the family while others are sympathetic.

One person commented: "That's why you get vacation insurance. Airbnb owner still has to pay their mortgage and all the bills associated with the property regardless of weather. That's why most require a 30 day cancellation."

While another added: 'I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. We live like 40 minutes from there. I do know evacuation was issued late Wed. Night for parts of the island. They definitely should refund."

Hurricane Milton is one of the most powerful hurricanes of the 2024 season and left devastation around the state. Many homes around Florida were ruined and neighborhoods were left underwater. The US National Hurricane Center called the Category 3 hurricane "dangerous" and "catastrophic" after it hit sustained winds of 160 miles per hour when it made landfall late Wednesday evening.