Airbnb freezes bookings in Beijing amid coronavirus concerns

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, Airbnb is suspending bookings in Beijing from February 7 until April 30, according to The New York Times. The company will refund customers who had canceled their reservations, and will allow hosts to cancel bookings without penalty.

In a statement, Airbnb said, “In light of the novel coronavirus outbreak and guidance from local authorities for the short-term rental industry during this public health emergency, bookings of all listings in Beijing with check-in from 7 February 2020 to 29 February 2020 have been suspended.”

The suspension was extended to April 30 and to Wuxi and Chongqing’s Yongchuan District a few days later.

Xiaozhu, a Chinese home-rental platform similar to Airbnb, will also suspend rentals in Beijing for February, as well as issue full refunds.