What to do when a natural disaster affects your vacation rental: how to handle guest communication, cancellations, OTA policies, and pricing during a crisis.
Oahu is facing catastrophic flooding, and this devastating situation serves as a sobering reminder of how fast conditions can shift. In less than 48 hours, an island with breathtakingly beautiful views and rich cultural history is being evacuated, helicopters are flying people to safety and more than $1 billion in damages have occurred so far.
If you are a vacation rental host in Hawaii, or anywhere a natural disaster has struck, you’re probably fielding questions from guests, watching your calendar, and wondering what you’re going to do next.
The team at Beyond is here to help you navigate the effects on your business. Instead of rigid policy enforcement, it’s time for good, clear communication and a bit of compassion. Here is how to navigate it well.
Guest Safety Comes First
Before you think about bookings, think about your guests. If you have travelers currently staying at your property in an affected area, your first move is to check in on them and make sure they’re okay. Don’t wait for them to reach out.
Find out:
• If they are safe and aware of the situation
• If any of the evacuation orders affect your property
• If they need help finding emergency services or shelters
• What their plans are and if they’ll be cutting their trip short
If evacuation orders are in place, do not just assume they know. Call them and make sure they know they’re supposed to evacuate and make it easy for them to get to safety without a financial penalty. No revenue is worth the alternative.
Tip: Set up an auto-responder on your email and messaging platforms with your emergency contact number. Guests and incoming travelers need to know they can reach you.
How to Handle Cancellations Without Hurting Your Listing
Cancellations during natural disasters are just going to happen, it’s inevitable. But, how you handle them determines whether you keep your search ranking and reputation intact.
Host-initiated cancellations are tracked by Airbnb, Vrbo, and other online travel agencies (OTAs) and they can definitely affect how visible your listings are on the platform. Your goal should be to avoid having cancellations attributed to you wherever possible. Here is how:
Option 1: Have the Guest Cancel
If your guest wants to or needs to cancel, ask them to initiate it from their end. Most OTAs have policies for extenuating circumstances like natural disasters that allow guests to cancel without penalty. Going this route keeps the cancellation off your host record completely.
Option 2: Refund Without Canceling
You can issue a full or partial refund directly to the guest without canceling the reservation. This makes things easy for your guests, helps them financially during a crisis, and keeps you from getting cancellations.
Option 3: Cancel Yourself and Document It
If you have to cancel as a host, document everything and contact the OTA immediately. Let them know that the cancellation was due to a natural disaster. Most platforms are prepared for this for this and will waive penalties, but you need to reach out. Do not assume it will be handled automatically.
Bottom line: always aim for the guest to initiate. When that is not possible, document the situation and communicate directly with the platform.
Preparing Your Calendar and Messaging for What Comes Next
Once you’ve taken care of your current guests, it’s time to think about upcoming bookings. Guests with reservations in the next few weeks may be anxious, and sending them a message can go a long way.
Just send a short note to upcoming guests updating them on the situation: what happened, what the current conditions are, and what your current cancellation policy is during this period. Offer them a clear choice. Your guests will respond much better if you’re being open and honest with them than if you just wait for them to contact you.
As far as pricing goes, it’s important to make sure your rates are responding to reality. Demand around natural disasters shifts fast, and the last thing you want is pricing that feels tone-deaf to guests or that is taking advantage of those who are displaced.
What Beyond Is Doing
Beyond's dynamic pricing algorithm responds in real time demand, which means we naturally adjust when bookings cancel and when travel patterns shift around an event like this. But we are not leaving it entirely to the algorithm.
Our revenue management team actively monitors natural disasters and their downstream impact on markets. Right now, that means we are:
• Reviewing rates in affected markets to make sure they reflect actual conditions
• Monitoring for any pricing that could be seen as price gouging, especially for emergency workers and displaced residents
• Preparing for the recovery period, where demand and rates need to be adjusted thoughtfully
If you are a Beyond user with questions about your specific situation, reach out to us at support@beyond.com. We are here.
Above All, Be Human
Events like the Oahu flooding are a reminder that behind every listing and every booking is a person, and sometimes the most important thing a host can do is step back from and simply be a neighbor.
Yes, the practical steps above matter, but so does the way you bring them to your guests. Be patient, clear, and, above all, human. Your guests will remember how you treated them long after the disaster is over.
Not yet using Beyond? Learn how we help hosts protect and grow their revenue.
