The fires are the most destructive in L.A. history.
The rental platform Airbnb has reversed its position on providing refunds for travelers affected by fires in the Los Angeles Basin after a customer went to social media with her complaints.
Ana Mostarac had booked accommodations on the service near—but not directly inside—the evacuation area for the Pacific Palisades fire. When she asked for help rebooking another accommodation further away from the evacuation area, she was told her stay was “not covered under our Major Disruptive Events Policy” and she would be subject to the host’s normal, restrictive cancellation policies.
Five wildfires were threatening communities in the Los Angeles basin as of late Wednesday evening. At that time, the Palisades fire—the one that threatened Ana Mostarac’s Airbnb rental—was burning just north of Santa Monica in the affluent Pacific Palisades suburb. Also threatening LA Areas communities were the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills, The Eaton Fire near Pasadena, the Hurst Fire just south of Santa Clarita, and the Lidia Fire south of Palmdale. Evacuation orders and warnings were in effect for the first four fires as of late Wednesday.
As part of her complaint, Mostarac surmised that she was having to explain the situation on the ground in LA to an agent far away: “The fires keep getting worse, and unfortunately, many others are probably stuck explaining bushfires to someone in another country right about now,” she said on social media.
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Her complaints echo concerns by another Angeleno who was recently stuck in a circling self-driving car without any tangible assistance from a customer service agent. That consumer even believed the voice on the phone might have been artificial intelligence.
“As always,” Mostarec wrote, “their policies failed to account for context.”
Airbnb told Newsweek it has since refunded Mostarac’s booking and put a wide refund policy in place for those guests who have been impacted by the fires and their evacuation warnings or orders.
Hours after Mostarac’s complaint migrated from social media to news media, Airbnb announced it would partner with Los Angeles county’s free 211 LA service to provide free emergency temporary housing for people who have been displaced by the wildfires. Airbnb says the cost is being borne by its charitable foundation and the generosity of Los Angeles area hosts. Los Angeles residents in need of housing can complete an intake form on 211 LA for assistance.
Many communities are grappling with the effects of Airbnb on their housing markets as owners take housing inventory meant for local residents off the market, driving up prices for rentals and new homes. At the same time, other consumers have had customer service complaints about Airbnb rentals over items such as hosts leaving lengthy lists or chores, punitive fees for features included in the cost of hotel room stays, or, like Mostarac, poor resolutions to situations that render the accommodations unacceptable.
Detractors to Airbnb complaints point to the lack of available accommodations in the hospitality industry for large or multi-generational groups, and the boost Airbnb gives to smaller communities with growing tourism industries, but a comparative lack of lodging options.
Several media outlets are already calling the wildfires the worst in the history of Los Angeles, noting that more than 100,000 people were under mandatory evacuation orders, with many more under evacuation watches, meaning they’re expected to be ready to evacuate their homes at a moment’s notice.
The Palisades fire on its own has already been marked by California’s fire management agency as the most destructive in LA’s history, with 17,200 acres burned by late Wednesday.
