As wildfires continue to spread in the Los Angeles area, forcing people from their homes, various shelters have opened to offer free or discounted stays to evacuees – including Airbnb. Through a partnership with 211 LA, Airbnb.org (the non-profit arm of the short-term rental platform) enables the provision of emergency housing for displaced residents.
Additionally, those who manage or plan to stay at Airbnbs in the LA area will be exempt from cancellation fees and penalties under the platform Major Disruptive Event Policy: Hosts can cancel bookings without consequences, and guests are entitled to a full refund if their trip has not yet begun (or a partial refund for unused nights, if so). VRBO has have a similar policy enabled for hosts and guests on its platform.
How to set up a free Airbnb stay
To apply for temporary housing assistance from Airbnb.org, residents of affected areas must do the following Fill out an intake form to 211 LA. Those who lost their homes or were forced to evacuate from the Altadena, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Pasadena, Santa Monica and Sylmar areas are eligible. To request assistance, you must have an Airbnb account or be able to create one. host can also log in to offer free or discounted stays to people affected by disasters.
If overnight accommodations are not available or you are looking for alternative accommodations, many area hotels offer discounted rates for evacuees. Discover Los Angeles has a list of hotel optionsduring travel + leisure has put together hotels and resorts Discounted rates, waived fees, or pet allowances are available throughout California and Nevada (see both the list and article comments).
For those needing transportation to accommodation, Uber is offering free rides up to $40 (code: WILDFIRE25), while Lyft is offering two rides up to $25 each (code: CAFIRERELIEF25). Planet Fitness locations in LA are open for residents and first responders who need showers and Wi-Fi access.
If you are evicted and have to pay for housing and food, keep the receipts Submit to your household contents insuranceas you may be entitled to reimbursement of these costs.
Finally, Mutual Aid LA has a list of resources for those displaced or in need of support, including animal boarding facilities and shared accommodation.
