Airbnb has updated its co-host help page with a change that takes effect in December 2026. If you hire a co-host or work as one, it affects who can handle guest refunds for some listings. The details below follow Airbnb’s Help Centre; read the current page for your own situation.
What is changing
According to Airbnb, from December 2026, for listings in countries outside the United States, US territories and Brazil, co-hosts will no longer manage guest refunds through the Resolution Center. They can still manage damage protection reimbursement requests. In Japan, Airbnb says co-hosts cannot start, manage or resolve damage or missing property requests on a host’s behalf.
What stays the same
Airbnb describes co-host access in levels: full access, calendar and messaging, and calendar only. The change is about refund handling, not about the basic structure of co-hosting. Our guides on co-host permissions and the co-host agreement cover how to set that up.
What hosts should do now
- Check where your listing is located and whether the change applies to it.
- Decide who will handle refund requests from December, since it may now fall to the primary host.
- Update your co-host agreement so responsibilities are clear.
- Tell your co-host how refund requests will reach you and how fast you expect to respond.
- Review your own access to the Resolution Center so you can act quickly.
What co-hosts should do
If you work as a co-host, agree a clear process with each owner: how refund requests are flagged, who decides and what the owner expects on timing. A short written note avoids disputes later.
This is an Airbnb policy change and the details may be refined, so confirm with the Help Centre before relying on any specific point.
Want clear roles between you and your co-host?
We help owners and co-hosts set up written responsibilities and remote workflows for guest messaging, refunds and escalation.
Talk to us about co-hosting
Bruce J is the CEO of Thrive Hosts and leads the short-term rental team. He works on the operations and performance side of STR: guest communication, pricing and calendar discipline, turnovers, issue tracking and owner reporting across Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com. On the blog he writes practical, no-fluff guides for owners and operators who want their rentals to run more consistently.
