To Be or Not to AirBnB?

The FAST Team has been receiving an increase in enquiries regarding the eligibility and the documentation needed to reimburse claimants who have stayed at a host establishment booked through AirBnB instead of a hotel.  Although not specifically addressed in the Guide to Financial Management (GTFM), the policies related to ‘Accommodations’ would apply.  Reimbursement of AirBnB rental expenses would be eligible assuming they meet the guiding principles of being legitimate, reasonable and appropriate under the circumstances.

The GTFM policy requires the original detailed statement of guest charges from the host establishment whenever a claimant is being reimbursed for accommodations.  If booked through a third party booking site (like Expedia), this information is still required along with the order confirmation showing credit card payment and travel dates.

The documentation to substantiate an AirBnB claim is comparable to a hotel or a third party booking site.

Specifically, the claimant must obtain the following documentation obtained from the AirBnB website:

1. Receipts, which indicate:
   • Check In and Check Out dates
   • Details and location of host establishment
   • Total charges including taxes
   • Credit Card used (only last 4-digits are displayed)
     • Note:  If necessary, a credit card statement could be used to provide proof of payment.
2. Email/message confirmation (via AirBnB website) from the AirBnB host establishment substantiating that the claimant did stay at their establishment during the indicated period.

Please note that the University does respect the privacy of the claimant. Any personal information on the credit card statement that is not pertinent to the expense claim can be hidden/blacked out.

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Learn More:

• GTFM Policy: Accommodation
• Resource: Expense Reimbursement Template (Checklist)

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Last Updated:  December 3, 2021