Help Ukrainians Through Airbnb Rentals

It's heartbreaking and angering to see the Russian attacks and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. And I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling a sense of helplessness and confusion when trying to figure out how to make a positive impact—how can we trust our dollars are directly helping the people on the ground in Ukraine?

 

While researching ways to help, I came across an idea online to rent Airbnbs in Ukraine, without any intention of staying there, to financially support Ukrainian families during this difficult time. On March 2 and 3 alone, people worldwide booked 61,000 nights in Ukraine. By Tuesday, Airbnb also confirmed that it had waived host and guest fees so that people could have one less barrier to booking.

 

By booking rooms in Ukrainian households, we can directly see where our impact makes a difference on an individual level. For example, those who have stayed in Ukraine are opening their homes up to displaced people, and this additional money allows them to buy extra food, medicine, and supplies. This effort can also put money directly into the pockets of Ukrainians who are struggling to pay their mortgage, support their children, and get back on their feet.

 

I was going to book a couple of rooms on Airbnb on my own, but then I thought, why not give my friends and family the ability to help me make an impact? By pooling our resources together, we can make an even more significant impact on these families.

 

So where will your money go? With the donations, I will be booking individual rooms in homes in Ukraine to ensure the money is going to those who truly need it and not to a larger company that owns a rental property. I will also be scrutinous in vetting which Airbnbs the donations go to by reading reviews and ensuring the posting is not a scam. Finally, after I donate to an Airbnb, I will share with you all exactly where your money went and who the property host is that you helped! If I get any messages from the Airbnb hosts, I will be sure to share them with you all to see the impact you made.

 

No pressure to donate a ton of money—whatever you can afford will help. Even $5 can make a difference!

 

 

If you have any more questions - you can check out this article on how renting Airbnbs in Ukraine is helping those affected: https://www.npr.org/2022/03/05/1084739721/airbnb-ukraine-direct-aid.

For updates on the Ukraine crisis: https://www.nytimes.com/column/the-daily