Airbnb waives service fees after attack on Paris: Home Rental company tries to help affected displaced families

Following the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris last November 13, Airbnb decided to help those who need to find a place to stay in France. The home rental startup implemented a service that will allow the platform's hosts to share their homes with displaced travelers in Paris free from any charges.

The family member who was in Paris at the time of the attack or travelers stuck in the country after the incident can avail an option to not pay a thing when seeking to find a place to stay with the help of Airbnb. Furthermore, the company is also waiving its service fees for a limited time, as reported by TECH TIMES.

"Today, we are grieving with the people of Paris and the world who are mourning the heartbreaking events that took place last night," wrote in a statement from Airbnb. It also added, "And we have been inspired by the hosts in our community who are opening their homes to people affected by these terrible attacks."

According to Mirror UK, Airbnb is joining communities, including the likes of Facebook in doing what it can to aid the victims of the Paris attacks. Facebook has set up its Safety Check feature so people in Paris can let friends and family members know they are safe. And now, the accommodation-sharing smartphone app is opening its specially-designed portal site for the people affected by the shootings who are in need of an urgent place to stay for free.

However, this is not the first time that Airbnb has responded to disasters. It has also helped out for families affected by floods and earthquakes, but, this is one of the first times that the online home rental app has extended its helping hand to people affected by human-made tragedies.

Airbnb previously started off the disaster response initiative in 2013. It hosts in helping out people during emergency situations across the globe, including in the wake of fires in San Diego, severe ice storms in Toronto and Atlanta, and in the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan, as claimed by Fortune. Following the disasters, Airbnb also emails hosts willing to help and assist the families affected by the calamities. The startup also uses its networks to provide general disaster response information to both guests and hosts.

For now, Airbnb had already helped a lot of citizens as well as tourists and their families while they are still stuck in the country after the terror attack. But the free offer will only stand until November 17, and hundreds of Airbnb users have also stepped up to share their space with others.