Airbnb hosts offer homes for $0 as Hurricane Matthew approaches

Airbnb activated its disaster response tool in regions of Florida and South Carolina on Thursday in preparation for Hurricane Matthew, the company announced Thursday morning.

The home-sharing company's tool allows hosts to offer housing for free to people displaced by the storm, as well as make rooms available for relief workers heading to the region. Homes are listed for $0 and Airbnb waives the fees it usually charges hosts and guests.

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When the feature is activated, Airbnb emails hosts to let them know about the option to house those in need during a disaster.

The feature, which was introduced after Hurricane Sandy in 2012, is currently activated in the area surrounding Columbia, S.C., and in three distinct regions of coastal Florida.

Airbnb first activated the feature in South Carolina on Oct. 4 and expanded its coverage area on Thursday. Right now, the discount applies to listings booked in affected areas between Oct. 3 and Oct. 11.

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As of Thursday morning, 18 homes were listed for free in Florida and eight were listed in South Carolina.

Hurricane Matthew is forecasted to make landfall along Florida's eastern coast between Thursday night and Friday night as a Category 4 storm while moving northward toward South Carolina.

The National Weather Service is issuing stern warnings that the storm could cause widespread destruction along the Florida coast.

The hurricane already struck Haiti and then moved toward the Bahamas.

Airbnb has in the past partnered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to offer its hosts in hurricane-prone regions information on what to do if a hurricane hits.