Not to be cynical but a "death in the family" shouldn't be treated differently by another kind of impediment, thus falling in the related penalties.
On booking.com you're not refunded a non-refundable reservation for making a claim like that, and as an Airbnb guest only, I see the gamble the hosts are exposed.
What I'd like to see in the Airbnb 2.0 is a system differentiating the one-off customer from the very frequent ones or big spenders.
A tier system with few benefits and/or discount vouchers here and there would give Airbnb the edge over competitors.
Now it comes out often with higher price for the very same apartment compared to a booking.com Genius (-10%).