Guest hosted a party with 25+ people — navigating 3 Airbnb teams and still chasing reimbursement

[Catarina188]

I wanted to share a recent experience as an Airbnb host and see if others have gone through something similar or have advice.

I had a guest book my apartment for 2 people and proceed to host a party with approximately 25–30 individuals. There were multiple overnight guests, smoking inside (non-smoking property), and the apartment was left in a condition that required professional deep cleaning, curtain treatment, and repairs. I also lost hosting days as the property was not in a rentable condition.

What has been most challenging is not just the incident itself, but how the process has been handled.

This one situation has required me to deal with three separate teams:

• A Safety team for the party/violation

• A reimbursement team (AirCover) for damages

• A review team to remove what I believe is a retaliatory review

There seems to be little communication between these teams. I’ve had to resubmit the same evidence multiple times (photos, videos, documentation), despite already providing it during the initial investigation.

The Safety team closed the case stating the guest was “educated,” while I am still in the process of proving damages and chasing reimbursement. The review removal is also delayed beyond the timeframe I was given.

At the moment, it feels like the host carries the full burden of:

• Managing the incident

• Gathering and resubmitting evidence

• Covering upfront costs

• Losing income from unavailable dates

…while the consequences for the guest are unclear.

I’m now waiting on the outcome of the reimbursement claim, but I wanted to ask:

➡️ Has anyone successfully recovered full costs in a situation like this?
➡️ Any advice on dealing with AirCover or pushing back if compensation is reduced?
➡️ How do you protect yourself from situations like this in the future?

I’d really appreciate any insights from other hosts.

[Patricia2526]

Hi @Catarina188 

From our past experience, guests sometimes acknowledge the damage they’ve caused, and in those cases we proceed with filing under AirCover especially when the items are no longer repairable. Our approach is always to attempt repairs first. If the damage can still be reasonably fixed, we handle it on our end. However, if it’s clearly beyond repair, that’s the point where we escalate and involve Airbnb.

The key to a smooth claim is strong documentation. Make sure you submit clear, detailed evidence photos, videos, receipts, and accurate cost estimates for repairs or replacements. It’s also important to factor in depreciation, as Airbnb typically maybe won’t reimburse the full original value of older items.

Before filing, take time to organize everything properly: proof of damage, original purchase receipts (if available), and current replacement costs. The more complete your documentation, the higher your chances of a successful claim. Also keep in mind that there’s a limited window to submit an AirCover request, so don’t delay once the guest checks out.

[Helen3]

Sounds awful . Air cover doesn't cover full costs you would be better claiming on your own home insurance.

Sounds like you would benefit from having CCTV .

@Catarina188