What if the guest steal or damage the property?

[Hamza331]

How can we ensure safety of the property after the guest has checked out?

[Lorna170]

@Hamza331  Have a coded door lock that can be changed to a different code as soon as the guest has left.  Then the guest no longer has access.  Have housekeeping scheduled to arrive within the hour of guest checkout to review, clean and secure the property.

[Viktor509]

Hi @Hamza331 

Take timestamped photos or a video walkthrough of your property before every check-in and after every checkout. This creates clear evidence of the condition guests received it in and how they left it. Without "before and after" proof, damage claims are difficult to win.

If you discover damage or theft:

• Wait until both reviews have been submitted before filing your claim. Retaliatory reviews are a risk, and I wouldn't count on Airbnb removing them
• File through Airbnb's Resolution Center within 14 days of checkout
• Contact the guest first (Airbnb requires this before they'll step in)
• For theft or criminal damage, file a police report. AirCover claims for stolen items won't be processed without one
• Eventually, I'd recommend to get professional repair/replacement estimates, not just your own valuations

Also keep receipts and proof of ownership for anything valuable in your property. Airbnb's AirCover explicitly excludes "mysterious disappearance", items missing with no evidence of a specific incident. So without solid documentation, you have no case.

[Paula]

Hello @Hamza331,

This is a great topic, thank you for bringing it to our community!

Two hosts have shared their strategies; are you planning to implement any of them?

Keep us posted.