@Sarah977
I very much agree with you and, as a live-in, home host, I never worry about guests trashing my place or causing wanton damage. However, I have still had numerous damages here. Most of them were small to be fair, but there are far too many to list and they really do add up over time, especially as my house is not IKEA identikit but furnished with love and care.
A few examples would be (and this is nowhere near all of them):
- Broken front door lock (an expensive one) from guest repeatedly slamming door with the dead bolt out, despite my instructions. Cost of emergency locksmith and replacement lock =£400+
- Shower panel yanked out of its fittings. This has happened three times and the last time, the guest destroyed the fixings too. I can't find anyone to fix this, so have had to put up a shower curtain in an expensive walk in enclose.
- Countless marks and scuffs on walls from guests banging their suitcases or moving furniture.
- Water damage to ceilings, furniture and fittings from guest flooding showers, breaking radiator valves etc.
- Scratch left on top of a beautiful dressing table that I had just bought because the guest cut a watermelon on it (I am not joking).
That's just some that I remember off the top of my head, but there have been numerous ornaments, pictures/picture frames, a birdcage that I have cherished for years, as well as the sundry wear-and-tear items like ruined bedding, towels, broken kitchenware. Door handles and light switches also seem to encounter a lot of abuse.
I the majority of cases, the guests do not admit to the damage and can often become very hostile. The only cases where they do confess is for very minor things, e.g. a broken wine glass.
I do really try to vet my guests as carefully as I am able, am adamant that all of them confirm they have read the house rules, and I give them a thorough house tour, pointing out areas that have been problematic before, e.g. explaining how to use the front door lock, how not to flood the showers.
Still, sometimes it seems that the damages are never ending. I had one very nice guest break three different bathroom fittings in as many days. He never said a word and never offered to pay, but admitted he had done it when asked.