Best approach when you suspect guest damaged something major

[Holley8]

Hi All,

I have been hosting since Sept. 2020 and just had my first bad experience. I’ve had people who clearly did not follow the rules before, but this one takes the cake and I’m so stressed about it.

I make it clear in my house rules that we do not allow parties or outside visitors or outside overnight guests. My neighbors reported to me after my latest guests left that they had two parties. My sliding glass door was fine before they arrived, but when we went to clean after they left, it was completely shattered from top to bottom. (Glass is still in place, but clearly broken and not in the state it was before he arrived.) I wrote to the guest in a non-accusatory fashion to ask him if he had used the sliding glass door and whether he had noticed the damages during his stay. He wrote back to say they thought the cracked glass was an intentional “design” and that they had used it a few times, but he insisted they were respectful to my property. Sigh...

These repairs are going to be expensive, a) I don’t have time to do the repairs myself and b) even though just one side of the sliding door/window was broken, the parts are older, probably original from when the home was built in the 80s.

I had numerous other problems with this guest, including that he was almost an hour late to check out and he made an unauthorized purchase on our Prime streaming account. He also seemed to get a little mad that I don’t have cable and cannot always accommodate early check-in despite

me making this clear on my listing page also.

Since asking him upfront didn’t get me anywhere, I filed a police report and contacted Airbnb. I plan to install security cameras ASAP. Has anyone had a similar experience and what advice do you have for me?

Thank you for your time.

[Emiel1]

@Holley8 

Be sure to follow strict procedures to file a claim at Airbnb:

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/264/what-do-i-do-if-my-guest-breaks-something-in-my-place

[Holley8]

@Emiel1  Thank you for the link. I have submitted a claim to the guest and Airbnb as of this morning.

[Mary996]

Oh no... you've put in the claim to the Guest....eek. Was suggesting to avoid that til after review time closes. Once it does you can conform to bnb's request that you contact guest. But this is experimental as my own effort failed I do not have the experience,so, am trying to help you to think it through in order to come up with a Host strategy.

[Mary996]

Like you @Holley8 I'm trying to work out an optimal strategy. If you inform bnb of the damages by making a claim  - but leave conveying it to the Guest til after review closure - is what I'm thinking I would try if ever I needed to claim again. I did get a token recompense when I claimed. But I had to deal with a squealing Guest as I notified them pre-review and I don't think that I would do that again

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Mary996 Surely requesting recompense from the guest is the first part of the Airbnb claim process. As such if @Holley8 takes your advice she will miss the opportunity to claim if she waits the 14 days until review closure.

[Mary996]

This is the tangled process I've been trying to unweave @Mike-And-Jane0  what is the optimal way to deal with such a situation.

Seems @Holley8 is confident in her prior 5 star reviews so has gone ahead in view of another Guest arriving. In my case neither party reviewed when I had a relatively minor issue (compared to others) due to error on my part with the timing of closure of the review window.  However my dialogue with the Guests about a couple of issues was all in evidence in our messages so I think that played a part in my success with the claim.

What I was exploring was the issuing of a claim to bnb immediately any events are known about as the priority.

I understand that bnb want us to try to resolve issues with Guests first, of course, and, if we anticipate a reasonable Guest and I can think of a very minor thing that I asked a Guest to settle for and she duly repaid me using the Resolution Centre, then all is well. But, in the case of a reckless guest it just seems unsafe to me to even try to reason or to approach such a person.

I have not had such a guest myself but wish to think it through in case such an instance should arise... SO my experimental method, for myself - as mentioned - might be to delay dialogue with the guest and focus on the submission to bnb so its there. Or reference to it has been made.....

and - thereafter - get back to the guest when bnb request compliance with the proceedure of dialoguing with the Guest.  Maybe others have already tried this? I'm all for improvement and experimentation to optimise.

[Holley8]

@Mary996 Yes, I went ahead and did it because my next guest checks in tomorrow. I know the guideline said to submit before the next person arrives. I'm not as worried about the reviews since all my other guests have left me 5 stars. I'm sorry to hear you were not successful in your experience with this - it is an awful thing to go through and really the last thing you ever want to do as a host. But, it is part of having an Airbnb. Again, I really appreciate your help!

[Mary996]

Just one quick thing @Holley8 ... do you have a security deposit amount in place?

May I suggest you select an amount that exceeds the cost of your door.  

[Holley8]

@Mary996 early on I considered adding one but read that some hosts had trouble with guests complaining about the deposit and/or deciding not to book because of it. I am open to the idea, but based on the info I currently have, I am dissuaded from setting one up.

[Helen3]

Sorry to hear of your problem guests @Holley8 

as a remote host it's always a good idea to have ccTV to ensure only guests who book and pay to stay with you are on the premises .

in this way you can stop parties before they start and don't have to rely on neighbours to alert you after the fact.

also with guest damage like this where it's clear the guest created the damage it's not about asking them whether they did it . They will always deny it.

it's about letting the guest know that you have found major damage to your home following their stay, expressing disappointment that they didn't alert you to this and broke your house rules with two unauthorised parties that disturbed your neighbours . Confirm you are getting quotes for replacement/repairs for them to pay. 

[Holley8]

@Helen3 Thank you. I am always bad at confrontation and usually try to avoid it at all costs, but you are right. I completely agree about getting cameras that allow me to talk to the guests during their stay and am looking into this. I appreciate the advice - very helpful!

[Colleen253]

@Holley8 Sorry to possibly complicate matters further, but caution is needed regarding security cameras. They are extremely useful and I use them myself. Airbnb require that they be fully disclosed in the listing description and house rules, and you think well all should be good then, I’ve done that! However, there are many stories on this forum of hosts who have followed procedure, yet had a spiteful guest who, when confronted about behavior caught on camera, have made up a complaint about them to Airbnb, and Airbnb have suspended the listing while they ‘investigate’. It’s worth treading carefully while utilizing cameras. 

[Holley8]

Hi @Colleen253, I completely understand and will make sure to disclose the information in multiple places so that guests are clear on this. I can understand why Airbnb would have to suspend the listing while they investigate; it is a risk I am willing to take for some added security and peace of mind, especially since I am a fully remote host. I am pretty sure these are not the first guests to have more overnight guests and visitors than what they disclosed to me. It's sad how people just take advantage but it is going to be a fact of life for any host. 😕 Thank you for your response.

[Dale711]

Hi @Holley8 

So sorry to hear about your experience.

Claim your guest though AirbnbThe Resolution Center.

The Resolution Center lets you request money from the guest; you can claim the guest recordings, the receipt of the damaged items, and the repairing cost.

You need to take the evidence photo of all the damaged items as proof and the invoice present to the Airbnb thought to the resolution center.

However, you'll need to submit your request to the Resolution Center within 14 days of your guest's checkout date or before the following guest checks in, whichever is earlier.

The guest must respond to your request within 72 hours.

If you cannot reach an agreement, you can ask Airbnb to make the final decision 72 hours after opening the request.

Airbnb help article, the link as below,
What is the Resolution Center?
https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/767/what-is-the-resolution-center

In addition,Airbnb hosts do need additional insurance. Having the right insurance to protect you and your property it's essential to save you from facing mutilation problems.

If you do not have short-term rental insurance of Airbnb, do start a plan to protect your property.

Hosting with any accurate frequency is likely to void your current homeowner's policy, and Airbnb's protection is inadequate.  
Do consult with your local insurance agency for additional protection and the insurance procedures.

Camera

By installing the camera is a great way to prevent party guests.

• Airbnb must require hosts to disclose all security cameras and other recording devices in their listings.

What are Airbnb’s rules about security cameras and other recording devices in listings?

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/887/what-are-airbnbs-rules-about-security-cameras-and-other-reco...