I'm relatively new to the Airbnb hosting scene (just over 40 reviews). I've had numerous minor damages (oddly, often related to children -- Sharpie marks on bed sheets, staples in the desktop, etc.) As I was cleaning after a guest this week, I saw where someone had scratched the stovetop. At first glance, I thought that it was just a pot or pan that had scratched it. On closer inspection, it appeared to be a "W", and "A" and another letter. I called my husband over to look at it and asked him what he thought, and he thought it was letters as well. So, it appears to have been done intentionally, hopefully by a child? However, there would have been something sharp involved in order to do it. We usually just assume some damage will happen within the course of hosting, but is this something you would at least tell the guest about in case they aren't aware that it happened? I'm always torn as to whether or not I should tell guests about minor damage or not. . . MANY send me messages and let me know if they broke a glass or something, and I always tell them not to worry about it. But in this case, it's basically a brand new stove, and it's permanent damage. The guest's name was Wendy, so the "W" isn't quite as far-fetched. If it were my child, I would want to know, but I'm not sure what's the appropriate response.
