Falsely Accused by Host about damage

[Dhvani1]

I recently stayed at a bnb in Montreal for one night only with my boyfriend and after we left the host claimed that were damaged his sofa bed and is now asking for $900... i didn’t even know there was a sofa bed let alone use it, we didn’t even sit on the couch and he is claiming it was damaged by us which is impossible, how do I prove my innocence to airbnb, im just a student I can’t afford to be held liable for someone else’s mistakes. 

[Lisa723]

@Dhvani1 you can decline the host's request for compensation, and call or message Airbnb with your side of the story. Airbnb will make the final call but it is probably unlikely that they will charge you.

[Emiel1]

@Dhvani1 

Did the host provided any proof of the damage and also specified how the amount charged  is calculated ? Just do as @Lisa723 wrote.

[Carlos-Eduardo33]

Unfortunately I’m now experiencing a similar situation. After a safety breach by the host (entering my private room without knocking) I called Airbnb and said I didn’t feel safe there. They agreed and had me transferred to a hotel for the rest of my stay.

As I was checking out, the host asked me why I was leaving and I asked her to contact Airbnb directly. She kept asking, and made a very unstable impression, which made me feel uncomfortable but at the end accepted that I didn’t want to deal with her directly.

Before I left I asked her to inspect the room and confirm everything was okay. She did so, and after her confirmation I left.

On the same evening she sent a request to pay damages at the amount of EUR 1800 (!) claiming I burnt her floor with a clothes iron.

I couldn’t believe my eyes! Never in my life have I used a clothes iron. I wear jeans with worn out t-shirts, for crying out loud. This is the most unfounded accusation.

The host then attached 2 photos. One of a mark on the floor, another one of a clothes iron. Obviously, the pictures (if not photoshopped) only show that there’s damage but don’t say anything about who caused the damage or when it was caused.

I find it amazing how easy it can be for

someone to falsely accuse someone else, and how people have so little regard to each other and do such a thing.

I obviously denied the request to pay EUR 1800, as I’m innocent, and she got Airbnb involved.

I truly hope that Airbnb can see this for what it was: retaliation from the host for me having contacted the safety center. I explained to Airbnb in writing that I’m innocent, that I didn’t cause any damage and that the host confirmed the room was alright before I left the apartment.

That being said, this situation really irritates and saddens me. It absolutely sucks being accused of something you didn’t do, regardless of the amount.

This is costing me peace, tranquility and precious hours of sleep. I’m just your regular working Joe, and needed to save a lot in order to spend a week in Oslo and take language classes in this expensive city. I wish this host would take a conscience check and refrain from pursuing this outrageous, unfounded claim. As for the rest of my week, it’s now ruined anyway.

Airbnb’s safety team helped me when I needed the most and I’m very thankful for it. I just hope their claims team is just as good, sees how unfounded this claim is and judges in my favor.

[Helen744]

@Carlos-Eduardo33 It is part of the Airbnb policy that you attempt to work out your issue with the host before leaving . You have not done this even though you were asked by the host.Did they enter your room for a legitimate reason ? or any reason a all. The host as you should know has a cancellation policy and this applies for all who book with them ,not just you. This sounds a little disengenouous on your part I have to say , but without more detail is impossible to say , but if they put you up at a hotel , it sounds like there was a lot more to this than you are saying ? Obviously what you told Airbnb was different to what you are telling us . H

[Carlos-Eduardo33]

As I informed in my post, Airbnb placed me at a hotel by the host’s lack of regard to safety and privacy. 

Airbnb’s safety team also explicitly asked me to avoid direct confrontation with the host, and advised me to ask the host to contact Airbnb if the host wanted to know why I was leaving, so I merely followed Airbnb’s safety team’s advice.

However, it seems to me you’re missing the point here. The main point is that the host later accused me of causing damage to her floor, even though I specifically asked her to check the whole room and confirm that everything was okay before I left.

Even though I’ve never even touched a clothes iron in my life, I have to undergo a so called investigation and be made aware by Airbnb that they can force me to pay for the damage.

My point is that basically any dishonest host can accuse a guest of whatever, and this guest will be investigated and maybe found guilty when he’s not.

This is a very vulnerable position for a guest, and the reason I won’t use the community anymore. It’s now been many days since the ludicrous accusation and I’m still forced to live in apprehension because I don’t know how Airbnb will judge this, and if I’ll be forced to pay for damages that I didn’t cause.

That’s the whole point. And I don’t wish to be in such a position again, hence my decision not to use the service anymore.

[Carlos-Eduardo33]

By the way, with regards to your comment: ‘Obviously what you told Airbnb was different to what you are telling us’  This is absolutely not the case. I told the story exactly as it happened, both at the forum as to Airbnb directly. Maybe one should refrain from making these so called obvious assumptions.

[Helen744]

@Carlos-Eduardo33 why did the host enter your room ?and why did this make you feel so unsafe and why did you then jump to the 'assumption' that your host was 'unstable ' or is this what you told Airbnb.? I simply do not believe that a one off of the host entering the room was enough for Airbnb to escalate this to a situation where you feel 'so unsafe that you needed to be accomadated elsewhere.'If Airbnb did not speak to the host about this and get their side of the story then it seems strange that they told you 'not to speak to the host'as in fact that is actually part of their rules that you must speak to the host . I am sure they advised you to .Burning a hole in a carpet with an iron would seem also a very far fetched thing for any host to do to their own property as you seem to indicate.Hosts cannot just take money from guests for imaginary things . They must provide photographs and proof so rest assured that the same applies to you. H

[Helen744]

Also Carlos you specifically asked the host to check the room before you left, in fact invited the host into the room to 'check it' but were too 'unsafe to stay' . it sounds to me that you were angry not 'unsafe ' and that you did in fact indulge in direct confrontation .After being a host for a long time I know there are always three sides to every story . Yours , mine and the truth. H