Host charging extra fee for decor

[Shai125]

Hi, I recently booked a venue through Airbnb for a bridal shower. This venue charged us through Airbnb and we paid it. We also rented some decor through them which included tables, chairs, lights, etc. This rental was not through Airbnb and we were told to sign a contract and leave a security deposit. So we did this. 

A few days after the event they left us a great review on Airbnb  and we thought everything was fine. 

We called and asked for our security deposit from the  decor back and they refused to give it because we apparently scratched their floors and they said that they will be keeping this deposit and charging us more for however much extra it will cost to fix the floor. 

Are they able to do this even though they did not state that there was a problem earlier or the fact that this deposit was for decor and not for the venue itself ? 

[Emiel1]

@Shai125 

You mentioned signing a separate contract for the decor. So it depends which terms are in that contract regarding damage and/or deposit. And did the host provide some proof to you of the damage ?

Scratched  on the floor sounds like related to the accomodation and not to the items you rented.

The deposit for the rented items can not be used to cover damage  on the accomodation. So the host has to pay you the deposit and file a claim at Airbnb for the damaged floors (with proof)

Best regards,

Emiel

[Linda108]

So your rental of the venue is Air BNB and the rental of extra items was handled outside the Air BNB platform, right?  You will not have recourse through  Air BNB to regain your deposit, but you can use other ways to seek a refund.  If you used a credit card for the extra items and the deposit, you might dispute the charges.  If you are local, perhaps a civil claim can be started through an attorney or, if you have a small claims court as we do in the US, file a claim.

Throughout the platform both guests and hosts are warned not to do business outside the platform, but unfortunately many do.  Good luck.

[Anonymous]

@Shai125  Sigh. As an event manager I constantly try to explain the enormous list of reasons that AIrbnb is not an appropriate platform for event rentals, but people can't seem to resist shoving this huge square peg through that tiny round hole.

First off, tables, chairs, and lights are not "decor" by any stretch of the imagination. They're equipment. Sometimes a venue owns equipment that they can appropriate directly to the customer. But very often, at least some portion of it is rented by the venue from a separate agency but billed to the customer, with additional charges and conditions. Either way, your contract for the equipment rental is not governed by Airbnb's terms of service, as it's an altogether separate transaction that they're in no position to mediate.

As far as your recourse is concerned, you'll have to look at the contract that you signed. It should have informed you of the scope of coverage for your deposit, and your obligations for use of the equipment. If the venue provided staff to handle the rented equipment, the venue would have to accept responsibility for damage caused by its use. If you as the customer were assigned responsibility for handling the equipment you may well be liable for damage that occurred as a result of its use (even if the equipment itself was returned in perfect condition), but if it went to court they'd have to make a persuasive case that you used it negligently or failed to follow instructions. It's strongly advised that you coordinate the final inspection jointly with the venue management and sign off on the deposit before leaving the venue. No differently than you would with a landlord - the holder of a deposit has the upper hand.

Notably, Airbnb doesn't actually charge security deposits or handle them on hosts' behalf. Do with that what you will.

I assume that some time has passed since the event. So you might have to forfeit the prepaid deposit, unless it's clear that the charges fall outside the purview of the contract. But if they want to bill you for anything else, they should have to sue you for it. 

Let us know how it turns out, and I hope you don't mind if I link this thread the next 10000 times someone asks about using Airbnb for event rentals. Seriously, it makes no more sense than using YouTube comments as a dating service. Please, folks, use a professional outfit that's designed for these purposes - and be sure they have a representative onsite for the event!