Someone broke my bed, but two reservations ago....how to address?

[Cheryl741]

I discovered that a guest broke the bed but it was two reservations ago. The last guests said nothing about breaking anything but said they thought the bed was too soft. Then we sat on it to test it what they meant about it being too soft and realized the a slat was broken right where someone must have sat. One person two reservations ago was very heavy, so it makes sense. Anything I can do to get a refund or am I SOL?

[Sarah977]

@Cheryl741  No, you just have to fix it yourself. You can't blame a guest if you've had other guests since then, and no way can you put a claim in to Airbnb, because that has to be addressed before the  next guest checks in.

And a broken bed slat would be considered normal wear and tear. Charging a guest for furniture breaking, unless they have obviously abused it, isn't something I would try to charge a guest for.

Replacing a bed slat shouldn't be that big a deal or too expensive.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Cheryl741 I broke a slat on one of our beds just by sitting on the mattress and I am not overly heavy.. Slats these days are clearly not that strong and I would certainly not blame a guest if one broke. They are available on eBay for a few pounds - just check the length carefully.

[Sarah977]

@Mike-And-Jane0  Ebay? Seriously? I'd just go down to the local lumberyard and buy a board and cut it to size. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Sarah977 Lumberyard? Seriously? It would cost far more and take ages.

[Sarah977]

@Mike-And-Jane0  It would take all of 20 minutes anywhere I've ever lived and be cheaper than the item and shipping cost of ordering something online 🙂

[Karol22]

Unfortunately it sounds like you'll have to eat the costs on this one. It's really difficult to prove a damage claim when other occupants have been in the same listing. And then in this case, it's also difficult to say whether the guest broke the bed or if it's just an old bed that needs to be replaced or fixed.

Thankfully nobody got hurt and it's just a bed slat you'll need to replace.

[Christine615]

Unfortunately damage has to be reported before next guest moves in. Consider replacing with a metal bed frame. Although for our antique bed I had lumber cut to size to replace the slats. I used 1x4’s for the additional load bearing.

[Lisa723]

@Cheryl741 agree with everyone else here, this is a cost of doing business. Bed slats break. And I’m just imagining your note to the guest, “Hi, we found that one of our bed slats is broken and though we’ve had two other guests since you stayed we assume it’s your fault since you look like you weigh a lot, so we’d like you to pay for it.” Just don’t.

[Laura2592]

@Cheryl741 we had a large couple bend a metal frame bed. It was still usable so we fixed it and reinforced the bent part of the frame while waiting for the other bed to arrive. They had been pretty contentious guests (stairs were too steep, bath tub too small etc) so because we could still use the bed, we just ate the cost. I had a feeling that engaging them on this damage would result in accusations of discrimination for a health-related issue. (As a side note, I happened to see one of them on a local news channel complaining that they were not being given preferential position for a COVID vaccine early on and mentioning obesity as a pre-existing condition so i am fairly sure my intuition was dead on.)

We knew who did the damage but used it as an opportunity to re-examine the bed itself. We will have some guests who are heavier so we purchased a wooden bed that was the sturdiest and highest-rated for weight that we could find. That thing can withstand a hurricane! I painted it a fun color and we gave the metal bed to a neighbor who worked out the bent part with a torch and uses it for his guest room. Our goal is always to have the most indestructible furniture possible, especially for things people use every stay like sofas, dining table and chairs, and beds. I would be happy to send you the link to the bed we bought if it will help.