Damage?

[Steve2848]

I have just included the following paragraphs in my pre-visit communiqué with guests, after our current guests have managed to detach the stair handrail from the wall.

'..Unfortunately we have had two issues with damage to the stair handrail which causes us to include the following paragraphs:

1) The stairs are quite steep and the handrail is an important safety feature. It has been fitted securely to the wall via 4 x brackets each secured by 3 x 2" screws and wall plugs into plaster work and brick. If used in a normal manner the handrail will provide perfectly adequate support and balance whilst climbing or descending the stairs.

2) It is NOT designed to be yanked on, pulled on or hung from like a piece of gym equipment. Under such circumstances it may detach from the wall. Guests using the handrail in an inappropriate manner resulting in detachment of the handrail will be charged a re-fixing fee of £250.00...'

2 x cases now, where guests have detached the handrail from the wall - 1 x the bottom section and 1 x the top section.  Pulling 3 x 2" screws from a wall is not so hard if you lever the handrail in a lateral fashion. Even then, it would require some weight behind it. In normal usage the stress on a handrail would be downwards and/or longitudinal. 

It's the only anti-dickhead policy I can think of...

[Steve2848]

Would you now? Well, reading is beyond some people I guess. And the wildfires in Ca are the result of bad house-keeping too no doubt.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Steve2848 I am in agreement with @William810 . If this has happened with two different guests then you need longer screws and/or better rawlplugs.

We had a regular issue with a towel rail which hasn't come loose after changing to 3 inch screws.

Not sure the relevance of Californian wildfires to your handrail - If you don't want peoples opinions you really don't need to be rude to them.

[Steve2848]

'... If this has happened with two different guests then you need longer screws and/or better rawlplugs...'.  

I've been a builder for 35 years. I know what constitutes a properly fixed handrail and what constitutes someone dicking around. Presumably if the 'guest' had been swinging from the chandeliers and the light fitting had collapsed, it would be because it was poorly fitted?

Screws of any length won't hold a household handrail, towel-rail or any rail if a 180lb adult decides to hang their body weight on it.  I could use 4" brick-bolts, but this is a house not a gymnasium. 

[Debra300]

@Steve2848,

There have been many discussions here in the community about hosts failing to get Airbnb to impose the financial penalties that are stated in house rules, even if the guest acknowledges the  acceptance of the house rules prior to arrival.  The fact is that Airbnb might provide reimbursement for documented proof of repair costs.  The timing for this can be tricky, because if a host reports a safety hazard such as a broken handrail, Airbnb may cancel upcoming reservations until provided proof of the correction.