I had an in depth email exchange with Lilli, a Trust & Safety Team regarding some misconceptions I had to the way AirBNB operates. I took care to confirm my questions, her replies, and my understanding of those replies three times just to make sure there weren't key points lost.
#1. As of at today, AirBNB's Trust & Safety Team only communicates via email correspondence. While they have had conversations with Hosts int he past the policy is now that "The AirBNB Trust and Safey Team team handles sensitive escalated concerns as well as damage claims. Additionally, our department handles all claims via email correspondence."
#2. Additional Guest Fees are unenforceable against the security deposit. While a guest overstaying their stay by 24 hours or more is something that AirBNB will mediate, Additional Guest fees are optional and must be agreed to be paid by the guest. If a guest books for 1 guest and the reservation is accepted, the Security Deposit will not be held. Even if the guest themselves admits that they have brought guests beyond the reservation, and even if they agreed to pay additional guests fees, this is not a valid claim. The only recourse if for the guest to voluntarily offer to pay these fees.
#3. House Rules are not enforcable against the security deposit. If a host prohibit smoking, pets, parties or any other behavior/activity and a guest violates these provisions, again this must be a voluntary payment made by the guest.
#4. Stains to sheets and towels, even if they do not wash out are not considered physical damage, and are therefore not permitted as valid claims against the security deposit.
For #2-#4 I want to be clear that I am not talking about having a claim determined in your favor as a host. Instead, hosts are prohibited from even requesting any type of mediation or communication between AirBNB, host, and guest because these are not items that can ever be claimed or enforced againsts the security deposit.
I discovered this when I contacted AirBNB following a booking we had for (4) guests. Our cameras showed between 16-20+ guests arriving at all hours of the night. My cleaning lady stopped by and observed 20 guests, mostly men and 3-4 women (who she described as professional dancers). I messaged the guest and they were quite honest--they admitted via AirBNB message that they had many additional guests beyond what they'd booked at hour listing. Our public pre-booking desciption prohibits undisclosed/unapproved parties but we also habe an additional provision where we speciffy an additional guest fee when those parties occur. This was at the recommendaton of an amazing AirBNB Trust & Safey Representaive we spoke to last year who recommended the addition. Although this guest offered via AirBNB resolutions a fairly significant payment for excessive trash (read; 30+ bags or so of condoms, bottles, beer cans, chips, 50+ paper plates etc) damaged towels, unwashed dishes, I wanted AirBNB Trust & Safey to make the determination on what was fair. During that process, I was able to cofirm the Security Deposit policy and the policy of the Trust & Safety Department. They can not enforce House Rules Violation, Additional Guest Violations, or stains to linens as a matter of policy. The security deposit is only intended for physical damage. Stains on fabrics, even permanent ones, are not considered physical damage.
I was grateful with my experience with Lilly, who did her best to accurately communicate the polices that are in place and respond to my questions on numerous replies. I plan on eliminating additional guest fees and requiring a non-AirBNB security deposit (so long as it's clearly disclosed in the House Rules in accordance with the AirBNB TOC). We all know that AirBNB is continually evolving their product and polices so perhaps we'll get some better protections in the future. I'm also grateful to know a smoker can smoke in my home and I'll have no recourse unless he/she burns the mattress or sheets. Even then, perhaps the burn must do more than disclor the sheets. Anyway, 99% of reservations are a breeze but I like regularly testing the protections we have to make sure they work. Without the great protections that AirBNB has implemented, I'd never be a host. And I'l be honest, sometime I get a little complacent and just assume that I'm more secure than I am. Constant evaluation of the product is always a good idea.
Thoughts from other hosts?