Damage

[Karen4122]

Hi,

I wanted to get Host's opinions about guests that decided for some unknown reason to move a bed in a bedroom. It's already where it should be, right in the middle of the room. They moved it close to the door, maybe because they had extra people they didn't let me know about? And, were trying to make more floor space? I don't know. But, what this is about is that it's a very heavy bed, so when they tried to move it, they damaged the headboard. I think they were gripping too tight and it caused breakage of the leather and made for a mess and now the headboard looks terrible. I have not reached out yet. We will get a headboard cover because it would be too hard to do anything else, frankly. My question: What would you do in this case? I know as Hosts, we are always very mindful of reviews and how anything could affect our listing. And, it's not a big ticket item, but it's damage, and rude, and they didn't even tell me that it happened. Frankly, if they would have told me and said they screwed up, I'd probably not really worry too much about it. My house cleaner said other than that, there were no other issues and the house was fine. That is a decently big issue to me. The rest of the house was fine. Curious your thoughts. I want to reach out to them. I'd like them to pay at least something toward the damage. I do not want review retaliation from them because that would just be unfair frankly, but I am sure guests do that type of thing. 

[Shelley159]

Hi @Karen4122 

You're right to worry about the impact on the review. There are often posts where hosts seem to forget that a guest still gets to leave a review for a stay where damage claims were filed.

I don't know the details of your set-up, but it sounds like you may not have been the first person on the scene after these guests checked out? My concern would be that the damage may have been done by previous guests and overlooked, or that staff responsible for guest changeovers may not want to tell you that they accidentally caused the damage. My point is just that, before you place blame, you need to be sure that these particular guests caused the damage - especially if you weren't personally there to confirm it. 

I see you're planning to cover the headboard. Another option would be to remove it (most of them are the removable type?) and buy a wall-mounted headboard. That's what I do to make sure my beds are easier to move (not that I specifically want guests to move them around 😀, but I want to move them for cleaning and maintenance).

[Karen4122]

Hi @Shelley159,

Thank you for the feedback. It was 100% the guests that had just left. I saw the photos. I have only one house cleaner that I know very well and she is 100% dependable. I see the home after almost every guest. I had seen the home right before the guest checked in. And, the house cleaner sent me photos of what they did as soon as the guest checked out. There is no doubt. I'm very involved in this home and there often. 

In this case, how it played out, is that the guest actually left me a review first. So, after she wrote me a review, I wrote her a review with the truth of the matter, partly also for transparency to other Hosts. I surely don't want Hosts to give good reviews when the guests are not so good because I actually rely on other Host reviews. 

For this particular headboard, a cover will be best in this case. Thank you for the other ideas as well. 

Frankly, in the past I have been too nice and let many things go, to the point my husband gets annoyed with me, and I have realized over the last few years that guests will say whatever they want and review however they choose. So, I could potentially over look things and give a good review to the guest, and it's possible that they are super picky and then aren't as nice. Sometimes I write no review at all if I don't want to say anything negative, but know that I just can not give them a good review. It just depends on the situation. 

[Bhumika]

Hi @Karen4122 , how did you deal with this situation in the end? 

Was there a specific suggestion from the hosts above, that helped you navigate the situation smoothly? Please feel free to keep us updated.

Regards,

[Wendy-May0]

This is a classic dilemma that every host faces, and it is frustrating when guests cause damage and then fail to report it.

Here is the best strategy to handle this, balancing compensation with protecting your rating:

1. Do not accuse: Keep your initial message entirely neutral. Do not mention extra guests or rudeness. Frame the damage as a functional issue that must be fixed for safety.

2. The finesse message: Send a message saying you noticed the headboard damage and need to fix it. State that you are submitting a claim via the Resolution Centre and hope they can contribute.

   • Example: "Hi [Guest Name], thanks for the booking. My cleaner noted the bed had been moved, and the headboard was damaged in the process. We need to cover the repair cost, so I'm submitting a request via the Resolution Centre. I hope you can contribute to this."

3. Use the resolution centre: Immediately go to the Resolution Centre. Request a reasonable contribution (e.g., half the cost), not the full price. They are more likely to accept a lower, fair number quickly.

4. Review strategy:

   • Wait until day 13. Do not leave your review yet.

   • If they pay the contribution, leave a neutral review: "Clean guests, but communication could be improved. Welcome back." This minimizes retaliation risk.

   • If they refuse to pay, you must decide if the money is worth the risk of a retaliatory low star review. If you claim the full amount through AirCover later, you can leave an honest, factual review like, "Guest caused damage by moving furniture and failed to report it."

The small loss of money is often worth the protection of your overall rating.

Feel free to ask me any questions about the precise wording for your Resolution Centre claim, or how to set up preventative measures to stop guests from moving heavy furniture in the future.

[Karen4122]

Hi @Wendy-May0,

Thank you for the information! How this ended up playing out is that the guest left me a review first, so then I was able to write my own review without concern for retaliation, and added the private message about the headboard situation. I did mention it in the review and then personally in the private message asking how she proposes we should handle the situation. No response, not sure if she received the message or decided not to respond. I decided not to take it further because I checked into cost and just feel it's not something I want to pursue at this point. If she offered to pay, I would gladly accept, but it's not a case in which I want to get Airbnb involved. I was very professional in my message to her and also the review. But, I did point it out, because it's a fact of the matter. My dilemma was that I didn't want to reach out to her about it before she wrote a review, and not sure she would write one, and wonder for 14 days what to do. Then she wrote a review the next day, so it actually made it easier for me to respond appropriately, because I could then address the matter without concern of retaliation. 

[Wendy-May0]

Your approach was the most efficient and strategic possible. By securing her review first, you successfully eliminated the single biggest risk (retaliation) for a very minor damage claim. That was absolutely the correct call.

Since she has not responded to your private message, the issue is functionally closed. You did your due diligence professionally, and now there is zero reason to pursue the cost further.

The only move left is prevention, adding a brief, clear sentence to your welcome guide or check-in instructions. Something simple like: "Please note: All furniture must remain in its original position to facilitate efficient cleaning and turnover."

No drama, just keeping  your rating is safe and a perfect outcome