@Quincy
Independent insurance coverage is a must Quincy! You cannot depend on an adjudicated system of coverage. I know because I have worked in Airbnb support in the HPS days, and I have seen both sides of this 'we have got your back covered' thing......it doesn't work, I mean that seriously!
Airbnb not only have to assess what is an appropriate method of compensating for damage that might have been done. Obviously they are going to concentrate on repair rather than replace! After all, they do not in their TOS have a 'new for old' policy, the level of compensation is adjudicated and is open to abuse on the part of both Airbnb and the host.
I have mentioned this before but, I had to deal with a claim of $2,500 for a new outdoor setting that a particular guest damaged the seat coverings with cigarette burns. The burns were genuine and were admitted by the guest. The seat coverings (cushions) were not replaceable by the manufacturer so the host was claiming for a new comparable outdoor setting for which he submitted documentary replacement quotes.
The thing that host did not volunteer, he paid $210 for that outdoor setting from the local community opp shop....and he was now requiring $2,500 in compensation for that $210 purchase.
Airbnb need to site receipts before they will consider compensation, but in most instances those receipts are not available and a judgement call is left to CS, and there is a vast chasm between what CS will offer and what the host wants to accept.
It's this way because Airbnb have been stung to often in the past!
Hosts must work on the principal that damage is going to occur! They have to set a limit that they will cover this damage for, and insure for anything above.
I have an STR insurance policy that covers me for catastrophic property damage with a company called EBM Rentcover....they are a specialist STR insurer, but I set a excess (deducible) of $2,500 and this means my premiums are peanuts! The only time they are likely to be called upon is in the event of catastrophic damage! For minor loss I set aside $6.00 per guest night in a damage fund which currently sits around $1,500 and when something gets broken or lost in some way, I just pull the money out of the damage fund, put things right and get on with the business of hosting.....I don't hassle the guest and I don't hassle Airbnb! Life is simple and I know exactly where I stand.
I wish every host could work in support for a month or two, they would gain a valuable perspective on the risks associated with hosting, it got the better of me in the end, despite the fact that we live in a 'global' community with a heap of time zones, I could not continually handle the..."Where are you, what do I have to do to get some help around here"!
I logged off one night, went down to Ade and said..."That's it, I am not logging on in the morning" and I quit!
It takes a special person to act in a support role, and I was just not up to the job!
As I have said before, don't expect the world from Airbnb, insure yourself with a specialist STR insurer, have that policy document on hand and then you can host with confidence that if something goes wrong it won't be up to some company individual who's job it is to reject company responsibility!
Cheers.......Rob
