Excessive cleaning fee charged after stay ended

[Kristy192]

My daughter was charged an excessive fee after staying at an Airbnb as later her friend tested positive to COVID (no way to know if it was contacted there). The cleaning invoice was faked (fake company name on invoice, ABN belongs to the hosts husband) for nearly $600 and Airbnb are supporting the host saying it's valid. How can this be possible?? 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Kristy192 I am confused as to the relevance of the Covid infection. Does your daughter have any photos of how the house was left? If not then does the host? If they don't then just refuse to pay.

[Sandra126]

I imagine it's a covid sanitation exercise. Very expensive. @Mike-And-Jane0 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Sandra126 And pretty pointless now we understand better how Covid spreads! Anyway does a host have a right to charge this to a guest just because they caught Covid?

[Anonymous]

@Mike-And-Jane0  I'm not aware of any policy that makes the guest liable for extra cleaning solely on the basis of testing positive for Covid during the stay. With or without any extra sanitation measures, Airbnb already suspends the listing and cancels upcoming guests, so the host is guaranteed a loss anyway.

If the guest left the property in a truly awful state, and the host had to take an extra loss on top of that due to the lost bookings, I can see why they'd pursue some compensation. Maybe this is actually a dodgy host who has gone too far, but I don't expect the most objective assessment of the home's condition at departure to come from the guest's mother (no offense to moms, but y'all probably don't get the whole story). 

[Kristy192]

AirBNB resolution centre has said:

"While we do understand your suspicion over the host's cleaning invoice, we have conducted internal investigation and market research to conclude the Host's COVID-19 cleaning fees to be within reasonable range."

But it doesn't say anywhere that there is a possibility of being charged $600 if you later develop COVID after a stay!?!

If this were the case, how many people simply wouldn't tell the host for fear of massive extra charges?! These guests let the host know for their safety.

[Kristy192]

To give some perspective, the host was angry at the guests for personal reason, the guests noticed the hosts abusing their animals and rightly reported them to the RSPCA. The hosts were angry and retalliating, using the RSPCA visiting the property to inspect as a reason for needing more cleaning.

The RSPCA representatively didn't take their shoes off which the guests had no control over and the RSPCA was there to see the host, not the guests.

[Kristy192]

I also still don't understand how AIRBNB can decide that when it is against the law in Australia to create fake invoices or to operate under an uinregistered business name. Also AIRBNB rules say the hosts are not entitled to make a claim under the host damage protection:

IV. Conditions to the Host Damage Protection

“You must not have misrepresented any facts or committed fraud or any other dishonest or deceptive act in connection with the booking of the Covered Accommodation or the preparation or submission of any past or present payment request under the Host Damage Protection Terms. Any such misrepresentation, fraud, dishonest or deceptive act by you, at any time, will result in denial of all pending payment requests under the Host Damage Protection Terms and immediate termination of these Host Damage Protection Terms as they relate to you, notwithstanding Section VII below.”