Requesting money from guests

[Harmony26]

I’ve noticed at the bottom of my prior guests trip page if you click on details it says under Support to “request or send money” and “start an Aircover for hosts request”. What is the difference? It seems you can use either one for requesting money for damages or like an extra cleaning fee. 

[Lorna170]

@Harmony26   I would surmise that the first option would be a request for services that the guest has agreed to pay. The second would be used when the guest received services or caused damage that they refused to pay and you are applying to Airbnb for reimbursement under the insurance. 

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

@Harmony26  My understanding is similar to @Lorna170 's, but I believe that in both cases your request for payment goes first to the guests. But the first option is to settle a privately agreed amount without any intervention - usually, you'd use it to charge for an optional extra service, and collect the payment before delivering that service. You wouldn't use that for damage unless the guest has already fully agreed to pay. In contrast, the second option will result in (often lengthy) mediation by Airbnb's adjustors if the guest declines to pay. For any requests made via the Aircover option, you'd want to be sure that none of the expenses you're asking for are excluded in the terms and conditions, or else the entire claim might get thrown out.

[Harmony26]

Thank you to the both of you for your responses! I’ve notice some guests prior or current have both options but some only have the first one. This is the first time with using the new Aircover. And in this case my guest never communicated through messages from the time she booked. As if she thought once she booked that was it she didn’t have to look at Airbnb messages or anything. And she has done the same with all messages and emails since she left. So she never responded to either request. One to pay for a new barbecue grill brush and the other for extra cleanup fees. The requests went through 2 different ways also. To be sure I will contact Airbnb directly and add to this conversation thread if I hear something other than what you both have said. Thanks again! Have a good day! 

[Angie682]

We just had our first guest and they requested half of the money back because they say that the house had spiders and lizards in it. First of all the house is on the river but I have Never seen either in the house. We just stayed there the week before to finish getting the house ready. I gave them the money. How do you handle that? Now airbnb is asking for a review on the guest??