What to do when some things are broken when I rent out my house?

[Gustaf9]

I just rented out my house. Some small things were broken. Approximately vale 100EUR.

What do I do?

The person who rented the house asks me to check with the AIRBNB insurance.

Is this better than asking the person who rented for money?

[Anonymous]

@Gustaf9  The guest might have misunderstood how Airbnb "insurance" works. With any damage claim, your first step is to request payment directly from the guest - you can't skip straight to the Host Guarantee. See here:  https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/264/what-do-i-do-if-my-guest-breaks-something-in-my-place

It sounds like the guest has at least acknowledged responsibility for the damage, but it's still possible for them to dispute the charge. In that event, you'll be required to submit evidence (photos, receipts, etc) and if your claim is successful it's unlikely to pay out 100% of the amount requested. You'll have to decide for yourself whether it's worth it to go through this process.  

[Gustaf9]

I see. So I guess most small issues are solved without any involvement of the AIRBNB insurance then.

But what if it the next time happens something bigger more expensive? Will the person renting have their own insurance to cover that, so they only pay the deductible, or can they the AIRBNB insurance help in these cases? I mean will the AIRBNB insurance only be useful if a person refuse to pay?

[Lisa723 · Accepted solution]

@Gustaf9 

Small accidental damages are a cost of doing business that you should build into your nightly rental rate and not bother charging for.

Yes, Airbnb “insurance” applies only if the guest declines to pay, and guests do not have their own insurance.

You might or might not succeed in collecting on larger claims from Airbnb. If the guest declines to pay then Airbnb adjudicates and their decisions are known to be quite capricious. On this forum you will find many posts from hosts with very major damage for which Airbnb paid nothing.

You need your own insurance. Do not count on guests or Airbnb to make you whole in the event of a major loss.