Asking guests for a deposit

[Hannah417]

Hi everyone! 

I’m just wondering, are there any hosts out there who ask guests for a deposit at the time of booking? And how much would you normally charge? To cover the cost of any damage/repairs etc. 

I have a couple staying in my flat for two weeks. It’s a two bedroom flat, i share the space with them. I stayed at a friend’s over the weekend, and came back to find a stain on the living room carpet. I have tried cleaning it myself, but it’s not helped and looks like the stain has set in. I’m now looking into hiring a carpet cleaner. I haven’t yet had a discussion with the guests about it as I came home late last night and left early this morning. 

Has anyone had an experience like this, how did you handle it? Up to this point I haven’t asked guests for a deposit. 

[Emiel1]

@Hannah417 

You can set a deposit in your listing, which will be added to the reservation at time of booking. It is not allowed the charge a deposit from the guest off-site:

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/59/how-do-i-add-a-security-deposit-to-my-listing

Hope this helps,

Emiel