@Heather560 You say you're new to this. What do you mean by "requesting substantial deposit"? You can't take cash deposits from guests and Airbnb doesn't hold security deposits from guests-it is only there to show that it could be charged if there are damages. (and you can only claim on it for actual damages, not for guests breaking house rules, like smoking inside or having a party).
Then , if a guest causes damage, you have to first request to the guest that they pay for it from the security deposit. If they don't agree, then you have you go on a big song and dance with Airbnb, submitting photos, quotes for repairs or replacements, etc, etc. and that process has to be started immediately after the guest leaves. Now what percentage of the kind of guests who destroy things do you think readily agree to a request for payment?
If a guest is a responsible person, then they will usually inform the host of the damage long before they ever check out, like when the damage occurs- "Hi, XX, we just accidentally knocked the little lamp off the bedside table and it broke. So sorry. Just let us know replacement cost". That's just what decent people do, whether at an Airbnb, or friends and family. And if its not an expensive item, lots of hosts will just let it go, chalk it up to normal wear and tear, because the guest owned up to it right away.
But the nightmare guests who trash the place and leave without mentioning anything? "That was already broken when we checked in, no way I'm paying for that."
There are some guests who don't say anything about the damages, but agree to pay up when you request a charge on the security deposit, but you can't bank on that.
So don't depend on Airbnb to have your back on this stuff- learn to vet guests well, read lots on this forum, ask guests questions before approving them if you're unsure, and require all the verifications, photos, etc, that make you feel comfortable.
