Fake damage claims from the host

Sandra4965
Level 2
London, United Kingdom

Fake damage claims from the host

Hello airbnb community,

 

I was wondering if anyone had false damage accusations against them after their stay?

I have booked a flat in Bergen to celebrate my dad’s 55th birthday with the family. We have cleaned the dishes, took out the rubbish, gathered used towels and cleaned the surfaces for the flat to look presentable. 

After our departure from the property landlord opened a case for severe damages i.e. deep damage to the counter, paint on the walls, missing glasses and the key fob missing from the key ring, floors being sticky from spilled alcohol and so on. He is claiming over £4,000 in damages that we didn’t do!

every other day last week and this week he comes back with yet additional damages and this sets me to have panic attacks, as this is just absurd! It was a quiet weekend away with the family and NOT a house party for 20 teenagers! And my reviews during the time I have signed up for Airbnb is spotless: all precious hosts have mentioned me being clean and respectful guest.
I can see some pictures being fake and I have already reported it to Airbnb.

 

Did anyone have similar experience and how you dealt with it?

I am considering even reporting it to the police.

 

Any recommendations or advise would be much appreciated.

 

Thank you in advance!

 

34 Replies 34
Mike-And-Jane0
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

@Sandra4965 Just tough it out. If you didn't cause any damage then just keep pushing back. Sadly there are bad hosts out there just as there are bad guests. Airbnb will, eventually, take your previous good record into account.

Oh and I doubt the police would be interested.

FTP

Helen3
Level 10
Bristol, United Kingdom

I would just calmly state to the host and Aurbnb what you have stated here and point to your previous reviews from other hosts @Sandra4965 

 

ask for time stamped photos of the alleged damage .

 

have you looked at the hosts previous reviews and his reviews of guests - are there any similar cases ?

 

do leave an honest review of your experience 

Yes this is the newest scam. Stay away 

This is the most recent swindle, indeed. Keep away. DLB

This is the most recent swindle, indeed. Keep away

This is the most recent swindle, indeed. Keep away

Sophie-Marika0
Level 1
Southampton, United Kingdom

Hi 🙂 ,

 

Sorry that you have had to go through this! 

 

We are going through something very similar right now 😞 .

 

How did your case turn out?

 

Im worried and dissappointed at how Airbnb are handling our case.

 

Best wishes to you all

Saule2
Level 2
Kaunas, Lithuania

Dear Sandra, my husband and I we are going through something similar right now, the host is claiming around 1000 euros for the broken shower, which we did not do. I am waiting to hear back from Resolution center. How did your case end? Could you please share - I am so dissapointed and upset. It is jus a scam scheme, never thought it could happen to me. I would appreciate your reply. Thank you. Saule

Sandra4965
Level 2
London, United Kingdom

Hi @Saule2 , I am so sorry you and your husband are going through this - it is very stressful and unpleasant situation. It is so unfair and sad that some crooks try to make money from innocent people! my experience forced me to NOT book through aifbnb for a few years afterwards 😕

When it happened to us, landlord sent obviously faked pictures of alleged damage and I have submitted those to airbnb ( we have asked our programmer friend to check the EXIF data and we had the evidence, that these pictures were tampered with). In addition, I have referred airbnb to years of perfect feedback. After all of my efforts to prove to airbnb that these alleged damages are fake, airbnb still believed, that we have to pay the damages, however after reading some forums and digging deeper into the internet, I found out that actually I can refuse to pay these damages. Airbnb accepted my decision and did not contact me or asked from the money again (assumedly, that they have investigated themselves and realized the landlord is a crook!)

I suggest you open an investigation with airbnb, refer them to your positive reviews, give any proof you have that these damages are not made by you and if at the end of the day they still ask for the money, you have rights to decline.

Best of luck and please let me know how did it go!

Best,
Sandra

Hi this is not a scam air bnb resolution center study well and refund the damages . With me it happened airbnb paid me my damages.thanks to airbnb. The hoest will never accept the dammage he did but resolution center are cleaver to find but with proper proofs. I hope you understand . 

Regards and success.

@Khurram15 I understand- there are dishonest people everywhere.

I cannot speak for others, but personally I would never hide away and lie. If I have caused the damage ( luckily, it never happened so far) I would of course inform the landlord. I treat every rental property as my own home- when we depart we clean the dishes, put the washing on, take the rubbish out and leave the place tidy and clean. I am a frequent traveler and respectful and responsible person, so at least my case was definitely a scam.

The guest would never admit the damage I agree, I had damaged of my laptop by the guest because there was no way there would be anyone else. 

 

Airbnb compensated me for this but as you said you have to prove this damage properly. 

I am going through something similar for a stay in Paris back in July. Host is claiming $1,000 of damage for all these crazy little things in the house....broken oven (lose pieces $350 to repair), extra cleaning with no proof ($200+),and a small dent in the wall (wanting $300 to fix it). Its quite stressful but I am going through to the whole appeal process and researching how to best appeal. It unfortunately seems as though this is happening more based on my internet research and especially in Europe.