HOSTS BEWARE: Don't rely on Airbnb Host Support for damage caused by guests ! Terrible service !

[Michel151]

Hi all,

I would like to share my recent and very disappointing experience with Airbnb host support.

As I was on vacation during the end of the year holidays, I rented out my appartement through Airbnb. Unfortunately, as I returned from vacation, I discovered that my guest had caused some damage in my appartement: he had obviously held a pary (which I had forbidden..) during which a bookshelf had dropped, causing damage to my TV shelf, a lamp and the wall the shelf was attached to. In particular, the wall had many deep scuffs and large black stains. But rather that telling me about this "accident", said guest preferred reinstalling the shelf on the worn-out screws and scrubbing the wall, hoping I wouldn't notice.

I had to make a claim for his security deposit and got contacted by Airbnb host support asking me to provide evidence for the damage, e.g. repair costs and prices of the damaged items. I immediately replied by sending links to the IKEA website to justfy prices and I also submitted an estimate from a painter to repair the wall.

One week passed, and then I got a message stating that, as I had not provided any evidence nor reacted to their email, they would close the file by grating me a one-time "courtesy" paiment of 100 €, which was ridiculously low compared to the total justified damage of more than 800 €.

I exchanged many mails with the person in charge of my file, explaining that I had indeed provided evidence and resending her the messages by which I had submitted the documentation. But I always got the same reply, claiming that they "understand my frustration" but that the case was closed, due to lack of evidence. It was as though they always disregarded the content of my messages. I have spent a lot of time trying to get in touch with somebody else and I called them several times, asking to have my file examined by someone else, but nothing helped!

I honestly don't know what to do anymore... This has been a devastatingly frustrating experience and an enormous waste of many hours of my time: typing messages, figuring out how to get in touch with someone (which is extremely complicated on their webpage),talking to people who don't know your file, etc.!

I recommend to all hosts or future hosts to think very carefully before trusting a stranger with your home. If something goes wrong, how willing are you to trust there will be proper support from Airbnb?

For my part, I have lost all confidence in their abilities/willingness to properly handle such a case. This particular incident has eaten up all of the earnings I have had so far with Airbnb and I now feel it's just not worth it. What will they do if something worse happens (water damage, fire etc.)?

I am very sad and disappointed, especially because I was convinced that their host support was great (which is what you hear all the time). Unfortunately, I was quite wrong...

Best regards,

Michel

[Philip-and-Fíona0]

That is a very interesting pont Paul.  I wondered why we are getting so little support for claims.  We feel completely let down by Airbnb when we go out of our way so much for our guests and have an amazing record.

[Philip-and-Fíona0]

Well I felt it fair to say that we DID get our payment in full - but it was a long and hard fight.  It was the last straw for my wife who had been doing most of the work.  We had been let down on support a couple of times before but she dug in the heals on this one as a guest lied to get out of payment for a missing key.  It just came a little late for her and she does not want to have anything to do with the running of our places any more.  It is a shame as she put in so much effort and work into each guest.  I just hope I can do the same job she was doing.

[Rhonda71]

PEOPLE!! MAKE A CLAIM ON YOUR HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE and let THEM duck it out with Airbmb. We were told they covered damages made by guests, and that they carried insurance. Your insurnace company will fight them for it. That's what you PAY THEM FOR!!!

[Cheryl-and-Vincent0]

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BEWARE!!
Most insurance companys, at least in the state of Massachusetts will pretty much cancel your homeowners insurance once they find out you're running an Airbnb. They are ensuring you for a residential property. Once you start using  Airbnb you become commercial and you've broken the rules of your policy and therefore not covered. At least this is what has been explained to us. Our homeowners insurance told us that we would not be covered if we ran an Airbnb and they would not give us any kind of endorsements for running said Airbnb. So we've been forced to have to go to lloyd's of London in order to get homeowner's insurance while running a B&B out of our house. Even though it's only one bedroom. Still a B&B. Still need a policy that knows what you are doing and will agree to cover you! Especially for things like liability. It's a really big deal! We had no idea!! Consequently our homeowners insurance is going to like double in cost!! We've done our homework. I think a lot of people are unaware.If you just go along and don't tell your insurance co. if your house was to burn down they could deny your claim. So  in another words you're paying for homeowners insurance thinking you're covered and if they ever get wind that you were running a B&B forget it you paid for nothing and they will deny you and legally you won't have a leg to stand on ,because you've broken the rules of your insurance coverage. Read the fine print, talk to your agent it's all there!! Everything we say is a study! And this one was bad! Then to top all that off we have a shared driveway with our neighbor. Mind you it is our land and they have an easement to cross over our land in order to get to their Drive way and house. The easement states that they are responsible to help us maintenance this lower part of the shared driveway. They are yelling foul On Us opening a B&B due to liability of the shared driveway! The town requires that we get a special permit in order to open a B&B even if it is only one bedroom.It's at this special permit that they're raising is liability issue! Doesn't look like we're going to be able to even do this! This ended up being so much more involved than we ever could have imagined!! We're like really disappointed at at all!! My advice is don't stick your head in the sand. Don't think you're covered when you're not. Might come back to bite you. I'm sure this is all different from state-to-state. I can only tell you what's going on here in Massachusetts!! And it's not pretty!!

[David126]

I always assumed the most AirBnB Traditional hosts fly under the radar as far as insurance, zoning etc is concerned.

Difficult to know how many are aware, should be aware or are completely clueless.

[Cheryl-and-Vincent0]

As far as i can see airbnb tells you that it is your responsibility to look into your local laws ,codes zoning rules etc .They also put the onus on you about insurance. Believe me they have it written up so that if there's a problem they've covered themselves as a site.

[David126]

Yes, people seem to forget that when it comes down to it, ABB is just a booking site, it is your business not theirs that you are operating.

[Greg-Or-Lani0]

Surprised there are not hundreds of posts along this complaint.  In 30 months of renting with Aribnb and VRBO, I have had three renegade/defaulting guests that have caused damaged and refused reimbursement.  All three were Airbnb sourced.  The $1,000,000 host assurance-an advertising gimmic, I cannot get Airbnb to cough up $200-$250 for documented, flagrant damages!  My guess is that profiles are set up with Airbnb to set up a "party house" rental reservations as these offending guests have grown to understand that there is no supported recourse from Airbnb.  

The company will IPO soon and will get some obscene investment but eventually their host attrition will be noticed from this treatment.  And Yes, I understand the guest pays the Airbnb fee, why should the host expect support?  I have pulled my listing as of this morning, 5-10-19.  Greg S.

[Cheryl-and-Vincent0]

"an advertising gimmic,"  yes Greg i think you have it right.It has been a year since my posting. Reading it after that much time takes me back to all of that anger and And frustration in regards to the whole homeowners insurance bit. We were primarily being worried about liability. And homeowners insurance in general. After all if your house burns down you want to make sure your insurance is going to kick in. Or what if somebody has a slip and fall and Sues us?  We weren't as worried about damages as we were only renting out one bed room, and for the most part would be home and on the property. The Insurance policy that we were going to have to take out with Lloyd's of London was going to have some very large deductable. Like $5000. So it wouldn't have covered something like what you're talking about with your $250 damages. For little Damages we were just going to have to eat it. A little of that would have gone a long ways i'm sure. But we weren't going to be able to get a homeowners policy that would cover us for small damages that would be at all affordable to purchase. And from what we were reading we could see that airbnb wasn't going to help. And trying to extract money from them for damages was just going to be frustrating and upsetting. Sounds like a system that is designed to give you a run around and not pay in the end. An unfair bureaucracy. Deny and delay. Ware you down.We spent some coin fixing up our bedroom really nice and in the end never could it.Mainly due to the Miserable objecting Neighbors. But we weren't happy with the whole insurance thing also. We wouldn't have been making a whole lot of money so if people had been doing damages, it would have been totally unworth while. In the end we have a extraordinary lovely guest room, that's for the most part sits empty,And have to just be philosophical that it just wasn't meant to be. We continue to stay at airbnb's though when traveling. The last one being in a castle in Germany. It was lovely. So I guess we'll just stay on that end of Airbnb.Wonder what kind of insurance the castle had??

[Cheryl-and-Vincent0]

 A typo. on last posting. We spent some coin fixing up our bedroom really nice and in the end never could OPEN it... Left out the word open.

[La-Mar0]

Unfortunately, I can confirm this.  They  refuse to use the security deposit the way it is meant to,  and you can forget about the insurance: it is absolutely lip service, and impossible to redeem. In over five years I have had at least a couple of ‘doozy’ guests — one couple intentionally tried to damage my plumbing.   Result:  all expenses, and hed aches,, were incurred by me.

I still use Airbnb for the convenience of not having to advertise, but beware you are really on your own.

Customer service follow through is also a titanic battle,  and never in yoir favor.

[Cheryl-and-Vincent0]

guests intentionally tring to damage your plumbing. Like wow! I was thinking back on when my parents rented their house out, they use to have a security deposit. This keeps people in line! They know you have recourse. They rented through a real estate agent ,back in the day.I wouldn't want to rent a house where your not on the property without safe gaurds of some kind! On the other hand we stayed at a house in the Lake District in the UK and we thought the hosts were fairly miserable. So it can work both ways. 

[Heather787]

Reading these posts I am alarmed at the problems you have had with Airbnb.  My advice is not to touch them - ever!