Hey dear host friends. If your listing burns down by a guest airbnb will never support you!

[Pinar5]

Hi guys. I am a host since almost a year. I have an amazing duplex apartment in very prestigious area in Istanbul. Almost everyday i have bookings until my previous guest in August, name is Hadeel. He/her group called me to report an issue about electricity cut off just before few days of their last day. And i offered them to come with a technician and understand and solve the problem. But they didn't allow us by cutting the conversation completely. So i found out what happened after they left. They misuse the bathroom downstairs. All the water gone into hallway and bedroom. All parquets floor heavily damaged. Walls also moistened and electric cables as well so power cut off was because of that, and downstairs neighbors ceiling also damaged. I immediately called airbnb and report the issue. They asked me to go to resolution page and make a claim to the guest Hadeel. First resolution page didn't upload my documents, after many try finally  i managed. Nothing happened. I called customer service many times, speak with many assistants and at least 3 case managers they all said ‘your ticket was in wrong department, we bring it to correct one then will call you’. No one called. We had some emailings as well but nothing happened. They asked me to fill up incident page form, i tried so many times each time page give error reports and never worked properly. I report that as well, but in the end i receive nothing. I sent my documents to an assistant mail called Mithfel to show about the property damage, never had reply. Every time i call airbnb and every time i hear same things from different people, same story. There is no host support here, do not believe when you see ‘airbnb gives insurance to your listing’. No, this is a HUGE lie and i am here an alive witness of this silly theater. We as host and our property has no value in this partnership. Who wants to take huge risk? I will no longer be part of this unfair and full of lies and unethical way of business. And i swear i will make this to internationally known. Not only my apartment, also my neighbor involve of this incident and airbnb does not bather to charge this to guest Hadeel. They said ‘they are working on it, these things takes time’ but somehow we as hosts only have 14 days to see a solid result. Ridiculously stupid, so good luck every one who is trying to make their life this way. Watch out you may end up much bigger harm then your income. #hostsupport #propertydamage #liesofairbnb #nosupport #incident 

[Rachel177]

@Pinar5 unfortunately it's well known that the host guarantee that Airbnb promotes is absolutely useless & to might be worth your while searching this forum for how other hosts have dealt with the issue.

Airbnb rarely pay out for guest damages and very rarely get the guests to pay through the resolution centre because the guest has to agree to pay for the damages. Your best option is claim through your insurance for the damage as you're unlikely to get any help from Airbnb.

[Pinar5]

Hi my insurance covers for fire, earthquake, heavy storms or whether conditional related harms and some real accidents not some idiots misuse bathrooms then make the whole flat filled up with water, no. Do you know any insurance company pays for situation like it ? I don’t 

[Susan1188]

Maybe Short Term Rental homeowner insurance is supposed to.  But I bet they always find a reason not to pay.

[Pinar5]

Yes and its anyhow airbnb and guests responsibility 

[Helen3]

Hello @Pinar5 

I am sorry you have had such an awful guest. Even if a guest cuts off communication, you should insist on going over to see what has happened to your property in circumstances such as the one you describe, rather than waiting until after they left.

I would suggest you contact Airbnb on all their social media channels and ask why a claim you put in against their guarantee in August has not been sorted and why you have heard nothing back.

By the way does your home insurance for short term lets not cover this sort of damage?

[Pinar5]

Hi. Thank you for joinin the conversation. I have insurance yes but it is not covering some uncivilized peoples stupidity who doesn't use the bathroom properly. This is not my insurance company job to do, guest should pay for their mistake and it airbnb teams job to get the money from them. Simple is that    

[Susan1188]

So sorry that you have to go through this!

Have you tried calling Airbnb and getting someone on the phone.  I have gotten better results that way for some reason.

I agree with Helen you can also go through FB and Twitter they tend to take more notice when complaints are public.

It sounds like you have a successful listing and a calendar full of bookings I'm surprised that you are getting such bad support.  In my experience it is a bit random, depends on who you get, but usually I get supported...

[Pinar5]

Thank you Susan. I am not a facebook user but i’ll try other sites and few travel magazines and blogs things like that. I am not going to make either guest or airbnb easily get away with this. No definitely not.  Thanks 

[Lilly28]

@Pinar5 

Next time you do insurance - make sure to include - damage made to neighbors by anything which might happen in your flat. Most big insurance companies have this as a separate item you could choose - and the amount of insurance depends on how big is the sum you insured as to be paid to neighbors when damage was due to something wrong in your flat. 

[Pinar5]

Sure. But this is something i have to do next, now i am trying to get the one alraedy done by Hadeel’s group ... and these insurance are very expensive in my country because its not standard, the one i have which is also not cheap one , only covers natural disasters harms like earthquake and flood and fire. Thanks  

[Helen3]

Of course commercial home insurance is expensive in any country @Pinar5  it is a cost of us doing business and one we should factor into our daily rates.

It makes no sense to me that a home insurance for short term lets won’t cover accidental damage by guests - such as the damage your guests caused.  surely this is a key component of any STR home insurance policy. 

[Geraldine60]

I am very very sorry to hear what has happened to you. A month ago I had a guest that booked my apartment for a one night stay.  The guest broke my sofa bed. My neighbor when he saw me at the apartment told me that he had witnessed between 20-25 people enter the apartment and held a party.  He said the noise was terrible.  Like yourself I contacted the Help Line and was told by them to put in a claim to the Resolution Centre.  I was asked to send photos of the damage along with the receipt for the bed .   I posted the photos and the documentation three times and was told by the Resolution Centre that they never received them.  Finally, the photos went through but I was told that the invoice wasn’t clear and to send it again.  I eventually got a friend to scan the photos and the invoice for me.  I have been without a sofa bed now for almost a month.  I am still very booked.  I fortunately have  a single fold up bed which I am offering guests over two to sleep on.  I find this totally unacceptable by Airbnb.  I am not in a financial position to go out and buy a new sofa bed nor do I think it’s fair that I should have to do this.  I have a damage deposit in the event that damage has occurred.  Why can this not be issued to me?  I do hope that you get your situation sorted.

[Helen3]

Hi @Geraldine60 

Sounds like you haven’t installed CCTV or similar to monitor your place so you don’t have guests partying or bringing in extra people. Do look at installing it so your guests don’t disturb your neighbours. 

Why don’t you use your Airbnb profits to buy a new sofa while you wait for your Airbnb damage pay out? 

[Geraldine60]

Good luck to you Helen.  Just wait until you have abuse by your guests and then perhaps you will have more sympathy to other hosts.  Long live the fox as they say back home in Ireland.