Host Guarantee

[Nicole291]

I have been a host in Fairbanks, Alaska for 3 years.  This is a place where winter tempertures stay at -20F for weeks during the winter months.

On March 7 I hosted a group of Chinese students.  On their very first night (it was a 4 night reservation) they left my garage door open at -35F, freezing all of my pipes, and busting my water filtration system.  

They notified me the next day - (thank god because I would have had an even worse disaster) and I was able to get a plumber up immediately. It took the plumber 9 hours to replace all of the piping, and the guests hung out in the garage with him much of the time he did the work.

They acknowledged, in writing, that they left the door open, and that they wanted to use insurance to pay for the damage.  

I documented everything in the resolution center - photos, invoices, etc. I just got word from AirBNB that they are refusing my claim because the damage was incurred by "natural causes."  

This is a total outrage. 

I've been a superhost for over 2 years with 130+ 5 star reviews.  The guests admitted through AirBNB messaging that they caused the damage.  Yet I'm the one stuck with the $2500 plumbing bill.  Would welcome your suggestions. I'm seriously contemplating getting the media involved.  

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

@Nicole291

Hi Nicole - what a mess...

When you say the guests wanted to use insurance to pay for the damage, what does that mean? Did they have an insurance policy or what is being referred to here?

AirBnB's host guarantee is very limited in its reach, hence the number of comments on the host forum about it not stumping up in what seem like very straightforward circumstances.

Do you have home insurance (including cover for short term rentals) that you can also claim against?

The only other thing I can think of is as your guests admitted the damage that you contact them and now ask them directly to compensate you.

Finally - I would beef up your house rules as you do live in an area with extreme temperatures which some visitors would not be used to - perhaps including a separate section for winter months (closing doors, heating, ice danger, clearning snow etc)

[David126]

I am in danger of writing wring War and Peace on this, so working on the basis the Guests were negligent in leaving the door open:

1. If the Guests have travel insurance including Liability cover then this may be covered under their policy, have no personal knowledge of the Chines Insurance market so difficult to comment more.
2. Your own Insurance may. should also cover this, a fairly standard peril included in all polices.
3. The Host Guarantee I have read, it is certainly based on a restricted Insurance policy wording but it is not expressed that way. Supposedly it is there to protect you, AirBnB would still exercise their subrogation risght and seek to recover from the Guest.
4. The Host Guarantee does include an Arbitration Clause. Yet to see a response from anybody who has used it.
5. The main problem is that the way the Host Guarantee is written seems very different to the way claims are decided in practice, your case being a classic point. I should perhaps mention that I spent 30 years in the Insurance Industry and had all the letters after my name.
6. What to do now, well I would certainly investigate the comment about the Insurance by the Guest, or will they reimburse you direct? Your own Insurance, well I realise that in reality most AirBnB hosts do not have specific Insurance for STR  business and even if they do there could be a sizable deductible. future cover/premium consequences. As far as AirBnB is concerned name and shame or the Arbitration process, name and shame may be easier, must be a reason I have seen no Arbitration reports.

Weather wise, saying it gets cold in Alaska, or Colorado, would be like saying it rains in London, a given.

[Laura785]

I'm outraged at AirBNB closing my case after documenting over $1,000 in damages sustained to my floor, which the guests agreed to pay before AirBNB closed the case. It's just unthinkable that AirBNB would stand between two paries who have reached a mutual agreement.. I have tried to re-open the case, but the same person keeps closing it within the 24 hours grace period to respond. It's absolutley unnerving, to say the least.

[David126]

@Laura785

Could not the guests pay you direct?

[Laura785]

I just tried. But the issue is, there's no way for me to send an attachement, via the airbnb email and she needs to see the estimate. I also don't have her email and phone number, since AirBNB blocks that out to text or send this as an attachment. Please advise!

[David126]

There are ways around the system, spelling out numbers for example.

[Laura785]

Yes, I tried that. Hopefully I'll get a response! Still doesn't sit well with me the way that AirBNB handled this. Doesn't reflect well on their values as supportive of hosts. (I've been a superhost for over a year who has referred many other hosts and guests.)

[Lucienne2]

Hearing all your stories and having just had 2 lots of damage incurred by careless guests I'm thinking of giving up Airbnb. They obviously are not as supportive of their hosts as they claim to be when it comes to it.

Lucie UK (superhost and suffering)