Host accusing me of damage that was already present

[Michael2739]

Hi, I just left a great airbnb that I was very happy with.

When I self-checked-in (the host wasn't there) I saw there was some damage to the bathroom door frame (the jamb was split, like someone had forced the door open while it was locked from the inside). It was very noticable, and I assumed the host already knew about it as there's no way you could miss it.

I checked out earlier today and have a message from the host saying their housekeeping has informed them of the damage and they will be charging me to fix it. I've got in touch with airbnb help, but they have said I must wait.

I've only been using airbnb for a short while and have treated the apartments I've stayed in like my own. Looking back I should have said something immediately, but when I arrived the damage was too obvious to miss.

What can I do in a case like this? How can I prove the damage was already present?

[David-and-Fiona0 · Accepted solution]

For future reference its best to document any damage with time stamped photos and even bring it to the attention of the host straight away. In this instance you will need to see how Airbnb rules. This will depend on how the host handles the claim. Good luck. 

[Michael2739]

Thanks for the reply. I was naive,  and now understand I should have brought it up with the host when I arrived, but the damage was so obvious it couldn't be missed.

After reflection, I have concerns about guest self-checkin:

1. Missed damage. In the place I stayed there was also a large scratch on the dining room table, the coffee table was chipped and two of the tiles on the kitchen floor were cracked. Shoud I also bring these up, even minor damage? What's to stop the host saying I caused this damage too?
2. Inventory. Should I also count the number of glasses and plates? The host could easily say "there were 8 expensive wine glasses when you arrived, now there are only 4 so I'm charging you for 4" and I would have no proof there were 4 when I arrived.
3. Proof of work. If I did damage something (which, again, I didn't) and pay the owner, how do I know the owner has fixed the damage and not just kept the money? What proof do guests have the owner isn't just keeping the money  and waiting for the next guest not to report the damage so they can repeat the process and collect their money too?

Without a personal walk-though of the property the owner can make any demands of the guest once they leave, unless the guest records every imperfection in the property and has an agreed record of the complete inventory when they arrived.

Guests beware.

[Marit-Anne0]

@Michael2739 

2.  Unless there is an inventory list, you can contest.

3.  airbnb does not pay out anything unless there is a receipt or an invoice/work estimate.

[Linda108]

@Michael2739   Very valid concerns which my daughter, a frequent user of Air BNB, has also expressed.  In the first place, it is actually the host that is most vulnerable when there is damage.  Unless a guest accepts responsibility for the damage, it falls on the host to prove the claim.  Unlike other platforms in which the security deposit is collected, Air BNB does not collect the security deposit beforehand.

However, whenever renting anything, car or home or something else, never assume the owner or host knows about the damage.  Inspect and comment in a message to the host that you notice certain damage and wanted to alert the host, especially if the host is remote.

[Carolyn565]

I was also a guest just last Tuesday to yesterday in Düsseldorf in a convenient location along hunsruckenstrasse...

I was accuse of damaging a stool that was already damage When i arrive. I should have taken a photo of it and the lights that were not working and the some items that were left behind by previous guest when I arrive.

I thought they knew about the stool so I didnt bother too much about it and the other lights that were not working. And today after my trip and coming back home i was asked to compensate them for the stool... 

this is very distressing as I have not damaged anything..... 

[Linda108]

I see you are new to Air BNB, @Carolyn565 .  As I posted earlier, the burden of proof for who is responsible for the damage remains with the host.  Therefore, if you are not responsible, best to refuse the claim and let Air BNB process the claim.   In the future, it is a good idea to message a host about anything broken or not working in the listing in case they can fix it while you are there and also to memorialize a problem for Air BNB staff to see.