Host is Accusing me of damages I did not do

[Tater1]

Last night was my first stay at an Airbnb; I know I'm late to the party. Well, the place was overall in decent condition. I didn't know what to expect, really, and my girlfriend wanted pics of the area to see if it was "up to her standards." I obliged and started snapping pics of the room I was in. It was spacious and clean-ish, the bed was made, and the sheets looked clean, so that was nice. She was overall satisfied. And I felt like the place was 5 stars overall. Well, when I went to the bathroom, I started thinking differently and took a few pics in there as well. The toilet paper holder was hanging off the wall, and it looked like the place hadn't been dusted or deep cleaned in quite some time. But the toilet was clean, and that's all that mattered to me. Well, that was until I went to flush it, after only peeing, and it clogged with 3 sheets of toilet paper in it. I didn't think anything of it, really, except that it was inconvenient, as it unclogged after about 30 secs with the plunger. I didn't want to burden the host with this as I had just checked in and didn't want to be "that guy." That was my first mistake.

The next morning, I used the bathroom before checking out, and once again, the toilet clogged with minimal tissue usage. This time it took a bit more effort to unclog it, maybe 90 secs overall. But it did eventually drain. And then I returned my key to the lock-box and caught my uber. Well, I get a message later from the host saying that I caused substantial damage to his toilet and broke the toilet paper holder. He told me a plumber would have to come out, and it would be an expensive fix. I was appalled.

He claimed that the other guest said they didn't notice a clog nor a broken toilet paper holder. Then he sent me a pic of a not-clogged toilet, but there was some water on the floor; it wasn't flooded, just wet. Then he sent me a pic of the toilet paper holder ALL THE WAY OFF the wall...?? In the first pic he sent of the toilet, the toilet paper holder was IN the wall, so felt like he was trying to scam me. I politely, informed him that the bathroom was not in that condition when I left, but he said his cameras show I was the last to use it before the maid came in and found it this way.

How do I prove it wasn't me? What are my options here?
I know from now on, I will make sure the host knows the condition of the place upon MY ARRIVAL.

[Sarah977]

It sounds like you have a photo of the toilet paper holder hanging off the wall? Is it time and date stamped? You could send this to Airbnb as proof that it was like that when you arrived if it comes to that. 

Is the host asking you to pay for the plumber? If you truly didn't cause the damage, then just decline to pay, and reiterate that it was like that when you arrived.

And I can appreciate that you didn't want to be "that guy", the guest who has complaints from the moment they arrive- of course hosts aren't fond of those kinds of guests. But if you arrive to find things broken, or not functioning properly, or missing, it's best, as you found out, to let the host know ASAP. It's also the accepted Airbnb protocol if something isn't right- you are always supposed to let the host know, giving them a opportunity to correct the issue, rather than just leaving a bad review or involving Airbnb right off the bat. Hosts get upset when guests complain about stuff in the reviews that they never even let the host know about during the stay, because in most cases, the host could have done something about it if they had only known. 

Reporting broken things or missing amenities aren't necessarily complaints, just ensuring you aren't blamed for something. "Just wanted to let you know that the when I arrived, I found the TP holder hanging half off the wall. No biggy, it won't affect my stay, just letting you know it wasn't my doing."

 I had a seasoned Airbnb guest call me up to her room a few minutes after she checked in to point out that a shelf in the closet was loose. She wasn't lodging a complaint, she just didn't want to be held responsible, which I thought was a smart idea for her to have done. (I actually knew it was loose, I'd just forgotten to get the screwdriver and tighten it up after I finished cleaning, and it's not the sort of thing I'd charge a guest for anyway, even if they had accidentally done it)

Something like a clogged toilet is really important to let a host know about, because if it overflows, it could cause extensive damage to subfloors and even the ceiling of a downstairs unit.

@Tater1

[Tater1]

Yes, the photo of the tp holder is time-stamped but I have nothing to show that the toilet was clogged upon my arrival. And yes, they're saying I need to pay for the plumber.