I have had good experiences with Airbnb helping me out with damages in the past, but all of sudden this year, they have been extremely terrible to work with. The customer service is terrible and they don't seem to care about parties or guests destroying homes anymore. They actually blocked guests from booking my home during peak Covid season to avoid parties and now it seems that they welcome them.
I had two terrible groups in a row this year. I have hosted tons of guests, and a Superhost. I am not crazy about charging guests for things, but when you put a hole in my wall - well, yes, you deserved to be charged. I am a handy person. I know how to fix things. So when someone damages my home in-between the 4-hour window of check in and out, I tend to cancel my plans, drive 2 hours to my rental home, address the situation and fix the issue myself, if I can, so my next guests don't have to walk into a damages and trashed home.
AirBnB is NOT reimbursing me OR taking the money out of the guests security deposit because I do not have an invoice. I am not a contractor. I do not have an invoice for my time & all materials but I do have PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE of the holes in my walls.
Anyone have advise on how to deal with this? Why am I getting penalized for being able to fix the damages and only can ask for money if I have a professional come and fix it, which would cost Airbnb and or the guest 2x what I am asking?!