Nearly $10,000 in damages because Airbnb rented my house to an 18 year old!

[Scott-and-Elaine0]

Airbnb says they have a host guarantee but so far it appears to be false.  It has been nearly 2 full weeks and at least 60 hours of my time submitting proof, photos, quotes, weblinks, police information and on and on and on... they have made work so hard and everything I submit, they want in some other type of form.  It's like they want me to give up and go away.  They will not speak to me in person.  Only email and they are completely tuned out.  To date, I have had zero compensation for the 18 year old kid they allowed to rent my house who proceeded to trash it from top to bottom.  Does anyone how how to get a quality person from Airbnb who will take an interest in helping me?   At this point, I cannot see any reason to trust your valuable property to Airbnb.  We have lost all profits we gained this entire year - with this one renter.  

[Emiel1]

@Scott-and-Elaine0 

I would never rent a entire house to an 18 year old anyway. But having said that: the host guarantee is mainly a marketing instrument, I would not rely on it. But stay persistent in your claim, after all Airbnb sent you this renter.

[Sarah977]

@Scott-and-Elaine0  Airbnb didn't rent your house to anyone, you did. I'm really sorry this happened to you, and that you're getting the run-around (that's standard, you have to be persistent, and even that doesn't always work), but hosts need to vet their prospective guests as well as possible. We all have ways of doing this and it's a skill you develop over the time- seeing the red flags, asking the right questions, discouraging the ones you don't want in the hopes they'll look for a different place, declining the booking if you don't feel good about it. Even so, some bad guest can slip through your firewall.

Good luck with this.

[Sarah977]

I do really wish Airbnb would change the age minimum for opening an account. 18 is way too young to be entrusted with someone else's property. There are some perfectly respectful 18 year olds, who've been well-trained to clean up after themsleves, but I'd say that's the exception, rather than the norm. I'd like to see at least 20 be the minimum age, and even that's iffy.

When I was young, 18 year olds stayed in hostels or at the Y, this new thing where they rent houses is weird.