Ridiculous damage claim by host

[Hans712]

We're just back form our most recent stay, we rented 2 nights in an Airbnb.

On the 2nd evening, I tripped over a carpet in the bedroom, it made me fall and with my knee I hit a marble chimney, causing 2 marble sheets to shift in place, they were attached to the chimney with blobs of plaster (I could see it since 2 pieces had shifted).

As a responsible guest, I immediately informed the host, he came up to the room, I explained him what happened. We assessed the damage : I offered to repair it, or have it repaired, since the damage was limited, and the repair very easy and very cheap (the cost of some plaster to reattach the parts). The host replied to me with "oh, I thought it was much worse, just leave it, don't worry about it, I'll fix it when you're gone". Since damage was minimal, none of us (nor me as guest, nor the host) took photos, as it was a "non issue".

The next morning, we checked out, a couple of hours later the host asked me for my address details, which I gave. I asked if he could send me photos of the actual damage, but he never replied, nor after my 2nd attempt. A couple more hours later the host filed a reimbursement claim for 10.500 EUR (yes, ten thousand five hundred euro's) for repairs. In his claim to Airbnb he added photos taken AFTER we left, showing MUCH more damage than when we left. He claims to Airbnb that the whole chimney needs to be replaced.

Airbnb sent me an email asking me to explain the issue. I replied to them with the whole story, I replied that I do not at all feel responsible for any changes to the damage) ,now I'm waiting -still in shock- what Airbnb will reply. It is a scary/shocking idea to know that any host can file a reimbursement claim at any time (AFTER we left) for damage that we would have caused, completely ignoring the initial agreement.

So, what will be next you think ?

[Emiel1]

@Hans712 

As you did not took pictures of the initial damage and probably also the "agreement" about it's repair  is probably not communicated in the message system , there is not much to proof from your side

What extra damage was added to the incident, showing off on the pictures of the host ?

The amount charged seems to be excessive.

[Hans712]

hi Emiel : looks like the host tried to repair himself, but failed in the process, adding a lot more damage to it than there initially was : 5-7 broken pieces, looks like ripped off. The claim is based on a listing that the host found online  (from a website specializing in 19th century chimneys) for a complete chimney replacement, which does not comply to the rules of Airbnb, that states that only the damaged part can be claimed. I found complete similar chimneys listed for 150-600 EUR, or even for free if the interested party is willing to dismantle themselves .... First of all, I think a host is not in the situation to make a right estimate himself, nor is he supposed to try and fix it himself, because there's a chance he'll only make it worse ...

No photos were taken at the time of incident (nor by me nor by the host) , since the damage was limited. At that moment, I offered him repair, I offered to pass it on to my insurance, but he told not to bother with it, that it would be ok. Little did I know that I would get smacked by a huge damage claim later ... Anything or anyone else could have damaged it much worse after we left.

I honestly declared to the host what happened, minutes after the incident, the damage was assessed then, it doesn't make sense to come afterwards (when we left) and try to abuse the system to cash in big ...

[Helen744]

@Hans712 Send a message to say that you fell on the mantle and hurt your leg and dislogded a poorly fixed and dangerous marble slab ,only and badly hurt your knee and require 10 000 euros medical treatment and will see him in court. then add 'just joking as I assume you are ' No such damage ever occurred or in any right thinking persons mind could have occurred and the fireplace was never fixed correctly and could at any moment caused serious injury . i am assuming that you did not do this damage by attempting to fix anything . Marble can be expensive and fragile and if not properly fixed prone to 'tearing'H

[Hans712]

hi Helen, thank you for your reply. Honestly initially I was pretty shocked that I caused damage at all, a knee bump to the chimney with no damage to my knee but only to the marble (that shifted slightly), I would have expected a different outcome honestly, I always thought marble structures were rather solid ... probably it wasn't very solid in the first place, as I don't weigh 500 kg, and I didn't rush in at 100 km/hr, I just tripped/tumbled

What's bothering me the most : I offered the host a repair for the initial minor damage  (which would have cost me peanuts), and he waved it away, telling me that's it's not a big deal and it's an easy fix anyway ... to come back after we left to strike it hard ... I guess this can even be considered as an exemption of insurance, because of 'excluded loss" because of "the following conditions:

1. faulty workmanship, material, construction or design from any cause;
2. deterioration, depletion, rust, corrosion or erosion, inherent vice or latent defect;"