Security Deposit Resolution - Airbnb ignoring me!!

Steven100
Level 2
New York, NY

Security Deposit Resolution - Airbnb ignoring me!!

I'm writing to see if anyone will help me with this...

 

A tenant left a hole in my wall, for which I have a security deposit. When I arrived back at my house the next day I immediately took pictures and made a request for $100 through the Resolution Center. The tenant responded by paying 25 cents, because she said she didn't know about the damage and wanted more information.

 

The Resolution Center system does not allow further dialogue between parties, it simply closed the case at 25 cents. I was forced to use Airbnb as a third party per the system.

 

Since that request through Airbnb, my case manager Marley has not helped at all. She refused to re-open dialogue with the tenant, refused the first estimate I received from a contractor (who was already working in my house), and refused to escalate this to her supervisor. I mentioned that a second estimate would take longer because it was Thanksgiving, yet on 11/30 she told me they would close the case on 12/5, the first time I'd heard that date.  I had shoulder surgery on 12/1 and told her it would be impossible to meet that deadline, she ignored me.

 

Is this how Airbnb handles damages?  I've been a loyal host, done everything right, and they're not helping me. A security deposit is supposed to help me with damages, and I can only assume through Marley's actions that Airbnb is trying not to help.

 

I called the customer service line and they said they could not help me or connect me with the damage team.  They said they would leave a note for my case manager Marley to call me back and she hasn't.

 

I am considering cancelling all of my upcoming reservations (and I have a lot of them) and telling the tenants that Airbnb cannot be trusted.  This is a simple hole in the wall, what would they do if larger damage occurs?

 

Any help would be appreciated, I don't know where else to go.

15 Replies 15
Marzena4
Level 10
Kraków, Poland

The saddest thing in the way you were treated by Airbnb CS is that it's not a single case - it happens regularly that hosts have their places damaged and guests get away with it. I guess you will get nowhere with Airbnb...

// "The only person you can trust is yourself"
David126
Level 10
Como, CO

@Steven100

 

All I can say is that it seems very common, hardly a day goes by without seeing something similar.

 

You should not rely on the Security Deposit or the Host Guarantee.

David

@David126 - thanks.  Silly question, but how does Airbnb remain viable?  You're a Level 10 and you don't rely on them at all?  What else can you do to feel safe?  

 

I really am thinking of cancelling the next year's bookings because of this, I had no idea Airbnb didn't care.

Level 10 just means I have posted a lot of crap on here, actually does not take that much to reach such heady heights.

 

I

 am on site and do not have a security deposit and if the situation arises and I need to make a claims against the Host Guarantee anything I get will be a pleasant surprise.

 

@Cormac0

 

How come you are paying 20%?

David

@David126

 

Ultimately the Guest pay all the fees, the fact that Airbnb split the fees between the Guest and Host is a construct they have for contractual reasons.

 

My last Guest payed the following

 

198 Two Night stay

 60 Cleaning

____

258 sub total _____________    258.00

 43 16.67% Airbnb fee                     9.52 3.69% Host Fee 

____                                                ______

301 Total payed by Guest          248.00 Total Host remuneration 

 

Airbnb received 52.52 which was financed by the Guest this represent a fee  20.36% 

 

Regards

Cormac

ECK III

 

Cormac0
Level 10
Kraków, Poland

@Steven

 

 

What you and many Host have found out, is that we're just cannon fodder, essentially we're expendable why else would we be treated in such a shoddy manner.

 

The fees are outrageously expensive circa 20% (Most property-owning landlord expect a 6% return on their investment as a rule of thumb) on property Airbnb neither owns or lease with zero risk, as you have found out to your peril the security deposit is a complete joke.

 

I have seen some Host say that they had very satisfactory out comes with the security deposit, but if you do some digging you quickly realise that there in the top 20% of earners high prices and high occupancy levels.

 

Regards

Cormac

The Explorer's Club Krakow III

 

David126
Level 10
Como, CO

@Cormac0

 

Well for what it is worth I think the Host pays all the fees, if they paid me cash I could keep it all.

 

The 3% ish that they charge to a Host is sort of what I would pay as a fee if I took CC so I discount that, just a cost of taking a CC.

 

I did look at your listing and just clicked on one date, now I will get a email for ABB telling me I should book, but came up with these numbers:

 

$29 x 1 night $29
 
Cleaning fee $18
 
Service fee $5
 
Total $52
 
Wonder why there is a difference?
David

@David126

 

 My figures are in Polish Zlotyes and are actuals

@Cormac0

 

Looking at the percentages not the currency.

David

@David126

 

The % differance seem to be the cleaning fee remove it, and then the fee is 17.24% so in my case airbnb calculated the guest fee including my cleaning fee and in your  example they have calculated the guest fee excluding the cleaning fee.

 

But at the end of the day the Guest is paying the whole fee and its how Airbnb is manipulating the number, the Host is getting far less then they should. 

 

 

 

Regards

Cormac

 

David126
Level 10
Como, CO

I do not have a cleaning fee, well it is included in my price.

 

Why should it not be included?

David

@David126

 

@David

 

From an income tax point of view, it should be included in any computation, but should it be included in the calculation of the Airbnb fees is open to debate.

 

In fact, I should increase my cleaning fee to factor in AirBnb fee because the zl60 I charge for cleaning goes directly to my cleaning lady even thought I pay Airbnb fees on top of it, in addition to this I should include the income tax I have to pay to boot.

 

In the example I gave, Airbnb included the cleaning fee as part of their fee calculations and this yielded an Airbnb fee of 16.67% and 3.69% for host.

 

In the example you provided David Airbnb had not included the Cleaning fee as part of the Airbnb Fee and this yielded a fee of circa 10.5%

But in the journey from Guest Fee to Host payment the figures have displayed as one thing and charged as another.

 

Over the last year and a half, I used the following idioms to describe Airbnb

Clear as mud

Smoke and mirrors

Opaque and unyielding

Exploitive

And this is from a company that espouse community values, I have owned and run companies and I'm no shrinking violet when it comes to business, and it is my view that Airbnb fees are way to high and disproportion, compared to the Host assets and risks we all to regularly exposed to.

 

Mr Chesky , AIRBNB NEED TO SIGIFCANTLY LOWER THEIR FEES, and if YOU need to cut cost to do this YOU could start, with the not so smart pricing algorithm.

 

Regards

Cormac

 

I have many costs in doing business, cleaning being one of them but the only one I have the option of charging specifically.

 

The main reason I see for so doing is so that longer stays are more attractive than shorter stays as it is a single price per booking.

 

I can not think of any reason why it should make any difference to the fees ABB charge if I list a room for a night at say $10 plus $40 cleaning fee or $50. I charge the same.

David

@David126

 

I think David, the thing to focus on, is how high the fees actually are, here's a reminder taken from actual Airbnb documentation.

 

198 Two Night stay ECK III

 60 Cleaning

____

258 sub total _____________    258.00

 43 16.67% Airbnb fee                     9.52 3.69% Host Fee 

____                                                ______

301 Total payed by Guest          248.00 Total Host remuneration 

 

Airbnb received 52.52 which was financed by the Guest this represent a fee  20.36% 

 

As I said previously the way they carve up the fee is entirely of their own construction, in fact if they backloaded the fee we could probably claim it as a legitimate business expense, if fact Airbnb areproable inproving their cash flow doing it the way they do as it must carry vat?

 

for example

Guest                                       Host

231 two night stay_________231

 60 cleaning fee___________60

___                                              ____

291                                              291

 10 Airbnb fee 3.27%               -43 Host Fee 18.05% Total 21.32%

___                                              ____

301                                              248

 

Regards

Cormac