Security deposit for pet damage

[MnM0]

A guests dog peed on the rug and ottoman.

guest said it must have been some other dog (no other dogs for months)

reaolution Center Agent found in their favor citing that the host guarantee insurance be doesn’t cover pet damage and didn’t forward me the security deposit to cover the cleaning costs on the provided receipt. 

Resolution center agent refused to provide any explanation and only responded with form letters that asserted his right to make the final decision and end discussion.

uh....

further more the guest and I specifically discussed the deposit applying to her dog and any damage it may cause before she booked the place.

there is no appeal process, no way to contact other agents at the resolution center, the Airbnb customer support agent in the phone said this shouldn’t have happened and that I should be able to request a new agent. (Request was not responded to)

i will send a certified letter to Airbnb and also file a claim in small claims court and blast this on social media.

this makes no sense 

what else can I do?

is this real?

thanks 

m

[Mike340]

"the guest and I specifically discussed the deposit applying to her dog and any damage it may cause before she booked the place."

so the issue seems to be that the guest refuses to accept that the dog caused any damage..and AirBnb have agreed with them. 

The problem is ..how do you prove in a court that, that dog caused you damage....that is what becomes difficult...yeah..no other dog for months may help...

Is the guest not willing to agree any damage payment...even say 50% ?

[David126]

Form AirBnB web site:

Can a host request additional compensation if the animal damages a listing beyond normal wear and tear?

Yes, in the same way as a host has the right to retain some or all of a guest’s security deposit to compensate for damage caused by the guest. Although it is reasonable for a host to expect that an assistance animal is well trained and will not cause any damage, the Host Guarantee andsecurity deposit are still at the host's disposal in the rare event that an accident should occur.

[MnM0]

Thank you for this David- can u please let me know under what tabs or links you found this quote?

[Lynn217]

These are not at the "host's disposal" in the way that we might think. They are mediated by AirBnB staff who are the sole determiners of whether a host has met an acceptable level of proof. Don't be fooled!

[Chad170]

David is totally wrong here and spreading misinformation - this policy only applies to service animals.

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1869/what-is-an-assistance-animal

[Tracey---Bryan0]

Not helpful for current situation but I’ve started taking pictures and short video (1 min) of my entire place right after I clean and before a new guest comes in. I put them in an Airbnb album on my phone for easy access. I narrate the video with the date and guest name who is coming. Never had to deal with a claim yet but hoping that “proof” of the condition of things will help my case should the time come.

On a side note, I love dogs but I’m getting so tired of dog owners who are so entitled and think their pet should be able to do anything. I get run off the sidewalk by dogs, they are increasingly being brought with owners into stores and restaurants, it’s nuts. Sorry you’re having to deal with this.

[Tracey---Bryan0]

Also been using Slice Insurance for every stay. You may need to increase your rates to cover some of the cost. I haven’t made any claims yet but hoping it will protect me theway they say it will. They have many coverages that don’t have a deductible. 

[Lynn217]

Thanks for the tip on Slice! I'm just looking into it and thought I'd post a link for others to follow...

https://blog.slice.is/homeshare-hosts-need-their-own-insurance

[Lynn217]

NOTE- Slice excludes damage by dogs...

[Kelly149]

I have specifically stopped allowing ABB reservations to bring animals because of that note in the T&C, pet damage is specifically disallowed. @MnM0

It's true that elsewhere ABB says animals are fine, but I believe that when push comes to shove they'll always choose less coverage than more

But on another note, how does one prove that pee exists? Would ABB have covered the cleaning if you'd said that the guests peed on the items?

[MnM0]

There are pictures of a yellow and wet looking shimmery stain- no u can’t smell it through the internet but it’s clear the pee exists and is wet in high resolution images 

perhaps the guests did pee, I wasn’t there to watch

[Margaret444]

Forget trying to prove damage. I had guests whose dog chewed the wood trim around my door. The guest acknowledged in the AirBnB messaging system that her dog caused the damage but still refused to pay her security deposit amount.  AirBnB sided with her, saying the security deposit does not cover pet damage.  I’m just going to refuse to allow pets any more. Maybe when no travelers can bring their pets they will complain to AirBnB, and the policy will be revised then. There is definitely no consideration now for the owner’s property. 

[Daniel1992]

All, be advised: if you disallow pets, you CANNOT per ADA refuse a service animal.

[Beachwood0]

Lots of people claming that their pet is a service animal. What would you do then?