After just having submitted my second claim in six years, I have discovered that the security deposit and host guarantee are simply not true, provide false sense of security.
Hosts, it is simply not worth putting your home at risk to theft and damages without any gaurantee.
Airbnb case managers are not properly trained, do not have sufficient review, do not gather evidence in any sort of scientific fashion, do not treat cases seriously, make superficial judgments on the fly, do not speak with both parties to conduct an investigation, thoroughly, with hard evidence, and with critical thinking.
This is upsetting because I like using Airbnb, but cannot use it if it means placing my home at risk to guests who might steal from, valdalize, or otherwise destroy my home.
What is equally disturbing is that there is no way to complain when a case manager handles a case inappropriately. There isn't any review process. Try to google "make a formal complaint to a supervisor" on Airbnb's website. No such process exists. The public is completely shut out from Airbnb management. Not a good sign.