Charge for damage window shade?

[Sylvia98]

My guest lost balance while sitting on a chair and grabbed the window shade, making a large hole through the window. It needs to be replaced. Should I charge him for the cost of the new shade I ordered? 

@Sylvia98 

[James2566]

You should alert AirBnb immediately to the situation. The guest may realize they’re injured and AirBnb likes when you're proactive about alerting them so a case is open already if the guest contacts them. 

Not sure why they tripped but if you’re not at fault, which is hard to prove, they’ll tell you to file a claim. The guest will no doubt be peeved and give you a bad review. Depends what you can afford to lose. The guest could also retaliate by asking full refund and also leaving a bad review. 

Whatever made her fall, consider measures to prevent it from happening again whether it’s rearranging furniture or adding watch your step stickers and photograph these for your records. 

If it’s entirely their fault and they don’t even offer to compensate, then I’d probably mention in the review something like “Some (light/moderate/considerable) damage occurred during her stay which she didn’t offer to cover and we didn’t pursue.” Which is enough to alert future hosts of a hazardous or clumsy person who doesn’t offer to pay for damages. 

[Sarah977]

@Sylvia98  I would order a new shade, let the guest know you have done that and see if they offer to pay. If they don't, I wouldn't pursue a damage claim unless it's something quite expensive. 

It sounds like an accident (although I'm not sure how one can lose their balance when sitting on a chair) and one of those things you just chalk up to normal wear and tear.

[Karol22]

You should first call the guest and communicate with them. Hopefully they'll agree to being at fault (many do) and you can simply create a resolution adjustment without having to go through Airbnb Customer Support. You can create a resolution adjustment here: https://www.airbnb.com/resolutions

If they refuse to pay then you can get Airbnb involved either through the resolution adjustment portal or by calling.