Funding Damage Claims

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

Funding Damage Claims

 

I realised from posts just like one I just read from Lisa in Chelsea MA that have been circulating here on the forum since I became an active host in 2015, that I could not rely on support from Airbnb if a hosting turned sour.

There is a possibility that I might get something but, the probability is that, that something may be less than 20% of what I was claiming. 

I, at that point, upped my hosting price by $6 per night and put $10 per hosting night into a 'damage' account. There is currently over $1,860 sitting in that account, earning interest....at one stage it was well over $2,000, but I have had to make a couple of claims on it.

 

Nobody argues the point with me when damage is done....I don't have to go through the hassle of abusing the guest, submitting a claim, potentially loosing a reservation until the damage has been assessed and then getting a pittance offered to me by CS.....why would you put yourself through that?

 

I am insured for public liability and major occurrences like the building burning down, but I have a $3,000 excess to keep the premium really low.  Minor things like a broken microwave or a lost key, I just go to Kmart and buy another microwave for $45.00, I go to Bunnings and buy another lock, about the same cost....an hour later I am back in business....no hassle, no agro, no let-downs! And Airbnb thinks I am ace because I don't expect them to be anything other than a booking platform...I have never approached them with a damage claim....and, I never will!

 

I just fix the problem and get on with the business of hosting! In short, it is money I would not have otherwise had, so, I win on all fronts.

We as hosts need to understand we are running a business and it is up to us to make sure we run that business in a professional way and that includes insuring our risk.

 

I would ask hosts to please do not expect Airbnb to be our 'fairy godmother'...they aren't, they are simply a booking platform. Like Fred I would dearly love to see Airbnb get rid of this sham business of lottery win compensations if things go wrong.....It's never going to happen, and believe me, I have seen a lot more of these problems across this computer keyboard than you have.

 

Hosts, please do what you do well, host...... and let Airbnb do what they do well, book guests!

 

Don't expect something that will in all probability, let you down!

 

Cheers.....Rob

86 Replies 86
Shaun69
Level 10
Hurstpierpoint, United Kingdom

Hi Ute,

I agree with you completely, we build into our costings a percentage for damage, accidents do happen and guests that pay a primium for accommadation do not have the time or inclanation to get involved with minor damage claims. Hosts need to judge where they want to draw a line, personally I get involved at £100 or more, but that is a commercial choice!

Regards Shaun

So sad, how do you vet your clients, what is the deterant for bad behaviour prior to accepting a booking, no wonder Airbnb under presure all over the world due to the in abilty of its hosts to control the behaviour of their guests. Security deposits are a deterant not a commercial reality. 

Tueykay0
Level 10
Santa Monica, CA

I agree that whether hosting or just standard living in my own home. There will be wear and tear. Towels or breaking of a plate or mug is what I see as part of the hosting experience.

However, if a guest does break something significant ie a lock or the microwave, then that should be replaced. Same if I was in a hotel and I broke their microwave, I'd have to pay for it.  

I find most hosts are not asking for loss towels and broken mugs, it's spilling coffee or wine on the rug that will cost over $100 to get the stain professionally removed. Or I had a guest that constantly rinsed hair down the bathroom sink causing it to clog. I had to call a plumber. That was about $175. He came next day to unclog. Who wants to be in a bathroom without sink usage? I paid for the plumber because I don't want to make a claim with my management company(landlord). Either way, I'd have to pay because the cause of the clog was human hair. I let the guest off with a warning. If he did it again, he'd have to pay for a plumber. It made him realize to be more careful. 

I've had a guest help herself to my things including the boxes of tissue, toilette paper and Goddess knows what else. I told ABB customer support that she took things. They asked if I wanted to make a claim. I said 'No, it's not about the missing box of tissue. The point is she stole from me."

Emilia42
Level 10
Orono, ME

Thank you for posting this @Robin. I couldn't agree more. You and @Ute bring up some very good points. While I have my occasional annoyances with Airbnb, I am very thankful for all the guests and extra income they have brought my family and I. They show my listing to thousands of potential guests (for a VERY minimal fee) and then I'll gladly take it from there.

 

Me too. I had the same problem just last week.

 

It seems to me, that, in damage claim cases, Airbnb tries to attract as much business from guests as possible in the expense of hosts' rights.

 

Airbnb doesn't care if a host is compensated for damages to host property, they don't lose or make money from it. Airbnb does care, however, if they charge the guest for damages to host property. The guest has the power of choosing to take their business elsewhere.

 

Simply put, the guest brings the money and has all the power. The host has neither the authority or the power. Airbnb doesn't hold back from passing down as much of the losses as possible to the host in a dispute.

 

Best,

Gulay

AirBnB are scum when you are stolen from.  I had a laptop stolen and they basically told me to f myself, because I didn’t tell them about in the two hour window between guests.  Sorry, I was doing other things at the time than calling you.  Besides when the police report has the timeline I don’t know why they cannot accept that.  They will let your house burn down if they could make it happen 

Worst than scum they have removed my replies !

Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Hello @Deborah393

 

I am the Community Manager here in the Community Center (CC). It is good to meet you.

 

This is a little stange, none of your replies here in the CC have been removed from public view. Could they have been posted on another discussion?

 

Speak to you soon.

Lizzie


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Thank you for the last 7 years, find out more in my Personal Update.


Looking to contact our Support Team, for details...take a look at the Community Help Guides.

Fred13
Level 10
Placencia, Belize

With a different style, I do somewhat the same thing as all you folks, charge and figure a certain % is for wear & tear and breakage. I also figure 10% for 'improvements'.  Both comes from the general pool.

 

@Gulay0, there are different ways that one can look at the same thing. Yes, Airbnb obviously sides with guests too blindly at times, to the chagrin of hosts. Having said that, being soooo guest-centric perhaps does give them an advantage, and maybe,  just maybe is ~part~ of the reason they have been so successful, in the amount of guests (and hosts) they have managed to gather and leapfrogged over the competition.  

   Which begs the question: would a host be happier with being 'backed' for a few hundred dollars every so often when damage occurs OR would they rather have their place consistently booked and rather find the ways to deal with the occational damage?

   Perhaps that is the reason I subconciously have never bother calling them about anything, and maybe why I have mentally chosen to look at them as a booking agent, and so far they been a fabulous one at that.

   Honestly, I have never looked at it quite that way, that the occational damage is part of the cost of being with 'imperfect' Airbnb.

 

(The only criticism I really do have of Airbnb is when they blindly back the clearly 'lunatic' guest, that by their action they do not merit the same consideration as a civil one. In that respect Airbnb is dead wrong, and it serves everyone best if such guests are held responsible for the actions.)

Rebecca160
Level 10
Albuquerque, NM

 @Robin0 Your suggestion is great for those with higher cost rentals, where a small increase in rate would not be noticeable.  For those like me, with just a single room for rent, it is not as doable. In my nightly rate, l include: utilities; insurance; wear and tear; Gross Receipts tax; and profit. There is just no way for me to up my price any higher to put into a gross negligence fund and have my rental be competitive. Rooms are renting out in my area for as low as $12 USD (mine is $37 and includes hot tub). If any major damage or negligence occurs due to someone renting my room, they or Airbnb will be paying. 

 

 

 My listing is also just a single room (single occupancy) close to the city-center in a residential area and there is a lot of competition with "professional" hosts. I charge $30~35 per night (w/ 10% weekly and 25% monthly discounts). I actually disagree with Rebecca's point of view because if it's a shared home private room listing, then you will have to pay a certain amount for utilities and upkeep regardless of whether you host or not. If you don't host, then it's just another empty room in your home. 

 

 

 My own experience shows a 10~20% increase (depending on the season) since I began hosting, and we go through TP and cleaning products much faster but in terms of how I allocate my additional income from hosting, I guess it comes down to "priorities" and how important it is for me (or anyone else) to have their own "damages fund" to not have to sweat the small stuff.

 

Of course, just because I have this fund does not mean I will not charge anything at all to a guest that does something I specifically said NOT to do, like put sanitary pads in the toilet causing a massive blockage or put in their dirty mud-caked sneakers in my washer and broke it 🙂 It would be more about making the guest take some form of responsibility for their actions rather than the money itself. 

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

Rebecca-  Fred- 

 

Don't try to tag other contributors into posts, it is not working, and god only knows when it is going to be fixed!

@  Robin in Ashburn Virginia is getting all the post directed to me and is probably wondering what the hell is going on.  

You would thing @ Gulay would be fairly safe to tag as the chances of another Gulay on the CC would be slim. but low and behold there is another Gulay in Church Falls Virginia and that is where your tag went Fred, not Gulay in Miami..!!

 

If you specifically want to tag another user you need to go back to a posting from months ago and grab the tag from there such as....@Fred.....@Rebecca and with a bit of luck that may work!

 

To your point Rebecca how many $12-20 listings include a hot tub? Price according to your strengths and emphasise them in your listing and that extra $5 won't be a barrier.

My price is also minimal, I only charge $85 per night  (64 USD)  but both times I have lifted my price my bookings have actually increased. Once I lifted the lifting price by $5 and the second increase was when I set a cleaning fee! Both are very small amounts but because they are small amounts they are not seen as a resrvation problem and it makes a statement to the guest that I am not trying to price gouge them!

 

Cheers......Rob

 

 

This inability to link properly is indeed a drag. 

 

Aye Rebecca (from NM), never totally eliminate the option to raise prices. Sometimes the most Interesting results happen when you do. Perhaps worth a try and see what happens.

Dustin25
Level 6
Pittsburgh, PA

Rob I have to disagree with you. I think you can speak for yourself and it must be nice to have your situation that you can put money aside but not all host can be like you. I respect your opinion and I in no way am thinking you are wrong with how you feel. I just want to say that if Airbnb is just a forum to that offers a way to get bookings and it is up to the host to provide and be good host. Then why do they tell the host that they have a million dollar insurance policy if anything goes wrong? I have had guest do over $2000 of damage to my home and furniture so far this year and its not even 365 days yet. I think in your case or where you are or who you get, or even how much the mortgage is on your place dictates how you can act and put money away. I could be wrong and speaking out of class here but I see it as working differently for everyone and if Airbnb is not in the business of being the mediator when things go wrong then they should not offer insurance for when it does or tell host that “don’t worry if things go wrong we have your back” when they want you to make a booking. If they just put their hands up and said “be host and if sh*t goes wrong pay for it out of your own pocket” there would be fewer hosts on here. Thats just my 2 cents.

Dustin: “don’t worry if things go wrong we have your back”, 

That is exactly the insinuation this Host Guarantee policy would give any unsuspecting host; and true, as is actually applied it is so misleading.