HOSTS, SUPER HOSTS, BEWARE!! AIRBNB WILL NOT HAVE YOUR BACK IF A GUEST DESTROYS YOUR HOME!!!!

[Samuel145]

Hey guys, I am getting on here (the community forums) to warn all of my fellow hosts NOT to depend on AirBnB every paying you, or getting your guest to pay you, for ANY damage they cause, or losses you incur as a result of hosting someone. I recently had an absolute NIGHTMARE experince with a guest, which was the second worst experience I've had since I started hosting a year ago, but second only to the way in which AirBnB has handled the situation. I followed ALL of the procedures and rules, submitted the receipts and estimates for the damaged items and furnishings, and although AirBnB was in constant communication with me throughout the process, as soon as I submitted the documentation for payment, THEY'VE COMPLETELY DISAPPEARED ON ME!! I mean I can't even get them to answer an email about my situation! It's terrible. And I'm a SUPER HOST!!! I have literally never received a review that was less than 5 stars, in ANY category, EVER!! And continue to perform at that level for this ungrateful company, who btw was supposed to and has always assured me that my homes, the homes that i've invested tens of thousands of dollars in renovating and maintaining just to make AirBnB look so good, would be insured against exactly such an event. THINK AGAIN HOSTS!! AIRBNB DOES NOT CARE ABOUT YOU WHATSOEVER!! They've completely turned their backs on me. I've made countless attempts, after submitting the receipts and invoices, to contact them by phone at the number provided to super hosts, and they either tell me "someone will reach back out to you from the resolutions department within the next 24 hours", OR, "sorry, that's a differnt department that cannot be reached by phone so you need to send them an email". AGAIN!! And as I've mentioned, I've sent no less than 20 by now. ALL OF WHICH HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY IGNORED! Mind you i'm not talking about a few hundred dollars in damage here either. Not that I wouldn't want that paid for just the same. But the damage caused by this guest was so severe, the general contractors alone have quoted me anywhere from $6,000 to $10,000 to make the necessary repairs! Money I already spent to have all of this work done to the unit when I did the original renovations. It is also worth noting that I documented everything very carefully with pictures, detailed emails, messages to and from the guests (using the AirBnB messaging system, very important for you hosts to know, ALWAYS document your dialog with guests thru the app or website messenger) both during and after the guest's stay, but none of that seems to matter anymore. As soon as I submitted the required evidence of damage, and  more importantly the costs necessary to remedy the issue, AirBnB completely deserted me. It's absolutely abhorent that a company this large, who I've made so much money for in just the past year, not to mention surely helped grow their customer base given my stellar reviews (literally 100% 5 star reviews across the board for all of my listings, feel free to check), would outright ignore a host and essentially flip the bird to me when I've incurred thousands of dollars in losses as a result of one of THEIR guests they sent to stay in my home. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE ABOUT THIS! 

[Kirby31]

I feel your pain and agree ABB does not support the Hosts regarding documented damage!  My recent guest put a dent in my new LG Stainless French Door Refrigerator with repairs at $440.  I was reimbursed $74.68.  What??  Where did that figure come from?  Their Protective insurance is a joke.  To provide a bit of perspective to this horrible injustice, I'm also a 5 star Host and have been active since 2015, taking a couple of years off.  Back then the Host could require a damages deposit that the guest would have to agree to.  Twice I incurred damages.  The first time the guest reimbursed me $375 for spilling red wine on my sofa, walls and area rug agreeing to the deposit I required.  The second incident occurred the following year when a guest's son damaged my shower head and refused to pay the$250 plumber costs to repair.  I got the run around back then, but I lived close to headquarters in SF, so I walked through the front door and demanded to speak with the President or someone with authority who could help me.  I got immediate results and was paid by ABB the cost to repair my shower head.   Obviously it's not practical in most cases to resort to this type of muscle, but ABB should be ashamed of themselves for not supporting their Hosts as promised.   I've decided not to continue with ABB, in light of their lack of support for their guests and disengenuous communication.   I'm looking into small claims court here in Bend, OR, where this issue originated...If I had damages totaling yours, I would do the same!  Good Luck!

[Sharona0]

I am curious because I am now in the middle of dealing with the exact same thing. Did you end up finding a resolution? 

[Kim2627]

yes, had to call every day for 4 weeks.  it was very cumbersome and the whole process was an incredible drain of time

[Kim2627]

I too am a 5 star solid super host.  Two guest trashed my place, had to repaint the walls and ceiling,  repair KitchenAid microwave/convection oven, smoked despite posted no smoking on promises  (horse farm) ran over landscaping,  threw sticky sugary powder  everywhere (including 1/2 think on top of cabinets staining bright green on walls, cabinets, and floors, ruined duvet and duvet cover.   Three weeks and still NO RESPONSE.   yes, submitted all required receipts pictures,  etc.  

This is disappointing beyond all. How can we as a community fox this?  WE ARE not alone, MANY have reported the same problem.  Unfortunately. to shoot down airbnb publicly also  shoots ourselves in the foot.  Sigh.  Wishing you all well out  there..

[Helen3]

Hello @Kim2627 

Sorry to hear you had such awful guests.

In your situation, I would be calling the customer rep dealing with your claim two or three times a day to chase up for a response.

[Christine1681]

I just have my beautiful home destroyed by a guest who check out today.  This guest checked in on March 15 for 3 days then altered their booking to extend to 7 days. They failed to make a payment but Airbnb did not notify me until 4 days later. When I called Airbnb to know what to do, they did not take matter seriously even though I told them I was worried this guest could distroy my home. When I called later to ask Airbnb if the reservation could be canceled, they told me they were able to secure a payment and that the guest can complete their stay.  Yesterday I got a email from Airbnb that the guest still has not paid, I was chocked to hear that because i would have never let someone in my home if they have not made a full payment. 

This morning I called Airbnb several time regarding the issue and to ask what to to if the guest doesn’t checked out or if the guest distroy my home. All they say was to call back if any issue 

I came home this morning to find my door wide open, my home completely trashed, destroyed, and all TVs gone, they smocked all sort of substance abuse in my home. This is a nightmare. 

I called airbnb, to my big surprise, once I reported that my home was distroyed, Airbnb seems not to be willing to talk to me anymore and keeps saying they are trying to reach out to the guest and that someone will call me back. However it has been hours since I reported the issue but Airbnb has not called me back yet 

how can can a company do this to hosts?? This is inaccessible. I have a guest checking in tomorrow for an extended stay, I have no idea what to do!!

i don’t even know if I should report the home incident to the local police 

airbnb completely ignored me and just doesn’t care 

[Natasha2]

Same happened to me (for a second time)  and am still out of pocket thousands. It took over a week for Airbnb to acknowledge my emails then another six weeks of smarmy/in sincere/ineffectual emails assuring me “ someone will reach out soon”. Despite a suite of photos, quotes and third party verification Airbnb “has decided to disengage from all future correspondence”. Guests who cause malicious and deliberate damage must be made to pay if not, Airbnb must be held accountable for compensation and to uphold their “host guarantee”. Watch this space....

[Dido2]

sorry to hear this. having the same situation. last yr took me 5 weeks of calling every day. eventually they paid and apologised. this year the same. it truely seems systematic and conscious. the 'trust & safety' team certianly dont engender either. its a deep failing of a company built on exactly that and has changed in the last year. I will take it up again as i have suolied all the docutmentaion and done as they have requested, but it so exhausting and sucha. waste of time. which i think is what they are relying on. disguising abuse of peoples trust and generosity.

[Ben329]

You are not the only one. And imagine how many people around the world have been cheated by the airbnb. Its incredible. My lost-completly damaged doors which is about 300euros. They abuse drugs and alcohol and disturb my neighbours. No single reimbursment or even help from airbnb side. 

PEOPLE OPEN YOUR EYES

[Liz297]

Hi Everyone! 

Airbnb does NOT reimburse for damage caused by guests!!!  My guest stole expensive item from my apartment and broke expensive cups. I filed the claim with Airbnb, and once I provided all the required documentation, Airbnb COMPLETELY DISAPPEARED!

No response to my emails or my phone calls.

What to do?

[Ben329]

thye only fast when its about money. smart politics right ?

[Mrs--Donna0]

How long did they stay to cause so much damage? were they drunk.

[Samuel145]

 I don’t like to make assumptions typically about other people and there, shall we say, conditions? But after checking this guest in, he mentioned in passing that he was “in recovery“. Which I respect and admire more than admonish. But within a day or two of his stay, it became clear that he was not in recovery but more likely in reset abysm as he seem to be high all the time. He also  brought enough personal belongings with him to fill the entire 800 or so square feet of this living space. Pictures, a safe, three televisions, 17 suitcases, vashes, all sorts of chandeliers and lighting fixtures and clothing and furniture, etc. etc. I came to find out later weeks after he checked out that he was apparently on the run from the authorities in New York City. He told me he “ is in the process of moving from New York to Florida for a new job“. And then later try to tell me he owns “three finance companies“. His stories were constantly changing and so was his demeanor and his mood and attitude. When I listed in my original posting doesn’t even scratch the surface of how horrible those six days truly work. I mean on the day after he checked in, I came back to the property the next morning to find three huge shopping bags full of clothing and shower curtain and shower curtain rod’s and other miscellaneous items sitting in the flower boxes in the front of my building.  Mind you these have been left out there all night and been rained on and were completely soaked through. This is not an area that is confined to our have any attachment to the unit he was staying in either. This is a common area out in front of the front door to my building where other guests and residents come in and out every day. It was mortifying. When I asked him about it he said “gosh I guess I just forgot it out there last night when I was moving all of my stuff in“. Like I said it was an absolute nightmare experience all around.  

[Fred13]

Good luck with your issue @Samuel145, you got a nice place indeed. Disheartening to be so disrespectively treated by that ... can't think of the right word.

[Kelly149]

@Samuel145 I think one of the downfalls of all ABB Host Guarantee marketing is that hosts ignore the warning signs of a problem in the making (guest doesn’t communicate well, won’t give ID info, seems off when they checkin, brings too many people or stuff, parties or acts odd after arrival) and rather than thinking “this guy/gal may be a problem, I should get them out of my very expensive house”. The host thinks “well, people are good & abb is good & I have a security deposit, so I’m sure this will be fine”. 

I think more hosts need to recognize that abb may not do anything to repair a problem after the fact and abb WILL not give you any info they may have about the guest to help you or your insurance company go after the guest. So the best way to get reimbursement for damage is to not have to ask for it and one of the ways of doing that is to immediately remove a problem guest. So my favorite abb quote from @Fred13 “nothing has to be”. Just bc abb thought this guy was a good fit to rent your place doesn’t mean that you have to agree with them. Just bc someone has arrived doesn’t mean that they have to stay. Just bc you won’t get paid when you remove a guest doesn’t mean that isn’t the best long term financial decision. 

@Samuel145 I hope you get some restitution. Please let us know how it pans out. 

[Fred13]

Aye @Kelly-And-Dan0, that 'nothing has to be' realization has gotten me out of some potentially bad situations; a couple of entertaining ones come to mind.

     In one occassion, I found myself saying "Please do not unpack, I don't think this is going to work out, you are definitely in the wrong place" as I realized they wanted to party and stay in my island as the backdrop by me ferrying them back and forth to the mainland every day. I booked them at a hotel in town, dropped them off and never heard from them again. Yes got paid by Airbnb and still came out ahead and put the 5 days to improve my place.

      Another is when three couples arrived with major attitudes: I am 3 minutes late and the ring-leader said 'You are late!' in a curt manner as I gave him a cold stare; on way to island one of the women said 'There better be no bugs on this island!" (there isn't) and on arrival another princess jumped all over the kid handling the luggage to make sure he doesn't put a scratch on it. That is when I said 'Ok, what do you all want to do - leave or stay, but IF you do, you will need to cut out the theatrics!'. Dead silence as they looked at me like I was from outer space and my lady held her breath; they then sheepishly said they will stay and we didn't hear another pip from them. On the ride back 5 days later they were 'formal'. They left a good review! I left a very non-enthusiastic one.

     Once one accepts that - 'This paycheck looks like it is not going to happen' and that really it wouldn't be the end of the world - one is free to address an issue better and improve the  chance for something better to happen than continue with the belief that a particular booking 'has' to be no matter what.

[Mrs--Donna0]

[Link hidden]

This is so discouraging to read, I only joined Airbnb for 4 months, hoping to be supper host soon. I realized that they have people answering the phone,  you spill your gust to them, they act like they are listening to you, act like they understand your situation , them they pass your concerns to a case worker, the case worker maked a decision base on what the person who answer the phone tells them. They may answer, but only through messaging. You hardly ever get them on the phone to listen to your concerns.

[Samuel145]

 Donna thank you so much. You hit the nail right on the head and I couldn’t have said it better myself. It seems like the people at AirBnB who answer the phones are not trained in coming up with actual solutions. But rather they seem to be trained in diss arming the color. All their job entails is to make you believe they’re on top of things and going to do something or take some kind of action toward resolving your issue, it seems that they never actually do. It’s positively ludicrous and downright insulting. Especially when we work so hard to make their brand  look so good. Especially as a super host. But what can you do? If anybody reading this knows how to use Twitter or is active on social media and can share my post on those forms as well, I would so appreciate it. I’m not really familiar with other types of social media so it’s difficult for me to navigate around them. But like I said in my original post, something must be done about this. It’s obviously a systemic problem throughout the AirBnB community. Thanks again Donna. 

[Tony134]

@Samuel145 @Rachael26

This thing where big companies don't repond to your complaints unless you post them on Twitter is HORRENDOUS.  I don't understand how anyone can not immediately see how messed up that is.

Essentially, if 

A. You're active in social media and complain on an overwhelmingly liberal platform, you get customer service.

B. If you reach out to customer service through official channels without broadcasting to the whole world, you often get the least amount of assistance possible, or no customer service at all.

Stuff like this is exactly why the 'Virtue Signaling' article in 2014 went through the internet roof: becuase it's Janky.

[Fred13]

(Fred, had to look up 'Janky' because has no clue what it was, but it sounds cool and he wants to always be hip with the flic).