Hi Kelly,
I can 100% relate to your frustration. Unfortunately, I have had to go through the Host Guarantee and Security Deposit a couple times now.
What's even more frustrating is that Airbnb's Customer Service team is pretty terrible at clearly explaining the steps, process, and requirements to the host as far as how to properly go about recuperating damages. With that said, I've had to take things into my own hands to get the rightful results I was entitled to.
Carefully reading every single Airbnb policy, terms, and agreements is the best remedy. Unless you're a lawyer or an insurance professional in my case though -- the wording and order in which the conditions and limitations are outlined are confusing to most. Anyway, here's some info that might be helpful in your case based on my own experiences:
1) Property damage claims less than $7K are typically processed much faster and are assigned to the Customer Service team to handle (per my recent conversation with an Airbnb rep). You are able to communicate via phone and email regarding your claim with your assigned case manager in this case and anyone from the Customer Service team is able to answer your questions.
2) Property damage claims that exceed $7K or more typically may take longer to process and are assigned specifically to the Trust & Safety team. Correspondence with your assigned case manager is only done via email and no one from the Customer Service team can really provide answers to your questions relating to the claim because it's handled by a different department (this is what they will always tell you if you call, annoying yes).
3) In regards to turn-around time, it can be found on the Host Guarantee Terms and Conditions under section V. Disposition of Host Payment Requests:
The duration of the processing period of any Airbnb Host Guarantee Payment Request Form that you file will depend on factors that include, but are not limited to:
(i) the amount of payment that you are requesting for the Covered Loss;
(ii) the location of the Covered Accommodation;
(iii) the nature of the Covered Property and the nature of the Covered Losses; (iv) the completeness and type of documentation and information that you provide Airbnb regarding the Covered Losses; and
(v) the number of Airbnb Host Guarantee Payment Request Forms that are currently being processed for other Hosts.
From my own personal experience recently, I had to wait a month just to have a case manager assigned and was given false/misleading information prior. First I was told that a case manager was assigned July 1st, I called back a few days later to follow-up and turns out that was not true. Called back again a couple days later, I was told that it was assigned on July 9th -- I received email confirmation from Airbnb that they received my Host Guarantee Request on June 19th... Persistent phone calls, emails, and publicizing my situation on Airbnb's Facebook page is what finally got me some traction.
4) Procedure for Eligibility to File Host Guarantee Request:
As outlined by Airbnb:
You acknowledge and agree to use your best efforts to communicate with the Responsible Guest (as defined below) as soon as possible after you discover any physical loss or damage to your Covered Property. You must notify Airbnb as well as the Responsible Guest about your complaint and attempt to resolve the loss or damage with the Responsible Guest within the earlier of
(i) fourteen (14) days of the check-out date, or
(ii) before your next guest checks in. You may fulfill this obligation by submitting a claim via the Airbnb Resolution Center.
**Note: If your check-in and check-out time are close together and you have a guest checking out and another checking in the same day, it might be difficult to fulfill this obligation. For example, I had a guest leave a disaster of a mess and littered garbage all over my 1.5 acre property. His check-out time was 10AM and the next guest check-in was at 3PM. Basically, I had 5 hours to fix and replace the stuff he damaged/vandalize annnd pick up all the garbage around my 1.5 acre property. Submitting a claim takes time and as a SuperHost my priority is to make sure the experience of the next, innocent guest in this case is up to good reputation of my listing! I explained this to Airbnb and they gave me an exception :)**
What this really means:
Step 1 - Request money for the estimated amount of damages directly from the Responsible Guest through the Resolution Center.
Step 2 - Wait 72 hours. If the guest does not respond within 72 hours or denies your request, use "Get Airbnb Involved" option.
Step 3 - Fill out and submit the Host Guarantee Payment Request Form. **Note: I highly recommend calling Airbnb before submitting this and let them know that you have already gone through the Resolution Center and was unsucessful. Then ask and allow them to walk you through the process for the next step and/or Host Guarantee option.
Hope this helps!
If you run into anymore issues, please feel free to ask me 🙂
-Jenny
