How are you handling addtional damage deposit collection?

Yvonne41
Level 10
Kirkland, WA

How are you handling addtional damage deposit collection?

Hi hosts,

 

I have created a very messy and unsolvable sitation by following the advise of Airbnb support staff in setting and collecting an additional damage deposit up front from guests so I would be prepared to repair damages in a timely manner. As it turns out - while these deposits get paid by my guests, they aren't actually being placed into my account for pay back to the guests who don't do any damages. 

 

Is anyone else in this sitation? I would like to know how they are handling it. Does there ever come a time when the guest bookings finally all balance out and Airbnb isn't taking money off of the top of the subsequent bookings? It's an accounting nightmare for me right now, with no end in sight and no money actually available as I had intended to protect me from having a guest do damage and refuse to pay for it so I can repair something so the next guest doesn't have the impact of that prior visitor's indescretion. 

 

 

15 Replies 15

I did reach out to my last guest to ask if the money was billed to her and she said yes. So, I asked her to contact Airbnb to ask to help me resolve this - given I had not money in my account from her deposit to re pay her with. The result was that Airbnb apparently told her to send me a request to pay her back the deposit. I have no idea what they told her was going on. I was basically forced to send the money back to her, while my pay out is still showing a deficit for this guests total stay!? 

 

I understand it looks bad to cancel these bookings for the guest - by why doesn't Airbnb care that they have collected money from my guests that they won't explain where that is? They have not paid me in full, despite following their policy and advice to get the money in advance so this deficit would not have to occur. VRBO HomeAway doesn't do any of this and I get more bookins from them at a much lower cost of fees. I imagine eventually Airbnb users are going to realize I have to pass this risk of Airbnb policies to them to the tune of higher rental costs. 

 

The fact that Airbnb has done zilch to fix this problem adequately for myself and my guests speaks volumes about what they really care about. And, it's not my property and the experience I offer to prospective guests.