Item missing by guest? Must do a police report to claim.

[Kynan0]

Guests checked out, and took a $170 Bluetooth speaker. Made a claim through Airbnb, who rejected the claim and said ‘our decision is final, you didn’t provide a police report for theft against the guests, therefor you are not covered under the host guarantee’. 

So, it seems now to claim anything missing, you need to make criminal complaints against your guests.

pretty ridiculous, especially when they put a bond down, and Airbnb just handed it back to the guests and rejected my claim because of a lack of police report number. 

so now every time something needs to be claimed, off to the police station. 

ive noticed over the past 2-3 years, Airbnb just seems to care less and less about hosts.  The main issue - AirbNB then said because i didnt file the report, even though i claimed in the correct time frame, its too late now and wont pay.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Kynan0 To be fair an insurance company would require a police report before paying out on a theft claim so it is perhaps reasonable that Airbnb require one.

[Kynan0]

Sure, thats fine, but even though they took 2 months to reject my claim on that basis, they are now saying they wont accept the claim becuase it was missing the police report. At no point in the 2 months, did AirBNB ask me for a police report.

[Deborah350]

They don’t hold or charge a security deposit. It is just a mention in the booking process. If you do try to claim it, they need to get the guests authority to charge it.

What did the guest say about the missing speaker?

[Kynan0]

Guest rented the house, and gave it to a group of 20 teenagers to throw a party. Police called due to public disturbance, and guests evicted. $10,000 in damages including a broken kitchen stone benchtop. 

House is worth $2million, and they trashed it. AirBNB paid out $200 for the $10,000 claim, because 'the bench top was 14 years old and we depreciated it to that amount". 

Guest incontactable.

[Robin4]

@Kynan0 

Kynan, if you have had your property trashed by an Airbnb guest throwing a party your best course of action, if Airbnb have closed off your claim options is to go to Channel 9's 'Current Affair'. Their journo's are all the time on the lookout for stories like this and nothing get Airbnb's attention quite like a party house trashing.

You will find they will leap to your aid at light speed and do what ever is needed to preserve their 'image'. 

Nothing like airing a bit of dirty linen to get the wheels of progress turning Kynan. It could be worth a try.

Cheers..........Rob

[Kynan0]

Thats pretty good advice too. In summary - as to why i am so pissed off:

1. $10,000 stone bench top broken. I had to provide a quote, for which i paid, to say it couldnt be fixed. Did that, AirBNB value on damages $220. 

2. $2,000 table with a massive scratch across it. AirBNB value - $0 - 'wear and tear'.

3. $1,000 leather chaise which was ripped through the middle, i suspect from a high heel shoe wearing person dancing on it. AirBNB value on damage - $40.

4. Stolen speaker $170 not reported to police - AirBNB $0, and no ability to now get a police report and get the money back.

The fact guests can come into my stunning $2 million waterfront home, trash it, and get away with a $260 bill, is a total joke. And AirBNB handling of the matter when i queried if i could get a police report for the $170 lost speaker was this "We considered the decision as final. Since further communication, won't change the outcome of the case, I'm respectfully disengaging from further communication."

umm what? they are disengaging from communication with me because i asked ONE question ?!?!

[Anonymous]

@Kynan0  Wow, terrible situation. I'm surprised that the $170 speaker even registers as a detail to you amidst the $10,000 damage.

Sadly, if you watch this forum more regularly, your situation is one that hundreds if not thousands of hosts have been going through lately. Unauthorized parties were already a thing before Corona, but now for a lot of people they've become the first thing that "getting an Airbnb" means, and the uncertainty of any compensation means it's entirely up to hosts to keep control of their properties and actively prevent gatherings like this from happening. I hate the idea that everyone has to rig their doorsteps up with cameras or put decibel counters in their kitchens, but after the countless douchebags who have thrown their super-spreader events in unsuspecting hosts' homes, this is what we've come to. Airbnb is fielding so many claims from horrified hosts every day that your plight has zero chance of landing on the desk of someone who's surprised by it.

I would encourage you to keep compiling your evidence and fighting for compensation, but also - since your listing is still active - to make sure that you have strong measures in place to make sure your home is never again flooded with unregistered guests faster than you're able to get to the house and remove them.

[Melodie-And-John0]

@Kynan0 , so sorry to hear about your place being trashed, just as sorry to hear Airbnb wont pay the claim.   Its more the case than not that they don't support the host with their host guarantee or even the deposit. 

Did you know that the person paying was not the persons staying?   If so, thats never a good idea, I hope you did your due diligence review wise and mark them permanently for others to identify easily.  For other hosts that might have anything like this happen, I do think it would be a good idea to have the police do a report.  Also might make sense to take them to small claims court, they need to pay.  just my 2 cents, stay well, JR

[Clara116]

@Kynan0 so sorry for all this crazy trashing and not getting support.

I would find out who the guest that rented is and sue them.....small claims court. No way could I let this

just go....also, looks like police reports and filings are going on more and more....esp. during Covid....crazy, seems ppl have lost their minds and some started with so little its forced many of us to block off our time booking for many months.  Good luck with this nasty stuff, best, Clara

[Helen3 · Accepted solution]

Hi @Kynan0 

You mention on another thread that you are a lawyer. As such you are more likely to know then others that a police report when you are claiming for stolen property would be key in having your claim for theft considered. Particularly as Airbnb has this in it's T&C for making a claim.

"For all Covered Property which is damaged or destroyed due to a violation of law or criminal act or theft or misdemeanor and for which you are filing an Airbnb Host Guarantee Payment Request Form, you must file a police report listing such Covered Property and provide Airbnb with a copy of such report, certified by you as true".

In terms of your wider claim, I'm sorry to hear about your experience. How were multiple guests who weren't on the booking able to enter your valuable property and party without your CCTV or other security systems not picking this up?

If you put in the claim in line with Airbnb's guarantee and they are refusing to consider it (fully) take them to arbitration. Again your legal experience will hopefully make this  a fairly simple process for you. And you get arbitration fee back if your claim is successful.