Screwed by AirBnb out of our damages even with a stated damage deposit.

[Betsy-and-Forest0]

We had a guest stay with us who sat down what they claimed was a sun tan lotion bottle, but that we are fairly certain was a nail polish remover bottle on top of our as new dresser in the bedroom of our condo rental. It ate through layers of the finish at least an eighth of an inch into the surface leaving a circular white mark on the blue green antique textured finish. We have a stated damage deposit in our listing of $400 for all guests and had never had any claimed damage in 13 months of being hosts and then Superhosts.

So we talked to the guest, he admitted causing the damage and we submitted our claim to him for $174 - the cost of repairing the top by putting a sheet of plexiglass over it because the damage is too deep to touch it up properly, and it will always be visible and never look as good as it did before these guests damaged it. Of course the guest ignored the claim.

We waited five or six days and then submitted it for resolution with AirBnb and asked them what the difference was in their policy when a host has a stated damage deposit in their listing and when they don't, because we did and so we weren't asking for money from AirBnb's insurance company, we just wanted them to help us enforce our stated $400 damage deposit by charging the guest for us since he was ignoring our resolution claim.

The Trust and Safety person never was able to answer that question - if they process claims differently when there is a stated damage deposit vs. when there isn't. Does anyone reading this know the answer? They told us that someone would get back to us and of course no one ever did. We submitted a photo and the estimate for the $174 to pay for the protective plastic to help cover their damaged area. The guest wrote us and said we'd been very clear and considerate with our request and it should be resolved soon now that AirBnb had it under submission. So we we asked the guest, if you want to resolve it soon, why not just pay the $174 and we can be done with it and repair it to the best of our ability and save you the cost of an entire new dresser that would be over $400? Of course the guest didn't respond or pay.

Then the next thing we got was the resolution from Trust & Safety, even though we never got the answer to our question if claims are handled differently if the host has a stated damage deposit in their listing.

They awarded us $35 and called it a 'stain' - which shows us they knew nothing about the severity of the damage.

We are *so* upset right now. They also told us there are no appeals. 

We were so supportive of AirBnb up until this and this was our first claim for any damage in the over year we've been hosts and become Superhosts along the way. We feel really disappointed and let down by AirBnb and don't know what to do now if we have future damages knowing they failed so miserably and cost us $140 without resolving this fairly as they claim their intention to be. We apparently need a process to directly bill any guests damaging our property up to the $400 damage deposit amount showing in our listing to avoid having AirBnb involved at all.

Any suggestions on how to avoid this in the future from other hosts who have been treated this way?

Betsy & Forest

[Betsy-and-Forest0]

Thanks for your thoughtful comments. It's sad that in order to have a chance to get what you are entitled to, that somehow you have to 'game' their system. But we understand what you are mentioning.

Also, the T&S person who decided we only get $35 wrote us back after we questioned their miniscule amount and stated, and we quote:

"You are free to pursue reimbursement from your guest through alternate means, however, please note that that we are unable to mediate further with relation to this case."  

Does anyone know what this means behind the obvious words? Can we pursue the claim through additional msgs on AirBnb? Direct emails? Phone calls to the guest? Is this what AirBnb wants to happen with their guests to compensate for their inequitable resolutions and no appeals allowed resolution decisions? What if we didn't want them to mediate in the first place - knowing what we know now about how they operate?

Has anyone reading this tried going directly back to the guests in cases like these?

[Lynn53]

Thank you for your post.

I am in a worse situation myself. I am currently a super host ( that will be be removed with the tenants review for sure!) with four listed properties with Airbnb.

 refurbished a property earlier this year and have been leasing it exclusively through Airbnb since.

I had a tenant move out 2 weeks ago after a 3 month lease, who had children write on most of the freshly painted walls upstairs, they managed to remove and loose parts to a newly installed child safety gate, the place was left filthy, pots and pans virtually destroyed, key broken off in the garage doors and they managed to bend the whole locking mechanism, not to mention rip of a brand new kitchen forcet, denting the stainless steel and allowing water to run into the kitchen cabinetry for weeks without advising me (which was all new earlier this year)!!!  Last of all there are also missing keys, broken, glass ware, missing decorative bowls etc!!

The place smells like damp mouldy socks and nothing like the newly refurbished place I had 3 months ago that they moved into.

I have spent days cleaning, taking photos and videos, writing emails and  trying to communicate with Airbnb staff.

After 7 years of providing top notch accomodation for Airbnb to profit on I am now faced with a generic email address that when I send information it seems to disappear and staff that can't speak or understand English well enough to resolve the issues.

I have lost bookings, have upcoming repeat guests and my property is not fixed nor is it likely to be fixed. I am looking at more than $8,000 worth of costs as the kitchen cabinetry is stuffed and Airbnb is giving me the run around hoping I will go away!!

Thinking i just should and remove all my listings- this is a mugs game!!

Obviously Airbnb only works if you have good tenants, check on them and don't need to claim!!!

Smart business Airbnb!!!

Can anyone offer any helpful advice???? PLEASE?