I have just had a situation where the guest caused over $500 damage, including $300 smoke damage form starting a charcoal grill inside the attached garage to my home. I require a $500 "security deposit" on ALL my bookings. AirBnB refused to pay because the Guest did not respond to their inquiry.
There are additional details to this story, which is the issue where AirBnB was notified of this on day one, and did not respond for 22 days... which pushed past the 14 day window that AirBnB says it places a hold on the Guest's credit card. AirBnB never once in that time contacted me to let me know what the process was regarding damage claims. Only after 28 days did they say communicate that I was not eligible for reimbursement because I did not reach out to the offending Guest prior to the arrival of my next guest (which in my case was only 3 days). None of this useful information was shared with me. Now, I did EVERYTHING else that was required, provided receipts, pictures, invoices, estimates, etc., to AirBnB on day one.
I responded back and explained the above, and mentioned that if CS responds 28 days later informing me of what I needed to do but did not do (no idea, never had this happen before), then they could equally have responded with an automated message on DAY ONE notifying me of ALL the required steps I must follow to ensure I would be compensated.
AirBnB admitted they dropped the ball and opened the case back up.
However, it was well past the 14 day deposit hold. So, I am thinking that this will fall under the Host Guarantee. Nope.
Here's what I experienced / learned ...
The AirBnB "security deposit" is NOT a security deposit. AirBnB does NOT place a hold on the Guest's credit card. More importantly, as a Host / Property Management company = LEASOR, in the "real" vacation rental / property leasing industry a security deposit is between LEASOR and the LEASEE, and the company who executes the payment transaction of that held security deposit is NOT a third-party arbitrator who unilaterally decide whether the Host will receive all or a portion of the security deposit.
Nope. AirBnB inserts itself as arbitrator related to security deposits. But ONLY after they require YOU to contact the Guest directly to get them to "agree" to pay you!!! Good luck with that.
Now, here's the dirty little secret ....
After the Guest responds to you and denies any wrong doing ... and after you have provided evidence, receipts, invoices, estimates, pictures, etc., to AirBnB on day one, if the Guest refuses to respond to AirBnB inquiries about this, YOU DON'T GET $.
So, in conclusion:
1) Regardless of actual damage, pictures, etc., AirBnB determines if you get any funds, and how much based on some undisclosed methodology
2) You will only get funds if the Guest responds to AirBnB inquiries.
So, the Security Deposit is NOT a security deposit AND the Host Guarantee is not a guarantee ... because in my situation, both require the Guest to respond to the AirBnB inquiry. If they do not, they continue on without any repercussions.
Sounds like a Guest Guarantee to me.