lost keys, security deposit, resolution centre

[Hugh0]

Dear Airbnb

what is going on? 

Years ago, after a guest left without leaving the keys, you advised me to update my rules to clearly state a $300 charge would be imposed if a guest did not leave the keys. This is to protect the security of the next guests by changing the locks.

In February it happened again. A guest left without leaving the keys. She confirmed that she had lost the keys. We changed the locks. All this information was passed to Airbnb via the correct channels. You closed the case without even advising me that it had been closed. You did not even apply the security deposit.

I know your standards are falling but, seriously, can we not have any faith in you at all???

[M199]

@Hugh0 

Just a suggestion,  it has worked well for me so far...

I tell guests that the key must be left in the lockbox at all times.  My story (which is 100% true)  - prior to officially hosting,  I let friends of a friend rent.  They accidentally left the key and cell phones indoors.  No way to call us. They expected to spend the night outdoors.  I couldn't fault them for their ingenuity on getting back into the cottage.  They had left 1 window open, popped the screen and climbed back in.

Point of the story, my Airbnb guests get to hear the story and always return the key to the lockbox😊

[Robin4]

@Hugh0 

Hugh, don't expect the assistance today that you got from Airbnb years ago. That company support has long disappeared. We are essentially on our own now.

There is no point in setting a security deposit because Airbnb do not take it from the guest when they book and are reticent to get involved in claims that the security deposit was put in place for. In many instances they will simply close the claim with no right of review! And any claim accepted will be reimbursed at a percentage rate that makes it not worth claiming in the first instance!

There is no point in attempting to charge an extra bed fee, a parking fee, an excess energy fee, a pet fee under extra charges because Airbnb will not enforce it either at the time of booking or if a damage/compensation claim should arise!

The list of options we as hosts are required to accept with Airbnb guest bookings is growing all the time, but the amount of help and responsibility we can expect from Airbnb is diminishing all the time.

Hugh, just use Airbnb as a booking agency, nothing more, and you won't be disappointed.

Install a smart lock system that does not involve a key and is accessed by code either from a mobile phone or via host/guest contact......you will never have a key access problem again.

Put $5.00 per guest night onto your rental rate and set that additional money aside in a separate account to compensate you in times of damage. My damage fund currently sits a touch over $1,300, if a guest breaks something or steals something........that is part of hosting, be a realist, it happens.  I don't hassle Airbnb or the guest, I just fix the damage and get on with hosting, it takes the stress and disappointment out of hosting. 

Hugh as long as we expect Airbnb to fulfill all of their promises, we are going to be living on a knife edge. Insure your property properly through a reputable insurance provider where you pay a specvific premium for a specified level of cover. Keep a damage fund for minor damage and make your listing as idiot proof as possible, cover all the scenarios where the guest can do something wrong.....you can't cover everything but, you can get it to the point where, it doesn't matter!

Good luck mate.

Cheers..........Rob 

[Anonymous]

@Hugh0 Although any fees/penalties that you're going to attempt to levy should be disclosed in the House Rules, the fact of the matter is that Airbnb is not actually going to enforce them on your behalf.  

The same goes for the so-called "security deposit" - as @Robin4  pointed out, there is no actual deposit collected from the guest, so this is a fairy tale. The only time a host has real leverage to charge a fee for an additional service (early check-in, pets, meals, etc) is before that service is provided.

In the case of missing keys, hosts tend to have more success treating it as a damage claim and requesting exactly the amount charged by the locksmith. The "Host Guarantee" (also a misnomer) has a decent record of paying out small-dollar items with credible records/receipts. But it doesn't deal with arbitrary fines.