Beware: Superhost not reimbursed for extensive damages to home.

[Tamara707]

Here's what we are told: What’s covered (from Airbnb website):

Host damage protection covers you for:

• Damage to your place or belongings caused by a guest (or others)
• Unexpected cleaning costs you incur due to the behavior of a guest (or others) during an Airbnb stay

However, after a year of hosting with impeccable reviews, a guest trashed my house causing extensive damage, including smoke damage. After nearly a month of repairs and a TON of documentation, Airbnb offered me $1600 for over $10,000 in damages. 

YOU ARE NOT PROTECTED. It is a hoax, a farce, a scam. I opened my home and made Airbnb a lot of money, and this is the result.  I am going to do an interview with local media. Please let me know if you have had a similar experience! Tamara Berg, Super host

[Annie1372]

@Tamara707 

Fortunatelly, i have experience dammage to my home, yet 🤞 

but if you search a bit on this Community Center, you will find many similar situations.

I’m on this CC for less than 6 months and I have read many sad story similar to yours 

here are some exemple 

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/House-Fire/m-p/1625265#M359754

good luck 

[Tamara707]

I am just shocked at how the company makes you feel like you are partners, and that Super hosts are appreciated for the profit they generate and then they completely do the opposite when there’s an issue. I was looking to by an investment property to Airbnb, but never again!

[Z-2]

@Tamara707 Just thinking  Airbnb as a platform for listing your house. Don’t expect too much since they only take your 3% fee of host. VRBO take 8 percent.of mine. As a renting platform, so far, Airbnb still the best. So even though I think Airbnb had some problems, I still like to stay with them.

[Tamara707]

The deceptive practice is that they say they protect hosts, but when something goes wrong they don’t.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Tamara707 Aircover is not a new for old concept so you will only ever get a depreciated  amount back. Can you not claim from your own insurance?

[Kelly149]

@Mike-And-Jane0 @Tamara707 Or sue the guest. If abb paid out 10k for every bad guest, this platform would go under quick. 

[Tamara707]

I hosted for over a year with no issues. Just profit for Airbnb. The damage was extensive. Airbnb carries insurance. 

[Tamara707]

Here's what we are told: What’s covered (from Airbnb website):

Host damage protection covers you for:

• Damage to your place or belongings caused by a guest (or others)
• Unexpected cleaning costs you incur due to the behavior of a guest (or others) during an Airbnb stay

[Mark116]

@Tamara707 What reason did they give you for approving such a small amount ?  Although having to paint the entire house because someone smoked in one bathroom seems a little excessive, how long was the group's reservation?

[Tamara707]

They asked me to submit a bunch of receipts and evidence and then send a lot of fine print for why those things were not covered. It would have been better not to have me put all that work in! They smoked in a bathroom, but it permeated the main floor, furniture smelled awful. It still smells like an ashtray in that bathroom even after painting! They were there 5 months. The children colored all over the walls, and scraped and gouged many of them. I had a ton of photos of the damage. 

[Annie1372]

@Tamara707 

I hope you gave your guest a terrible, yet factual ´bad’ review.

I only get long term stay. I always tell them that I will come every few weeks to check in the plants and other stuff and most of the time I manage to come once in a while.

I guess you could not claim your own home insurance since there was no specific major incident??

[Tamara707]

My home owners insurance covered $4500 of the $5500 window they broke and airbnb covered the $1000 deductible. Despite documenting all kinds of damage, Airbnb only covered an additional $600 for painting. I was going to sell this home and buy a downtown condo to airbnb, but I will not be hosting any longer. 

[Z-2]

To me, it’s seem okay. What part of the damage Airbnb refused to pay? Airbnb certainly won’t pay for painting the whole home.

[Kia272]

@Tamara707  I'm sorry this happened and I understand your frustration. What I would like to mention is that AirBnB works best as a SHORT term rental platform. 

A five month rental is long-term, and isn't ideal to do through AirBnB. With a normal long-term rental, you'd have a lease agreement and a security deposit, and a better position from which to pursue the guests (tenants) for compensation for damages. 

I know it's doesn't help to hear this now, and I agree that AirBnB gives the impression that they stand behind you when they actually don't. Most hosts feel it best to limit stays to just under the threshold at which guests become tenants- usually under 30 days, it varies in different jurisdictions. There are a number of issues with AirBnB when longer term rentals are involved, including payment collection and lack of security deposit. 

Best case scenario is to take into account the amount of money you earned while the guest stayed, add that to the compensation you got from insurance and AirBnB, and hopefully you are not as out of pocket as you think. Yes- it may zero out the profit you made, but hopefully makes up for some of the damage costs. 

Perhaps you can consider limiting the length of stays you allow, and still have a successful and profitable STR. Good luck, Kia