Damage to my property

[Sean130]

Hey, there, fellow hosts. Wondering if anyone has had any experience with their home being damaged by a guest and not getting properly reimbursed?

A few months ago a guest checked out leaving our home in an absolute wreck - dirt everywhere, oil and grime all over cabinets, dishes and towels thrown in the garbage, ashes from smoking found all over the property both indoors and outdoors , stains on the carpets, etc. etc.  After a really long back and forth process with AirBNB they paid out roughly half of the damages and I'm left covering the rest. It's scary because, as hosts, we can't collect a damage deposit before guests check in and we rely completely on AirBNB protecting us from incidences like this. I jumped through so many hoops and had so much evidence - I really don't understand it. It's so frustrating and is making me really nervous about any future damage that might happen on my property.

I guess I'm just wondering if this is an isolated event or if anyone else has had a similar experience?

[Helen3]

Hello @Sean130 

The Airbnb Guarantee is limited and doesn't cover replacement costs. That's why Airbnb advises the Guarantee is not a replacement for hosts having their own insurance for STR.

So yes it is normal that Airbnb won't cover replacement costs just a depreciated amount.

[Sean130]

Actually it’s all the extra cleaning and restoration - carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning / odor removal, grime removal, garbage removal, etc. - that they didn’t pay for or charge the guest for.

its not really much of a “guarantee” is it if the host is left paying for damages to their home so was just wondering if anyone else had a similar experience and how they navigated it.