@Andrew3956
Yes...hindsight is 20/20 they say. It certainly is possible that the glass cracked during the vacancy, but definitely notify the Host via Airbnb message if you see something like that and attach photos of any damage you find for sure.
While I appreciate your viewpoint, I can't tell you how many guests cause damage and then don't take responsibility for it. Hosts have been forced to take video and photos to document the condition of the property prior to each each guest. Most Hosts don't bother to claim for small items or damage, even if the guest is clearly at fault. Accidents happen. We many times just thank the guest for telling us and don't charge them anything - we're just thankful they were honest. If it's a broken glass, or a few stained towels, we just replace them - no big deal.
I will say there have been a few unscrupulous Hosts who have tried to falsely claim against guests who did not cause damages in an attempt to extort money. I'm happy to say that doesn't happen often.
I do suggest guests always inspect the property upon arrival and take photos/video to document the condition. I also suggest they report any damage or issues upon arrival, or when discovered and document with photos/video and message the Host on the Airbnb platform regarding that to protect themselves from false claims. To illustrate, if you arrived to your hotel room and found the patio slider cracked, you would most definitely notify the front desk and have them change you to another room. We actually ask our guests to let us know right away if they see something amiss so we can address it. The Host might have to arrange for specialized repairs prior to the next guest, or purchase a replacement for broken items.
When I use Airbnb for personal travel, the first thing I do is go through the entire property upon arrival and take photos/video. If I find something amiss, I take photos and message the Host so I do not get blamed for it. My last trip there was some chips in the shower pan and a stain on the bathroom rug. No big deal to me, but I didn't want to be blamed for damage to the shower or leaving a stain on the rug. On another trip I have also found inside the microwave dirty, and the oven was dirty inside as well. Many times the cleaners overlook things like this. No big deal to me as I was eating out, but I didn't want a bad review for lack of cleanliness, so I took photos and sent to the Host via the Airbnb message system. This documents it in case of an issue later. To the Host's credit she was very apologetic and offered to come clean.
