Well then let me add to the positive stories, and I assure you, I don't work for them.
3 months ago, someone refused to check out of my home. She threatened me over text when I told her that I would have to get the police involved if she didn't vacate immediately. Long story short, AirBNB reimbursed me for the damages she'd caused THAT DAY and they banned her from the platform as I was able to screenshot the messages she'd sent me (and she also swore/cussed out an AirBNB rep that tried to call her.)
Last week, on NYE day, the guest checking out stole my front door key and my key FOB that allows entry to my condo building and my private parking space. (I posted about it at the time, seeking guidance.) The key and FOB are worth $200, plus I figured I'd have to have my locks changed as this guest now had access to my building any time she pleased. (She was also local, which is why this made me anxious.) I immediately requested the funds from her, to which she did not reply. On Friday January 3rd, I escalated it to the Host Guarantee department. This morning (January 9th) they e-mailed me to let me know they were reimbursing me in full for the amount I had claimed.
A few important tips that helped make my case:
1) You must make a request for money BEFORE your next guest checks in. Period. The guarantee says that or 14 days, whichever comes first. Unfortunately I had someone checking in (and now they didn't have access to my parking spot, grrr) so I literally had an hour from the time I was informed the key was gone to the time my guest was checking in.
2) RAISE YOUR SAFETY DEPOSIT AMOUNT. I erroneously thought that AirBNB charged a 'hold' on guests' credit cards, much like hotels do. As such, I had mine set to $250 CAD thinking no guest wants a $500 hold on their card. What AirBNB really does is keep their credit card information on file, so that if/when you make a claim, they go ahead and charge the guest from their end. Whose money do you think AirBNB is more willing to spend? Their own, under the Host Guarantee, or your guest's, using the safety deposit? I've since increased mine as a result.
3) Contact AirBNB immediately when you realize something is wrong, even if you don't think a claim will come out of it. Your call will be logged in your file, and you can clearly show that you made an attempt to follow any and all protocols when filing your claim. They can't come back with 'well, you should have asked' or 'you should have done XYZ.' You're basically just covering your butt at this point.
4) Send any and all communication with your guest through the AirBNB messenger. If you can't, or you've had to reach out via cell phone like I did (when she wasn't answering on AirBNB), screenshot everything and add it to your claim.
5) Keep your receipts for literally everything you purchase for your rental, though you should be already. The two times I've had to make claims, my receipts were readily available and no questions were asked about the amount on them. I was simply reimbursed.
6) Be organized. I sent screenshots of locksmith pricing, the replacement order form from my property management including the costs of the key and key FOB, the police report I filed with my local police department, etc. The more information, the better.
As I mentioned in another post, you cannot claim loss of revenue with the Host Protection guarantee. This guarantee covers only the loss of physical items or physical damage. As such, I could not collect a late checkout fee from the guest nor could I collect the partial reimbursement I had to give the NYE guest checking in for not having access to parking. It is what it is. I was reimbursed over $500 which will more than cover my costs, thankfully.
Best of luck to everyone!
