Hi
Sorry you've had all this stress
How many claims have you put in over the years out of interest? Do they usually go well?
I have only done 1 in 8 years and the guest volunteered because their kid broke a window.
Had lots of minor damage here and there, but never asked guest to pay for it because as soon as you do that, it spoils the guest experience. And that's never good for a review, especially if they haven't done one yet before the 14 day window.
Major damage I would utilise my own landlord insurance, and not rely upon airbnb.
Yes it means guest aren't been held accountable for damage, especially if they don't tell you, which is about 95% of guests. But its the price of doing business with airbnb. Whether we like it or not, hosts are just part of a broader eco system of someone else's brand. I have had guests who say 'my previous airbnb did xyz, its putting me off airbnbs'. Airbnb will do anything to protect that. So the reality is hosts are not the customers, we are just the suppliers, the guests are the customers. And suppliers are never treated as well as customers....eg when a business goes bankrupt, suppliers suffer the most, customers often are protected in various ways...
I will probably at some point have some **bleep** awful guest that will trigger my delisting as well even without a damage claim etc..... So as you say, don't put all eggs in one basket, have another listing on another platform that even if it doesn't get huge bookings, is there ready to amp up if you have to swap over. I'm under no illusion that airbnb will provide me an income forever.
