@John5097 A few months back, one host had the interesting insight that perhaps the so-called "Host Guarantee" is actually an obstacle to individual hosts' success. It's a very clever marketing tool in that it lures new hosts into the fold with the idea that renting their homes to strangers is a low-risk proposition, so it's useful to Airbnb in building up inventory.
But it obscures the fact that Airbnb offers no real security, no deposit, and no real "guarantee" that hosts can recoup their losses when a stay goes horribly wrong. Not to say that it's the case here (a broken mirror does not a horror guest make) but we see every day new posts from aggrieved hosts who are in disbelief that Airbnb didn't have a working safety net when their homes were trashed by parties, when very expensive and delicate furnishings were damaged, when unregistered guests turned up, etc. In many of these situations, I have to ask - if it hadn't been for the hosts' faith in the Host Guarantee, would they have made different choices? Vetted their guests more carefully? Kept the homes monitored for parties? Chosen more "guest-proof" furnishings and amenities? More assertively enforced their rules? Or listed on a platform that offers a real deposit instead of Airbnb?
As you say, each situation is different. But if someone comes away from an encounter with the Host Guarantee feeling disillusioned with it, that can only help them level up their hosting strategy.
Shorter version: For best results, assume the Host Guarantee doesn't exist and act accordingly.