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Oh no! Someone ruined my house!

  • Writer: Linda Harley
    Linda Harley
  • Dec 7, 2021
  • 4 min read

You are devastated when you walk into your Airbnb property and see the utter destruction that the guest has left you to deal with.


First take a moment to recognize how you feel. We have all been there. The first time it happened to me I was shocked, followed by a deep heart ache, then a wave of anger, and finally settled on..... time to roll up my sleeves and get to work!


I hope you are never in this situation, but the reality is you probably will be, so here are a few things you should know to be prepared.


Damages < $100

Time is money. If I know an item that was damaged is going to be less than $100.00 to repair/replace, then it is simply not worth the headache to go through the Resolution Center. I usually chalk this up to the price of doing business, and make sure I incorporate this into my nightly rates.


Damages from ordinary wear and tear

Part of being a host is coming to grips with the fact that people are going to use your stuff!!


If you don't want your things to get used, then don't leave it out where guests have access to it.


Airbnb does not cover damages from ordinary wear and tear.


So before you go running off to Airbnb asking for money, you need to ascertain the reason for the damage; wear and tear or did the guest do something wrong. Perhaps the quality of the furniture you bought was substandard and not appropriate for a short term rental.


What is covered?

Per airbnb website [1] the Host Guarantee protects:

  • "Damage to the accommodation caused by guests." - covers real property

  • "Damage to a host's belongings caused by guests." - covers personal property

  • "Damage caused by guest's assistance animal."

This is not an insurance policy. If you need more protection, then be sure to contact your local insurance company to obtain proper coverage. This does not cover personal liability and such.


Claim deadlines

You must notify Airbnb and the Guest within "14 days of checkout or before the next guest checks in (whichever is earlier)." This means that if your next guest is checking in 4 hours after the problem guest checked out, you have until then to file your claim. If you do not, then you waive your right to file a claim.


The reason behind this deadline is simple. Airbnb does not want to get into a situation where you cannot prove which guest it was that actually caused the problem. Thus you must file before the next guest even shows up. Keeps things nice and compartmentalized.


How to file a claim

Here are the steps that I always follow:

STEP 1: GATHER THE EVIDENCE

  1. I keep an inventory spreadsheet of each property with a link to the invoice for each item when it was purchased.

  2. I take photos before and after each guest. The first thing my cleaners do when arriving at the house is to do a walkthrough and take photos of everything. If needed, they take video. If you use turnoverbnb, they can store the photos there, otherwise a google drive will also work. Then after they clean the place they take another set of photos.

  3. This way I have clear proof of BEFORE and AFTER guests stayed at my place.

  4. If there are additional cleaning/repair costs, I try to get estimates right away. If I can't find repair costs, I go onto Amazon and determine how much a new item would cost. I'm usually on top of this anyhow, because I need to get the place ready for the next guest.

  5. I keep meticulous records of how much of my personal time is spent dealing with this guests mess. Although I can't claim my personal time per se, I need to have that data available for determine return on investment of my time.

  6. Create a summary and include: item damaged, original price and purchase date, repair/replacement cost, and supporting photos. Note you must have all this information in order to file the claim, or your claim can be denied.

STEP 2: NOTIFY THE GUEST AND AIRBNB

  1. Go into the Airbnb Resolution Center, and submit all the documentation prepared in Step 1.

  2. Send a message via Airbnb to the guest, notifying them that you have filed a request for funds for the items that were damaged during their stay.

  3. Sit back and let Airbnb go to work for you. If a guest gets hostile, just ignore them and direct them to Airbnb.

  4. The most important thing here is to remain professional at ALL times. You want to come across as reasonable, respectful and professional, and only deal in facts. Do not let your emotions get the best of you.

I know this can feel overwhelming, but it is part of doing business. If you have a solid plan in place on how to deal with these events before they occur, you will reduce your amount of stress 10 times!


For more tips like this and how to get started with your first or next Airbnb, be sure to check out my challenge.... Launch Your First Airbnb Challenge! It's FREE and I'd love to see you there.


Too da loo

Linda


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