To all fellow hosts, if you haven’t already taken photo’s or a video after the guest has checked out, then it’s time to start doing it, whether good or bad. Still, do it as evidence further down the line.
If you cannot get there to do it, then get your cleaner to do it.
We have not always done it ourselves, but for the last couple of years we have. Last year, we bought our cleaner a new phone and showed her how to make video’s and things to look for.
The reason for my post is that, at the moment, I am following a post from another host that is being sued for a bad review he left the guest. I haven’t seen the review, by the way; he wrote how the place was trashed and left dirty after only 2 days. The host’s problem is the cleaners didn’t take photos. As it stands, he has no proof that the guest trashed the place, only what the cleaners say; he doesn’t mention any damage.
Think long and hard before you leave a bad review, and make sure you always have photo evidence.
In what jurisdiction is this lawsuit taking place?
Thailand Phuket on airbnb
Yes think carefully about how important it is to leave an honest review so that your fellow hosts will be warned about unsuitable guests. Think carefully about being factual in your review and do not indulge in an emotional reaction - your frank, genuine review will save your fellow hosts from the time and aggravation and possibly money that could be caused by hosting a bad guest.
Think hard about how important it is to the Airbnb community and your fellow hosts that you leave an honest review. Think about how good you’ll feel in the knowledge that your review can save other hosts from anger, inconvenience and expense.
There’s no need for me to take before and after videos or photos for my homeshare, although I can understand it might be a good idea for an entire house rental. No guest has ever damaged anything and only one left a lot of garbage strewn around. 95% leave their room and bathroom super clean and tidy.
And the idea that a guest would sue me for a bad review is hilarious. It takes years for things to work their way through the court system here in Mexico, and if someone tried to sue over a bad review, they’d be laughed out of court.
Exactly what I thought too. 
And any guest suing because he got a bad review is more or less proof that he deserved it - protesting too much. Strange person - and I doubt he’d have a hope in hell of winning.
Same here - I’ve never had guests cause unreasonable damage and minor damages are covered in the nightly stay fee anyway. When determining their retail prices, stores always used to (probably still do) add a percentage for ‘shrinkage’ - shoplifting and accidental damages.
I’ve never taken photographs either because I have never thought - and I’ve been shown to be right after many years - that I’d have to prove anything to anyone.
If I had ever found claimable damage that the insurance would pay for, that’s the time for a photograph.
With two back-to-back apartments, I certainly don’t have the time to spend videoing and photographing everything every few days. 
I don’t understand how one could possibly take photos and videos that would prove most things a guest could damage anyway. Sure, you could show that the place was clean and tidy beforehand and left a disgusting mess after.
But let’s say a guest’s dog chews a couch cushion. Is the host going to take 20 “before” photos of the couch cushions, showing each cushion from the front and back and sides? And how could you prove that all the cushions were in perfect condition, when they all look exactly alike? The guest could just say one cushion was already damaged and the host must have just submitted before photos of all the undamaged ones.
What if the guest plugs up the washing machine filter and drain hose by throwing muddy, sandy, dog hair covered towels in the machine, as a housesitter from hell once did at my place? No one is going to remove the filter and drain hose and take “before” photos of them to prove they weren’t plugged up before the guest stayed.
I agree. I’ve read before about hosts who take photos or a video before each guest stay. I suppose that is to show the condition of the rental before the guest arrives. I guess these would have to be timestamped just before the guest arrives.
That would take way too much time for a whole-house rental. Even in my tiny apartments I’d have to photograph inside every cupboard and drawer, in the medicine cabinet, in all the kitchen cupboards, in the nightstand drawers, the bookcase contents, the bureau contents and much more. It would take ages and that’s before starting with furniture, kitchen equipment and appliances…
I take a video before each check in and if there is an issue, then after too. I use a video that automatically puts on a date and time and take it right before check in.
I save until about 4 weeks after the guest checks out.
No I don’t. But in my rental it wouldn’t be worth my time. I’d be very interested to know about the suit though. Just because a host says they are being sued doesn’t make it true. Is the post on the Airbnb host community center?