Guest Damage - How to collect and charge?

1

Hi everyone -

On my second time hosting,my guest emailed me after departing claiming that their son had diarrhea in the bed, ruining the sheets. I have not yet returned to survey the damage (other than mentally for me sleeping there) to the mattress. Additionally, they broke my shades.

My big concern is holding the guest/AirBnb liable for replacing the sheets + mattress. I should not be resigned to sleep in a soiled (pun intended) mattress. Any recommendations?

2

You don’t have a waterproof mattress protector?

3

Keep all communication via the platform. Find out if they removed the sheets and cleaned it and the mattress, hopefully, they did. When will you or anyone go to the apartment to access the damage? I believe you have a very short amount of time to process a claim.

4

It’s good that the guest told you about this, as it will make any claim easier.

You have 48 hours to make a claim. Make sure you photograph damage.

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5

It’s 14 days to make a claim or before your next guests check in, whichever is sooner.

It used to be 48 hours but it changed a while ago.

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/help/article/264/what-do-i-do-if-my-guest-breaks-something-in-my-place

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6

Thanks @Zandra - glad to see they have changed this…honestly I can’t keep up with al the changes they make. Would be helpful if they sent direct notifications of key alterations like this.

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7

Not sure if has been rolled out everywhere by Air, but there is an option to ask a guest for money directly from the booking. It asks you to specify what it is for and damage is one of the options. I have used it to have guests pay for extra things before they even arrive. Works great.

8

Take photos. Evaluate cost of replacing. Send info to Airbnb? Call Airbnb and ask?

9

If you’re just trying to replace a fitted sheet and maybe a mattress pad (although the pad will likely bleach out), this should be relatively easy. If you don’t have a waterproof protector on the mattress, that’s a bigger problem.

It sucks this happened so early to you. I would likely not charge a guest for something like this but that’s because I’ve gone 40 bookings without damage (knock on wood) so it’s easy for me to factor in a ruined sheet as the cost of business.

10

I agree - this sort of thing is going to happen, like it or not. But after MANY years of hosting, I’ve never had a sheet that I’ve had to throw away because of stains. Sure, I’ve had sheets that needed soaking in Oxyclean several times, that have had to go through the washing machine many times (on cold) and once or twice, sheets that I’ve had to scrub. Then there’s bleach and Mrs Stewart’s Bluing.

Can you imagine the state of a sheet that encountered honeymooners who hadn’t consulted her menstrual schedule before arranging the wedding? Pretty gross :slight_smile:

But fixable.