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I had somewhat messy guests recently, it was a mom and her four year old son. When I came back to my apartment after they already left, they rearranged a lot of the furniture and did not put it back. My question though is more about the damage to the coffee table, it is really just a small nick but it was a beautiful handmade table, not super expensive, probably around $150 but a small nick on something that was once perfect annoys me Do I take that from her security deposit, just deal with it, or contact Airbnb?
So annoying. I really cannot believe some guests actually have the nerve to rearrange furniture. I have had that happen too, and in doing so, the guest broke the leaf to the folding table.
You won’t be able to just take it from her deposit, unless she put down cash with you. It will have to go through resolution where you will have to confront the guest. Upload photos of the damage and then be sure to get an estimate for a woodshop or carpenter to repair it. Without that, you can’t collect. I would do it even though the chances of them siding with you are slim.
Or you could let it go. However $150 is not insignificant. I’ve had guests put glasses right next to coasters on a wood table and cause ring damage. I googled the remedy (rub with mayonnaise,) and by gosh, that seemed to work!
Annoying guests… are sometimes just what you have to put up with.
Sorry about the damage, but I believe it’s been discussed here before about not having valuable and or precious items around for guests to use because they will eventually wreck them in some way. It just happens. I do it to my own things occasionally and I’m a pretty careful person.
That must be a pretty strong 4 year old…for just he and his mom to move all of that furniture around alone!
If this is something you would like to pursue, then I would first ask the guest if she knows what happened to the table. Then if you get her to admit it, it’s possible Air will pay out even if she refuses to pay for it. There are so many different experiences with people who got paid out, and others who didn’t - so there is no telling what the outcome will be.
It has been suggested that we buy industrial strength things for our rentals. Not always possible for me in Hawaii without a pickup truck to transport furniture. I have mainly had new assembly required items or beds in boxes.
Coffee tables take tons of abuse and I’d never spend even $150 on one for my guest area. People eat on them, throw up their feet with shoes on, play board games, sit & slide their drinks without coasters, throw down their keys…
Cheap IKEA tables are the only way to go. So cheap they’re pretty much disposable.
I don’t take children under twelve after a couple of nightmare experiences. One wanted to rummage through my personal fridge, and the other one who was two, screamed for hours while her mother ignored her. I had to stand guard at my doors that were labeled “private.”
I avoid keeping treasured items in the room, regardless of value. (another lesson sadly learned) I had a couple of delicate vintage toys on display in the room which the mother took down off a very high shelf for her toddler to play with. I found them thrown on the floor in my hall.
As far as the nick…there is some wear and tear involved with this so I would use Old English on the nick and leave it at that. I suppose you could take a small amount of the deposit for the annoyance and maybe the mother will be more careful if she uses airbnb again.
I think you should pursue the cost to repair the damage to your table. Guests should not be moving your things around and I would review her calling all of this out to prevent other host from hosting them. That’s the nice thing about living where you host, you can keep an eye on things. It’s not right that guest come into our homes and do what they want with no consequences so my vote is to go after her. Raise holy cain if Airbnb doesn’t support you.
