Host guarantee? Guest broke toilet airbnb doesn't want to charge deposit. Now what?

I have a fancy super low flow toilet with a dual flush mechanism on top of that. A guest broke part of the mechanism and didn’t mention anything. I’m sure it was an accident and likely the guest didn’t notice the instructions on the lid about how it works. Airbnb does not want to charge the guests deposit as the guest says he didn’t do it. Even though only me and the guests were home at the time and I went in I…ediately before and I.mediately after the guest was in the bathroom.

I thought there was an insurance policy to cover this sort of thing? Airbnb feels that it is his word against mine and therefore does not want to charge on his deposit.

The wire that goes from the dual flush handle was ripped out from the mechanical part.

$200 total for new one and installation.

. Labor on setting the dual water levels is very time consuming. I live in an area that fines you if you use too much water so the toilet tank itself is also uniquely low flow.

So you’re saying they opened it up and broke it?

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Does anybody know anything about the airbnb insurance for guests who break things? That is my question. I assume there is some time limit or other procedure that needs to be done. The guest denies breaking it and airbnb will not charge their deposit.

This device does not have a great rating on Amazon or Home Depot. Many people report the cable breaks during normal use. If something breaks during normal use, not from negligence, it’s not fair to charge for it. Nice to save water but this thing is too complicated and delicate for the average Airbnb guest. Also, unless you are required to use a licensed plumber for this, any decent handy person should be able to fix or install this thing in an hour for $25 to $50. I would look for a simpler ‘water saver’ model, between $25 and $50 at Home Depot or a hardware store…

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If a flushing mechanism broke on the guest toilet in my house - and only the guests use it - I would assume that was normal wear and tear - unless you know they were jigging around with it. if it were me I would replace it with an apology to the guest for it becoming broken during their stay.

If it’s so complicated to use that you’re going to break it unwittingly, that’s not the guest’s fault.

The damages you would seek from a guest are more specific to carelessness - they spilled red wine all over the rug, they bled all over your nice comforter, they were horsing around and broke a window, they put their cigarette butts out in your carpet and burned a hole, etc.

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Actually the guest messaged me and they misunderstood how it worked and DID break it. Anyhow, I guess no one here has any clue about host insurance alledgedly provided by airbnb…too bad. I just joined this forum and the lack of knowledge is unhelpful. Just say IDK, if that is the case. No biggie. I clearly don’t know and that’s why I asked. Apparently no one else does, maybe the host insurance from airbnb is just folklore. Ehh.

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Go to Airbnb’s Facebook site. You’ll get a speedy answer.

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Hey, I like your response! 14 day’s is actual info! I have a $100 deposit which it looks like airbnb doesn’t want to charge, so I am trying to figure out the next steps. I do, BTW, live in an actual desert and this is the first time in 3 years someone broke the toilet. I own and maintain other long term rentals and definitely know what I am saying in regards to costs and water issues, but that is besides the point. I am stressed out so my communicationight not be as clear as I think

A guest, as I now know, didn’t know how to use a low flow toilet and broke the lever. I ask a $100 deposit. Airbnb doesn’t want to charge (as of now) to the deposit. So when does it switch to insurance complaint? The guest misunderstood the toilet flush instructions and broke it instead.

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I added a similar response to the thread about the broken window, but it is appropriate here, so here goes:

My thought, which you may not like, is that folks are sometimes honestly confused about how things work - toilets, windows. washers, door locks, and their inadvertent breaking of something … well, it kinda goes with the territory. Had this happened in a hotel the guest would not charged - they would have to show negligence. Not understanding how something works and inadvertently breaking it is not negligence.

After reading this forum for a while I am struck by how often Air Hosts expect Guests to pay for everything that breaks. With some of you I realize that your profit margin is already so thin it is understandable, but I think repairing stuff that breaks has has to be expected to some extent.

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Hostile? This guy has what looks to me like a legitimate claim for some plumbing that got broken. As trivial as it may seem to some, this is a big expense that the host has to bear. I don’t think it’s unreasonable for him to ask to be compensated. I live in Southern California. A plumber charges $75 to just show up.

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But there is a difference between normal wear and tear/cost of business and negligence. The deposit covers negligence.

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I don’t know where you live, but plumbers charge lots more than that to just walk across the threshold where I live in Long Beach, CA. Then add on top of that the cost of the part and installation time. And then coordinating the time when they can show up so someone can be around. I understand that it’s a simple fix, which can be done if you’re a retired person and can spend most of your day taking care of this kind of annoyance. This is just an example that shows that being a property owner/Airbnb operator doesn’t mean we’re laughing all the way to the bank :)))

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Yes it’s very true about the negligence clause. This poor guy’s incident is not really negligence but just a case of having to deal with some delicate Chinese made crappy plumbing parts. Ugh. Pain in the you know what but nevertheless very expensive to fix. And when it’s fixed it’s still going to be a problem.

I bought a marked down Kohler low flush toilet that uses 1.5 gallons per flush, which is I’m sure well within the limits of recommended usage and it acts like a regular toilet without the delicate multi step flushing device.

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It’s the same thing. It escalates to resolution center when a guest refuses to pay. If Air determined they won’t charge deposit it means you lost your case.
If guest agreed that he broke it then show your correspondence and receipt to resolution people and you will be paid