I thought of this too. Also, I wonder how the neighbors feel about having an Airbnb there?
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Exactly. I had guests that had never used a dishwasher or a garbage disposal, and many that had never seen a wall outlet operated by a wall switch. I can imagine getting guests that have never had a garage and forget to close the garage door or just leave it open because thatās what they frequently do in their own home.
Have you tried filing a claim against the Host Guarantee? Iām thinking itās a long shot since Airbnb says itās for damages caused by guests or their invitees whereas the person that did the damage wasnāt either.
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If you live in a high crime zone, that should have been there in the first place. If it was me the garage would not be available to guests, but then they would probably just leave the front door wide open. 
If you must rent the garage to guests, I would have an interlock installed that wouldnāt open the garage door until the inner door is closed, and wouldnāt allow the inner door to open until the garage door is closed. And yes, you should definitely have a timer. 60 seconds should be about right.
If it was my house I would be getting alarms on my phone when doors are left open.
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@turnercress I donāt get it- thereās no lockable door between the garage and the house? Never seen a set-up like that.
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Yes, they left that open too
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I donāt know many people that lock the door between the house and the garage, at least not in my suburban neighborhood of single-family detached homes. I am guilty of only locking it at night when Iām home.
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Ok, the fact that they left both doors open points to extreme negligence on their part. Guests have a responsibility to care for a listing and return in it in the same condition that they found it. Anytime someone rents someone elseās property, they are expected, and held liable, to take common sense preventions to protect it.
If you rent a car from Avis and leave the car with the door ajar unattended and someone gets in there and tears up the interior, they are sure as hell going to charge you for it. Iām not sure why youāre getting so much grief here. Of course, there is āguest-proofingā but weāre not talking about a kid-friendly listing with a white carpet, it is absolutely friggin expected that guests lock up the property when they are not there. I am sure that no host would agree to list on Airbnb if guests were not expected to lock up the property. Feckin (itās growing on me @JohnF) absurd.
Only in the bizarro universe of Airbnb could it even be suggested that they arenāt responsible. This is not your fault. Iām sorry you got idiots instead of guests. The terms of service state that guests are responsible for their āown acts and omissions and are also responsible for the acts and omissions of anyone you invite to join or provide access to any Accommodation, Experience or other Host Service.ā If not locking the door to the place isnāt an omission then what the heck is.
With the garage also open?
But, really, you seem generally a reasonable enough guy, would you really rent someone elseās property and then leave both doors unlockedā¦while you are not there?
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No, I lock it in case somebody opens the garage door with a hacked remote or something.
No, I certainly wouldnāt do that, or any one of hundreds of other stupid things Iāve seen and read that guests have done 
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I agree. No oneās yet everyoneās fault, really. Unfortunately, this falls into the lessons learned category. It is what it is. Iāve learned MANY lessons on this journey and so I try to make changes and adjustments accordingly to prevent things from happening again. It can be a challenge to try and stay ahead of what MIGHT happen.
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Definitely the guestsā fault and definitely involve Airbnb host guarantee in this. Let us know how it works out.
Ditto about locking the garage to house door.
I have had several guests who have graciously taught me how to better guest proof my rental and provided other valuable learning experiences:
- The guest who messaged me āShould I leave the rocks in your washing machine?ā after failing to read the instructions that said āRemove the moisture absorbent bag before use!ā and it broke open during the wash cycle. Now I just leave the door ajar to prevent odor and mildew on the seal.
- The guests who followed my instructions to smoke outside only and left butts all over the yard that my curious dogs brought into my house. Now I prohibit smoking anywhere on the property, inside or out.
- The guest who āhelpfullyā washed my white towels and turned them blue, leading to yet another laminated sign āFor light loads only. Please do NOT wash towels or linens.ā
- The guests who used the coffee maker, microwave, and hair dryer all at the same time, blowing a fuse. After a large check to my electrician, you can turn on everything at once.
- The guest who complained about the WiFi dropping, which led to newfound expertise on setting up a Verizon router extender. Bonus: The extender allowed me to have socially distanced movie nights in my backyard with friends using a laptop projector!
Donāt charge the guest. Change your set up so this doesnāt happen again.
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Finally, I see a post I agree with! I cant believe weāre living in a time where a majority of people think the homeowner is at fault here. When did we stop holding grown adults responsible for their actions? Is a homeowner expected to close and lock the doors behind her guests every time they leave?
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Wouldnāt your insurance cover that?
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Because my keypad is on the garage door, which is used as the main point of entrance and egress, I have it in my house rules that the garage door must be kept closed all times except when guests are going and going.
Finally someone that spoke with some sensibility here! Iāve been reading this thread and Iām appalled at the amount of people that would actually blame this on the host! Youāre rightā¦ great analogy with Avis and I would also say with hotels. Homeowners with Airbnb are not financially insulated from the acts/results of stupidity of guests who canāt close the door behind them.
Just understand where many of the folks here on this thread are coming from I have a couple of questions: how often in a given year do you guess not close the door to the point of locking at your house?
If itās the host fault for guest oversight why is that? What is the reasoning or mentality for that position? If you agree with me that our homes are not hotels than Iām very curious why yāall rest the blame or responsibility on the host?
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Thereās one little difference between an Airbnb guest and a customer of Avis or a hotel: Avis and hotel customers have a signed contract from the customer that legally binds the customer to pay for losses/damages theyāve caused. We as Airbnb hosts have no signed contract from our Airbnb guests to indemnify us.
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Kudos!!! Helicopter parents running amuck on Airbnb!! Hahaha
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As I said, I donāt put all blame on the host. But the reality is that Airbnb is a platform for booking and payment. With a hotel there is always management present, with an Airbnb many hosts try to manage their rental from a distance so they have no control over the guest either. Part of our job as a host is to manage the guest once they arrive.
Sometimes things happen. Yes, guests should shut and lock the doors but they make mistakes. A wise host tries their best to anticipate these issues and have a way to overcome them.
Well, let me turn the question on its head. Why do you feel that a business shouldnāt have measures in place to protect its clients? Guests are mostly responsible but that doesnāt mean we shouldnāt guest-proof our properties.