Hi. We have been Airbnb super hosts for over a year now and just had guests that caused significant damages. We are trying to engage Airbnb about the Host Guarantee “every reservation on Airbnb is protected by our $1,000,000 Host Guarantee” but I can’t find any documentation online on how to go about submitting a claim. I’ve tried going through the Resolution Center process of requesting a payment", providing pictures and information. After we submit at the end we get a message that the claim cannot exceed $12791.45 (no idea how this amount is determined). We received an email that our Host Guarantee Request was received and the case number that was assigned. The person assigned to the case sent us an email days later to tell us to request a payment through the Resolution Center (which is what we already did - there wouldn’t be a case number if we hadn’t). They went on to mention that if damages exceed the security deposit we would be prompted to fill out a Host Guarantee payment request form. We haven’t received this form. We get no reply to messages we’ve sent in response to this email. I keep trying to call the Airbnb support to tell them there is a problem with their system and that we are not getting any response and that no one has acknowledged our claim yet. Does anyone have any idea how we can get this to move forward?
Why don’t you just give them a call to discuss on the number they gave you when you became a superhost or try them on Twitter?
Information on how the host guarantee works is on the Airbnb Help Centre.
Where are you in the world?
Don’t TRY to call Air CS. Call and keep calling – stay on the line until someone answers. You are a Superhost, you have a special Superhost CS team that should be responding to you.
If the first person doesn’t give you satisfaction, politely ask to speak to their supervisor.
What kind of damage did they do that is more than $12,000??? If you got an automated response that said $12791.25, I’m betting you’re not in the US and that that amount is a currency conversion to/from your local currency.
We did call several times. Hi hey keep telling us someone is assigned to the case and should get back to us.
We have called 5 times now and always wait until someone answers. The amount in damages and xceeds 10k (flooring). I have asked for a supervisor/manager and they just say it’s already escalated and outside their control. The amount we are claiming is no where near the number they’ve stated as a limit but it is probably currency conversion of some USD limit.
Did you try Twitter?
A Facebook rant seems to get a pretty quick response
May I just say I love your name? 
I really get bothered when hosts say that they want to claim on the so-called host guarantee. Okay, I know that some people have been successful doing so but really, it’s up to each host to ensure that they have the correct STR insurance.
STR is a business and anyone being in that business should be strict about doing everything correctly.
Correction the claim amount is well over 20k (not 10k stated in prior reply).
Actually we do have insurance. It is our insurance company that expects us to engage Airbnb to share the costs because Airbnb claims to provide coverage. Airbnb however doesn’t appear to have a process in place to back their claim.
We too have had significant trouble making a claim
We have had to make two small claims.
The first one was for about $5,000.00 and we got stonewalled by AirBnb.
We request a large damage deposit from our guest which AirBnb keeps in trust. We said we would settle for that amount. We were told repeatedly to start our claim all over again and after doing so three time finally they just pushed us away.
The second one was for much smaller and they are more responsive but keep moving he goal post of required documentation and photos and then stating if it’s not to them in less than 24 hours our claim is canceled.
They are doing all they can to not pay out any of the security deposit they collect from the guest.
It is very difficult.
Also be aware if you make a claim it will change the algorithm of how close to the top you are with your listing.
Both time we have made a claim our listings have either disappeared or dropped down about ten pages.
The second time a phone call corrected it the first time we had to wait about two months before we even showed up again after many complaints
We are now taking the approach that it is a cost of doing business and better not to make a claim against the security deposit your request from your guest
I’m slightly surprised that your insurance company expects Airbnb to share the costs of the claim. Going forward, it might be as well to look elsewhere.
The insurance company told me it is a normal practice to share costs of claim when more than one insurance company is involved. REGARDLESS Airbnb should quit marketing that they have your back because they clearly DO NOT.
Every reservation request we get, I see the message “We’ve got you covered. Every reservation on Airbnb is protected by our $1,000,000 Host Guarantee.” But they don’t have a process to make a claim???
I was looking for help here. We have done everything we should - just thought maybe there was something we didn’t know we needed to do.
Our experience working with Airbnb in this matter has been appalling.
I had a feeling we weren’t the first.
The best way of looking at it is to imagine that Airbnb doesn’t exist. Think back to the 1980s when STR providers were completely on their own. Think of Airbnb as just another advertsining platform - nothing special or magic.
WOW, this is very good information for hosts to know, thank you! How absurd that a host would be punished for making a claim, when it is the guest that caused the problem.
The Security Deposit is not collected, just a theoretical charge against the Guest, seemingly if they agree.
The Host Guarantee is not Insurance, the concept you are talking about is Contribution, do not see how it could apply in this case.
Things today are not what they used to be… it used to be simpler. Airbnb does exist and we have our listing with Airbnb so I can’t pretend it doesn’t exist.
If you search Airbnb help for “host protection insurance” you will see there is an insurance component to to Host Guarantee.