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Of course they are claiming it was broken when they got there. I was in and out of that door the night before they arrived and it was fine. I messaged them after they arrived to see if everything was ok but they didn’t answer. I messaged them again this morning thanking them for choosing my place and that’s when she told it was nice except for the broken door handle and sent me these pics.
What the hell!!!??
That’s why a video tape my entire suite showing everything in working order and clean.
Since they will deny breaking it Airbnb will take the guest’s side. All you can do is write it off as a business expense and increase your prices slightly to make up for this expense.
Do you really take the video in so much detail that it covers just about everything?
I take videos too but now and then I see damage that when I review the tape I cannot 100% determine whether it was there before or not. This experience is helping me become better at videoing but I am beginning to think that the video tape will protect me from the ‘big lie’ but that unless I take more time will not catch about 20% or so of the little stuff, maybe more than 20%. [I also dread the tedium of taking these videos, though it is easy for the big stuff.]
I’m sorry, but are you sure it’s broken?
There’s a set screw that holds the handle onto the mechanism. You can see it in the photo, that little screw. They get loose and then the doorknob comes off in your hand. And then you put it back on and tighten the screw and all is well.
You should probably go and put it back on for them and apologize but don’t make a big deal out of it. I doubt that it’s broken and it’s not a big deal. And if it is broken, I doubt that the guests broke it. It’s hard to break a doorknob, if it’s broken then there was a manufacturing flaw. But I think that only the set screw came loose, it happens.
I really try. I start with the front door and show the code works, then I show the stairs and the second door and also show that the code works.
I even video empty trash bins, stocked tp, turn on AC, TVs, (show Roku accounts) Turn on all kitchen appliances.
I even lift the sheets and show the mattress and mattress pad an explain that there are no signs of bedbugs or their poop.
I’m sure that someone will complain about something that I forgot but I really do try to think of everything and then anytime someone mentions a guest complaining about something I add that to my tapings.
I used a app that puts the date and time on the video and then use a second app to compress and then finally I store in a dropbox.com account and hold onto for 2 months.
I’m not at home to go look at it. They sent me the pic and have already checked out. This door handle has only been on the door for 4 weeks and was not loose the night before they arrived. Hopefully u are right and that’s all it is!!
As a former carpenter, I’d agree with @JJD. Doesn’t look broken, bet it’s the screw. If the handle pulled off into their hands, it’s not really a break.
The title of this topic made me chuckle. 
A door handle dropped off. That’s really a non-issue, Fix it back on. And the chances are that it wasn’t the guests’ ‘fault’, after all, who would do that deliberately?
If they were only your third guests, you have a lot of fun ahead of you when future guests do really strange, bizarre or weird things. And it’s more than likely that they will. 
Then it probably wasn’t tightened enough when it was installed, that is the most likely time for it to be not tight enough: at installation because whoever installed it didn’t tighten it enough or it needed to be re-tightened after it settled in (a lot of screws need that). It was working fine for a while because it was tightened just enough to last a while but not for long, I’d say it was tight enough to last say for, I don’t know, about 4 weeks?
You probably loosened it just enough when you were going in and out so that it gave way when the guest pulled on it but not enough for you to notice it.
I feel pretty confident about this assessment. However, if I am wrong, it is still not your guests. It is something to do with the doorknob and/or the installation. This is not something to hold against a guest or to charge a guest for, this is cost of doing business. But it probably won’t cost much because the set screw just needs tightening 
I agree with others. It’s not broken (or at least it doesn’t appear to be from the photo). You just need a little hex (Allen) wrench to re-install.
Almost certainly it’s just loose. I refitted the entire interior of my house with lever-style locks/knobs about 8 years ago. Two came loose after a few weeks. Two more came loose after more than 5 years. The two that came loose first had little or no thread locker on the set screw. You probably need to remove the set screw put a drop of thread locker (blue Loctite) on it before tightening it down. If you installed more new knobs/locks at the same time, you should also check those carefully to see if they are becoming loose.
Well I’m glad it’s not broken but it cost me a review 
Did you already get the review or you’re just afraid they’ll knock you on the review for it?
My instant take was exactly like others’- there’s nothing broken at all. The set screw wasn’t tightened enough and the handle just fell off.
What do you mean “it cost me a review”? You mean they complained about it in the review and marked you down, or you just think they will? Most decent guests wouldn’t bother mentioning something so trivial in a review.
Since I’m new I only have 2 reviews (both 5 
) but of course I need more! They haven’t given one so I assume they just won’t give one
@Cyndyrr327 Try to relax, you are just starting and it is understandable you are a bit jittery, but things will smooth out with experience. Most (95%) of guests are pretty cool.
They have 14 days after check out….
No review is better than a crap one - particularly when you are so new!
“I messaged them again this morning thanking them for choosing my place and that’s when she told it was nice except for the broken door handle and sent me these pics.”
Perfect point to thank them for pointing this out to you.
Ugh, door handles. My duplex is 100 years old and I suspect the door handles are original. They’ve taken quite the beating in the past year, so I’m researching replacements. I’d prefer Schlage, but we’ll see what kind of conversion kits I can find for the old mortise locks. Be happy your door hardware isn’t vintage. I’m suspecting my search will be neither short nor cheap.
