Using Host Guarantee or Security Deposit for Damage Caused by Guest Pets Improperly Supervised?

I didn’t have an option when requesting to get Airbnb involved of whether it was under the Host Guarantee or under the Security Deposit. Of course Airbnb chose the Host Guarantee which protected them and the Guest and screwed the Host.

Any suggestions for trying to get reimbursed for the damages?

I had a guest who, among many other things, allowed their dog to chew a hole in my comforter and flat sheet. Airbnb said that the Host Guarantee didn’t cover it. I am next going to try to get it from his deposit. What do I need to do to up my chances? The Guest didn’t deny the damage in his decline to pay, just said “this lady is trying to extort me”. This guy is also a host but hasn’t hosted in about a year (according to reviews) and only got 3 great reviews from guests after canceling on his first guest. He had 5 great and 1 good review from hosts. The good one was the recent one, the great ones were a year ago. I could describe the whole thing but suffice to say that he did not read the House Rules at all and could not control his dogs and they escaped him inside the house as well as outside where one tried to attack my horses. I have all outside behavior on camera, including when the dogs were intentionally released and when they escaped. Of course less than an hour after Airbnb notified us he wouldn’t have to pay the requested $90 for the damages he posted my review.

This was what Airbnb quotes when they declined my request for payment for damages by the Guest.

This is what I think should apply:

I don’t understand why they wouldn’t default to the security deposit rather than the host guarantee, because that would be the guest paying instead of Air paying. Did you ask them why this wasn’t taken out of the guest’s deposit? I believe the Host Guarantee doesn’t cover pet damage (which I think is ludicrous), but there’s no reason the security deposit shouldn’t.

I agree but based on my experience with them over the last 2.5 years it is because they prefer to make the Guest happy. I haven’t asked them yet. I figured I would arm myself with knowledge from experienced Hosts here first.

I don’t know the answer but it’s not the first time I’ve read that Airbnb doesn’t have your back if you have pet damage. The only time I did the guest told me about it straightaway, paid for carpet cleaning and we didn’t even involve Airbnb.

Going forward, maybe you need to charge in a different way, for example make the pet fee $xxx and refund 80% of it after check out if there is no pet damage. People who don’t like it can find another host to rent from.

Ironically in this case it wouldn’t have mattered because he didn’t pay his pet fees either. Airbnb ended up paying his $30 pet fees as well as half of my requested fees for damage (because they said I couldn’t prove it wasn’t my dogs that did it since they COULD have gone in and done it and I had no proof they didn’t) and he got off Scott free. He left me a 5 star review because of it though. Lol

I say in my house rules that all pet fees and second person charges must be paid before check in. I’ve had a handful that didn’t usually due to being last minute reservations or didn’t disclose in advance for me to request it and I’ve always gotten the money. But you could institute a strict enforcement since Airbnb won’t back you up.

Good point about putting it in the rules but I already have a lot and I would have with this guy if he hadn’t arrived at the time he did.
Ironically his response to my factually scathing review goes in and on about how horrible I am and makes up lies about my dog attacking his on arrival. Explains his great review of me is because he is polite. Never once denies any of my claims, and calls me a monster. I wonder if review responses have to follow the same rules as actual reviews…

Yes, they do. But I would leave his response there (don’t report it) so that other hosts can see that he’s crazy.

I think I’d call Airbnb and ask about it. Calls you a monster? WTF. They shouldn’t allow that as it’s clearly retaliatory. I don’t want to host this guy or his dog. If someone allowed me to take my dogs with me to their airbnb I would be falling all over myself to pay for any damages. If my dogs damaged anything I’d be shocked and mortified.

They don’t care. I called in about a response to my review of a guest where she says “karma is a bitch” and basically threatens to ruin my business because I said something bad about her, and Air said I could report it if I wanted. They didn’t do anything about it. But after thinking about it for a while, I decided to leave it so that other hosts can see she’s a vindictive lunatic.

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Great idea! And in this case savvy guests as well because he is also a host! Besides, it will never show up on MY page.

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EXACTLY. After I calmed down about my retaliatory response, I had a good laugh because she apparently really thought writing that out would hurt me, when in fact, no one will ever see it!

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