In an earlier post, I wrote that one of our Airbnb listings was destroyed. There was extensive damage done to furniture, appliances and even some of the doors. After we got over the initial shock, I commenced the process of filing a damages claim.
This was the first time I made a claim through Airbnb, and suffice to say, it was not a smooth process. As such, I felt it would be helpful to document my experience, along with some advice for other hosts that may need to make a claim in the future.
Some Background on Airbnb’s Host Program
Hosts will be pleased to know that Airbnb has a Host Damage Protection program in the event the guest fails to compensate you for damaging your home or home contents. They serve as a safeguard in the event you cannot contact or agree to payment from the guest that caused the damage. As a host, while you never want to be in this position, it’s comforting to know some level of protection exists.
The Host Damage Protection program is subject to exclusions and limitations. Therefore, hosts expecting to benefit from this program should be mindful of these rules and whether they apply to your circumstances. The link above is a helpful resource to review before starting any claim process.
My Experience With Filing A Damages Claim
Aside from lip service, I was unfortunately unable to recover anything from the guest. Therefore, I reached out to Airbnb who informed me of the Host Damage Protection program. From there, it took approximately two and a half months to process the claim.
Now some of you may find this unnecessarily time intensive. Also, depending on the extent of the damage, you may find it pointless. However in retrospect, the time taken to resolve this matter was influenced by a few key factors.
For starters, I was not well versed in the program. It is critical to note that a claim should cover all items that were damaged or needs replacement. You should have all photos, invoices and documentation available and ready to upload as part of the claim. At first, I thought that I could upload photos and invoices for each item separately. However, I unfortunately recognised my error too late in the process.
What ensued was a drawn-out and confusing exchange with the Airbnb claims contact. While the amount was not significant, it was enough for me to continue with the process. However, I would have saved a considerable amount of time if I had all collected and filed all information upfront.
My Advice to those in Similar Circumstances
For starters, always try to utilise options like the Home Damage Protection program. They are made available for your benefit if disaster strikes. Also, in my opinion, no claim is small enough for you to at least try and recoup some of the damages.
If you were to pursue these programs, I would advise the following:
- Identify and collate all documentation relevant to your claim. This may be receipts, photographic evidence, maintenance quotes, etc. Ensure that this information has appropriate date and time information and specifically relates to the damaged item.
- Be mindful and understanding of potential process delays. Depending on where you are in the world, you may not receive a quick response from Airbnb’s claims team. Incidentally, differing time zones will be an inconvenient factor that you will need to manage. For instance, the person initially managing my claim used to frequently call me in the early hours of the morning because that coincided with his shift hours.
- If you’re dissatisfied with Airbnb’s initial position, escalate it for senior review. Notwithstanding the time zone mishaps, I did not have a great experience with the first Airbnb contact. This person was frankly too inflexible in their requests and weren’t overly cooperative. In the past, I would have stopped here and avoided any further time wastage or loss of patience. Instead, I chose to escalate this to an Airbnb senior manager, who was not only very pleasant, but was able to expedite my damages claim. As such, it doesn’t hurt to exhaust all review options available.
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As a vacation rental host, there is always a risk that your property may be damaged by your guests. That comes with the territory of hosting. While it can be upsetting at the time, remember that there are great initiatives like the ones offered from Airbnb, which can at least try to make you whole. Remember that these programs can only improve your position, so it doesn’t hurt to explore them.
The content outlined above was written, edited and published by the Lost Realtor. The author has over 20 years or real estate sales and investing experience in the Australian property market. He has held senior positions in Australian building companies, including being the General Manager of the residential sales division of Collier Homes. His qualifications include a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Graduate Diploma in Building and Construction Law.