How to File a Damage Claim with Airbnb
As an Airbnb host, it takes a lot of care and effort to manage a successful property. So imagine finding out that a guest has damaged your rental or your belongings? This can be an unpleasant experience – even if it wasn’t done on purpose. In extreme cases, repairs can be costly and may even lead to loss of income if it takes time to get your rental up and running again.It’s good practice to familiarise yourself with the ins and outs of Airbnb’s damage claim process in the unlikely event that something happens to your property. Here’s what to do.
What is an Airbnb damage claim?
An Airbnb damage claim is when you receive compensation for any damages that occur to your property during your guest’s stay. A damage claim can be claimed by both a guest and host defending on the situation and the damages incurred.
Through Airbnb's host protection policy, known as AirCover. Under this cover, hosts and guests are protected from financial loss in the rare event the property or belongings are damaged during a guest’s stay.
Protection for Hosts
Under AirCover, hosts receive up to US$1 million for:
- Pet damage protection
- Deep clean protection (if a guest smokes in your home)
- Income loss protection: AirCover compensates guests for loss of income if you cancel Airbnb bookings because of previous damages
- 14-day filing opportunity: If guests cause damage, you have 14 days to request compensation for damages after they check out
- Faster track for Superhosts
Protection for Guests
Under AirCover, guests receive up to US$1 million in host liability insurance. Liability insurance applies to hosts in the event a guest gets injured or their belongings are damaged or stolen while they are staying on your property. People who help you host, such as cleaners, are also included. According to Airbnb, host liability insurance covers you if you’re found responsible for:
- Personal injury to a guest (or third party)
- Damage to or theft of property belonging to a guest (or third party)
- Damage caused by a guest (or third party) to common areas
- How to fill out a damage claim as a host
Step 1: Site inspections
As soon as guests check out, document all the details as you notice the damage. Take detailed photos and videos of the damaged items or area. Gather evidence by making notes, documenting what happened, who found the damage (it could be you or your cleaning staff), and when you found the damages. This information is critical for submitting your claim on Airbnb. The more detailed your assessment of the situation, the more likely your request for compensation will be successful.
Step 2: Communicate with guest
We suggest communicating with your guests about the damages found to try and come to a reasonable agreement. In our experience, most guests will typically inform you of the damages however, some may try to get away with it. Try contacting your guest through Airbnb to settle on an agreement on how much money the damages come to and the amount you’d like them to pay.
Step 3: Submit claim
- Log in to Airbnb
- Go to ‘Resolution Center’.
- Select the booking you need to collect your security deposit for
- Under ‘Select a reason’, click ‘Request compensation for damages’.
- Click ‘Continue’. You’ll be taken to the next page where you can enter the details of the damages and the associated costs.
Within 14 days of the guest’s checkout (and damages made), you can go to Airbnb’s Resolution Center to file an AirCover request for compensation for damages.
Once you have submitted your AirCover request, your guest will have up to 3 days (72) hours to make a payment. Sometimes things don't go smoothly and a guest might decline or refuse to pay the full amount. If this happens, it is time to get Airbnb involved. If you do involve Airbnb Support in your AirCover request, this needs to occur within 30 days of the damage.
How to fill out a damage claim as a guest
If a guest has been injured on your property or their possessions have been ruined or stolen, they can visit the host liability insurance intake form to claim back any losses they experience during their stay.
Your guest’s information will be sent to one of Airbnb’s trusted third-party insurers, who will then assign the claim to a representative to resolve the issue.
The above is a basic guide to Airbnb’s damage claim process. While simple, in theory, it can be a challenge to get results. That’s why we recommend partnering with Hometime for all your property related needs so that no matter the challenge, our team of experienced Airbnb management experts can do the heavy lifting for you.
