Breaking something at an Airbnb hits different when compared to breaking something at a hotel. Unlike a hotel, there’s no front desk employee to report it to, and you don’t have a corporate policy to hide behind. And you’re probably not even worried about damaging your hotel room because your credit card likely covers the damages. But damaging an Airbnb, which is someone’s actual property, feels weird, especially when you consider that they have your credit card info and the ability to leave a review that future hosts will see.
So when you knock over that decorative vase or spill wine on the couch, your brain immediately goes into panic mode. Should you tell the hosts? Should you try and fix it/clean yourself? Will they charge you thousands of dollars? Here’s exactly what you need to do if you damage your Airbnb.
Tell Your Host Immediately Through The App
Message your host right away through the Airbnb app or website. Don’t wait until checkout, don’t text them privately, and definitely don’t try to hide it. Airbnb explicitly says guests should inform hosts as soon as damage happens so they have time to fix it before the next guest arrives. The reason for messaging through the app is to also create a paper trail.
In your message, take photos of the damage yourself and include them. This shows you’re being honest and transparent. Most hosts appreciate when guests own up to accidents instead of making them play detective. Plus, communicating through the Airbnb platform ensures that the host has to adhere to Airbnb policy, which means you won’t be subject to fees that are outside of the norm.
How The Resolution Process Works For Airbnb Damage
Your host can send you a reimbursement request through Airbnb’s Resolution Center, and you’ll have 24 hours to respond. This is all laid out officially on Airbnb’s website. You can either pay the fee that’s been asked or appeal if you think the amount is unreasonable. If you ignore the request or your appeal fails, Airbnb will charge your payment method automatically.
If you’re upfront about the damage, many hosts will work with you directly to find a reasonable solution. Some might not even charge you for minor accidents, especially if you’ve been a decent guest otherwise. But if you try to hide it and they discover the damage later, they’re well within their right to file a claim through Airbnb, and you’ll have no ball in your court.
Ultimately, it’s also reasons like this why we reccomend skipping the Airbnb and going to a hotel or hostel. There’s just too many hiccups and nightmare scenarios that make Airbnb a costly and unreasonable service. Plus, unlike Airbnbs, you can always leave your hotel rooms messy and not get charged a ridiculous cleaning fee!
