There’s plenty of information about what happens for Airbnb owners when something goes wrong, but what about for guests? What am I responsible for in an Airbnb for damage caused during a genuine accident?
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So… I Had a Little Accident
It was a morning unlike any other, I got up to make breakfast for my family in the kitchen of our gorgeous Airbnb home. I never make breakfast but I was feeling inspired by the beautiful setting, clean kitchen and feeling of being completely on holiday. Have I mentioned this home is stunning? In a nutshell, it’s what vacation dreams are made of. As far as the area we are staying in, this home is on the pricier side for accommodations, but still affordable at $165/nt and worth every penny.
We arrived earlier than expected and got to the home while the property manager and cleaning crew were still getting everything tidied up. The PM told us we were welcome to stay while they finished up or gave us a few pointers about the area in case we wanted to just drop our bags and run out.
We opted for the latter and after about an hour, we returned to the home where the work was finished and the home was spotless. We exchanged a few pleasantries and asked a bunch of questions about the area, not the home. We never really walked through the property or remembered to ask questions such as where we should take the trash when it’s full. We are obviously very used to hotels and rarely stay in Airbnbs.
As I was saying before, it was a morning unlike any other – I threw some butter in the pan and it melted slower than I expected but I figured I just hadn’t found the correct temperature on the stovetop yet. Once melted, I poured in the eggs and let them sit before scrambling. As the eggs were almost finished I added some leftover meat from dinner the night before, threw on a couple of tortillas, and BOOM! An explosion of glass is how I remember it. Pieces of glass went flying everywhere, bursting and some landing as far as 10 feet away.
Then it occurred to me, this was not a glass stovetop… this was a gas stove with a glass cover on it. A glass cover that was supposed to be removed before you use it of course.
Duh moment. I could not believe I did not remove the cover and essentially just lit this piece of glass on fire until it ruptured. Of course, breakfast took unusually long to cook but it made it all the way to finished cooking before shattering the glass into a million tiny pieces of shrapnel.
It’s My Fault, No Doubt About It
All mistakes seem obvious and easily avoided in retrospect, trust me I feel foolish but I was simply unfamiliar with this stove. I kept replaying the scenario in my head over and over again thinking to myself how in the world did I not realize what I was doing? And why did we not ask the property manager to walk us through the home when we arrived? We may have been told of this tiny detail or even asked how to use it. There are dozens of ways I could have and should have been able to avoid this silly accident, but it happened and after it was cleaned up, I needed to move on.
My second thought after “Wow, I’m so dumb,” was ” This is going to be so expensive to replace.” This home is gorgeous, its luxurious finishes were done to a high standard. The piece I destroyed was probably custom-fitted or premium name brand, but whatever it ends up to be, it’s my fault and no one else’s.
My husband had been in touch with the property manager who would serve as our point of contact during this stay and gave her a call after the incident occurred that morning. There were no immediate details of what we should expect to happen or how much we would need to pay, but we took ownership of my mistake and apologized. However, I still couldn’t help but wonder what should I expect next and how we go about any process for this type of incident. It’s not like a broke a small household item, I destroyed a very specific piece of property.
The Property Has a Damage Disclaimer
After reaching out to our contact, we searched for what types of damages that Airbnb covers for their hosts or what type of protections are in place both for the host and the guest. Are there any deposits that are charged like that of a hotel during check-in? I also went back through the listing for the home we were staying in and found this written in the “Other Things to Note” section:
Security Deposit – if you damage the home, you may be charged up to $200
What exactly this means is still a mystery to me. Do we pay to replace the item that was damaged? Do we pay for damages of up to $200? Are we expected to replace the item and pay a $200 fee? I would assume that people who rent out their home expect there will be accidents and costs associated with missing or broken items, but how much is taken into consideration for these incidentals? Obviously in this case this is more than just breaking a dish or losing a remote. Had I broken the air conditioner it would have been unfair to the owner to get away with paying as little as $200, but the language doesn’t really specify for anything over that amount.
When I searched for answers on Airbnb I found that there are protections provided to hosts that can be found on their website. I struggled to find information to guests in the home who have caused damage and what they should expect as far as fees are concerned.
What’s Fair?
It was clearly an accident, not an act of malice but it is also not the host’s fault that I did not remove the stovetop cover before cooking. I am responsible for the incident so what would be fair for me to expect?
In my opinion, having something in place such as a damage waiver of up to $200 is a fair compromise. This would help eliminate any disputes about whether a replacement cost is accurate and fair – what if the property owner decided that instead of just replacing the piece of glass they’d have to buy a whole new stove and oven instead? However, more expensive items that could be damaged and not repaired like televisions, air conditioners, or other major appliances, I would think that a fee of $200 would be too low.
And in that case…
A full replacement cost is fair too, though, in some instances, you may replace something that was already worn or damaged with something new which seems unfair to the renter. In my situation, this home is still quite new and replacing the exact item with a brand new one would not be unreasonable; but not both. A renter should not have to both cover the replacement of the asset and incur a $200 fee.
One thing is for certain, I’m not going to make breakfast tomorrow.
What Should a Guest Do If They Damage an Airbnb home?
Instructions are different for Airbnb guests as opposed to Airbnb hosts. Either guest or homewoner can request money from the other party, claim an incident, and puruse a result.
Guest
Upon checking in, a guest agrees to abide by host guarantee terms and conditions. That likely means that they need to apply with any requested reimbursement for any damage they cause outside of normal wear and tear. Guests should first examine a home and if they feel compelled, consider taking photos of any pre-existing damage they find within the home.
If a guest accidentally damages a home, they should take some steps. First, they should provide documentation of the damaged item and include photos. This is for Airbnb, the insurance agents, and the protection of the renter in case unrelated damages may be accidentally attributed to this event.
They should then contact the host as soon as possible to notify them. If the homeowner places a questionable price on the replacement or you are unable to come to an agreement, it’s important to then contact Airbnb’s resolution center. You should wait at least 72 hours to do so, and you can access it from the app.
Homeowner
If an item in your home has been damaged by a guest, homeowners have 14 days to file a claim on security deposit-related items and up to 60 days on non-security deposit claims, or in either case, before the next guest checks in. Airbnb includes host protection insurance of up to $1MM that covers the property and its contents, bodily injury, or property damage to others as a result of your guests.
If a guest reaches out with an issue, a swift response is important to protect your assets. If a homeowner discovers damage that was unreported, they should first contact the guest and should that fail by the same 72-hour timeline, then pursue the resolution center.
What would you expect to the costs to be in a situation like this? Have you had any similar experience as a guest or a host with accidental damages in an Airbnb?
There is the cost of the item and then the cost of dealing with the hassle of replacing and installing it—the incremental cost of bringing the property manager in to track and deal with the situation. That incremental cost may be >$200. The home owner incurs costs above the replacement of the item for the damage you caused, and should be reimbursed for that.
I agree that there are costs outside of the direct material replacement, however, some of this is associated with the cost of doing business. Fortunately in our situation we did not end up hitting the $200 mark. (Follow up post coming tomorrow.)
So what about when you get stuck in an AirBnb, it’s infested with cockroaches, swarmed with flies, ,centipedes and cobwebs? Then you tell the ” host”, and they repeatedly tell you that ” it’s normal, and it’s Hawaii”….. well, no it’s NOT, and YOU are a SCAMMER, RIP OFF, DOUBLE MAJOR D-BAG!! SUCK IT! GETTING MY MOBEY BACK AND SUI G FOR HEALTH RELATED DAMAGES FROM COCKROACH FILTH!!
As an owner, I find that it’s quite often that renters damage things. It’s also inevitable because homes become more complicated, with more equipment with very different methods of operation. In this circumstance, I would expect the guest to pay for the replacement glass top, together with shipping and fitting (if it was not a do-it-yourself fitment. I had no idea of the AirBnB charge, but have noticed that they do seem to take money out the middle at every opportunity.
More problematic is the guest who breaks things which cannot be repaired before the next renter arrives. I recently had a guest who insisted on changing the pool temperature. Stupidly I gave him the code to get into the controller after he claimed he had a similar controller at home and would only change the temperature. Instead, he switched off the pumps to the pool, resulting in the pool filling with algae which couldn’t be removed in time for the next guests, who (quite reasonably) expected money off their rental. Should I have dinged the original renter only for the cost of the pool service (only a few hundred dollars) or the cost of that and the discount to the next renters (coming to about $1800 in total)? In my mind it should have been the latter but AirBnB insisted on the former. Another reason not to rent out with AirBnB
We mostly kept Airbnb out of it in this case, but I would think it would be difficult to recuperate future losses regardless of how material they may be.
I am interested in the outcome.
Speaking as an owner, I wouldn’t have “unusual” features that might confuse guests. The pictures lead me to believe you aren’t in the US so maybe glass covers are common in that location. (We don’t rent our vacation home but enough friends and family use our home that I learned my lesson.
Follow up post coming tomorrow, you’re correct – we were in Mexico, and no one I know has ever seen a cover like
this before. When we looked for replacements online it was extremely difficult, so I also believe these aren’t very common.
Airbnb faults their host guarantee, but they ALWAYS make us go after the guest for the full amount first. So you should be expecting to cover the entire replacement cost, which, might be over $200. Could you argue you shouldn’t pay anymore than $200 cuz of that disclaimer, sure.. but .,.
Luckily in our situation the cost of the damage was less than $200. We certainly were not trying to get away with anything, but the wording of the “damage policy” was too wide open for incidents that could certainly cost more than the stated $200.
Wow, what a remarkable accident!
Lots of things to break down here. I do think if there’s an unusual setup, such as a glass cover over a gas range’s burners that needs to be removed before the stove is used, the host MUST tell you that. Expecting you will guess seems irresponsible, and in this case, caused the accident!
I’d be curious whether was a binder full of information about the house, including Wi-Fi password, local emergency phone numbers, etc., that might have included such a tidbit. Should you be expected to have read through everything before making breakfast?
The first photo is also interesting to me. Was that tea kettle sitting on top of the glass when you arrived? I personally would NOT expect that to be just ornamental. I would figure the tea kettle was sitting where it could be used!
OF COURSE, as you expect, you should be responsible for repairing the damage. I’ll be curious to hear what the property owner asks for, and what AirBnB asks you to do.
Follow up post coming tomorrow with more details on the costs and process. To answer some of your questions- yes the tea kettle was like that and also no we’ve never seen anything like this before (nor have friends, family or readers).
There was not a binder in the property but that would have been extremely helpful. Luckily we remembered to ask how to connect to the wi-fi before the PM left, but we had a few other questions about the property that were not addressed during our arrival (where to take the trash out, whether or not we flush TP, etc.) We had a wonderful stay overall but a tour of the home or binder would have been helpful.
I agree that should have been disclosed. I have never heard of such a thing in my life!
I did something similar in my first college apt. I had never seen a gas range before so I assumed the bottom compartment was a drawer like in electric models. Turns out it was a broiler. The fire dept was called. Thankfully we did not explode and I was not billed by the college. After the incident I asked a bunch of older relatives (50s and up). Many wouldn’t have known either!
I don’t think a security deposit limits the renter’s liability. Typically, if you damage something, they’ll take your $200 deposit, but you’re still responsible for any excess over that. In this case, though, I’m puzzled about how the “host guarantee” works. From the way Sean describes it, it sounds like an insurance policy in case the renter fails to pay.
Personally, I think both parties share some blame on this one. Yes, you should always ask for a walk-through from the host or property manager, but I also agree with MHA that the host bears some responsibility for pointing out any “unusual” features. (I can tell you, I’ve never seen a glass cover over a gas stove, so I don’t know that I would have even noticed unless someone told me about it.) My guess is the owner asks for the costs to replace the glass cover and some installation charges, but I would push back and try to settle for, say, 75% of the cost, by politely explaining that the glass cover was never pointed out by the property manager. If the host guarantee really is an insurance policy, the owner can be made whole by that.
I did learn a few lessons from this experience – One major one would be on what to ask before a host or PM leaves the property. This was definitely an unusual feature and when the PM visited us after the incident she told us of it happening at one of her other properties previously… so at least I’m not the only who has made this mistake.
I’ll have a follow up post tomorrow but in our situation the hosts only asked us to cover the cost to replace the item.
I have seen a glass cover over a gas stove. You are not meant to remove it, just lift it up while you are using it and then lower it back down when you are finished. It acts like a surface to prepare stuff on and also to protect the gas burners from debris.
This thing about the glass top must be one of these British or European vs American things. These are common where I live (in the Middle East). As Eileen says, it’s used to cover the grill or burners so you can have a flat surface to work on when not cooking. You just lift it up or lower it, as needed. For people used to this, it wouldn’t occur to you that you need to explain this. But of course, to someone who’s never seen this–Americans I presume–on can understand the confusion. This is why we call such things accidents. If insurance won’t cover it then the two parties should split the difference.
As a PM, I’m surprised your agreement doesn’t include a damage waiver. If it did, this unintentional damage would be covered, no worries. In the future always find out ahead of time what is covered and up to what amount.
So what happened?
I think it’s a 50/50 responsibility type of thing. Not being informed how to use the appliance resulted in appliance damage.
When I wrote this post we were still in Mexico and still unsure of what the next steps were. I’ll have a follow up post tomorrow with more details, but long story short we paid the cost of replacing the item (it was a fair price).
There was good communication from the hosts and they were very understanding.
As an owner, when small things break and renters confess, we chalk it up to wrar and tear. But if the damage is significant, we deduct the cost of replacement from the damage deposit. That is what it is for. This can include shipping drlivery and/or installation. An itemized list of costs, with a copy of the invoice should be provided. If not, ask. If the cost rxceeds your deposit, consider offering to cover the additional cost to avoid small claims and additional cost.
By alerting the PM immediately, you have already gone a long way to get the most fair and generous consideration.
Sometimes, if it is determined to be unnecessary or an item that will not be replaced, there will be no charges.
Many management offices and online travel agencies (OTAs) keep a credit card on file for additional charges. For future reference, you can always purchase temporary renters’ insurance to cover accidents.
You’re right, good communication was key for both sides. Your advice from the perspective of a property manager is really helpful to myself and readers.
Please do update us on how this works out. It would be very nice to know how a situation like this gets handled by AirBnb.
@121Pilot – I will have the full update on this outcome tomorrow in a new post.
Wow, I’m interested in hearing how this turned out.
Also, glass shattering from heat stress is terrifying – glad nobody got hurt!
From an insurance standpoint, there are two options:
1 – Guest buys travel insurance which covers exactly this type of accident. It’s relatively inexpensive.
2 – Owner has insurance specifically for vacation rentals, in which case the property damage would be covered at replacement cost. Also, should injury have occurred, medical payments would also be covered.
As a frequent traveller who often chooses airbnb rentals, this post was extremely helpful. Also something like this could happen to anyone so don’t feel bad! I myself found myself in a similar situation last week, I have never encountered a glass countertop over a gas stove. Good comment about the travel insurance although I can appreciate the property manager being upset, I think without an explanation (ie like the binder) the property manager should understand that this was an accident.
Similar situation we are dealing with right now. Looks like a guest stood/sat on our ceramic apron sink causing it to crack all the way through. The sink is discontinued and there is no direct replacement. It looks like the entire countertop and sink will need to be replaced. The timing will also cause a cancelation of a long term rental. Total we will be out more than $12,000… Waiting to see how airbnb deals with the situation.
I believe if you are going to put your property up for rental you should have well researched landlord insurance covering either accidental or malicious damage. You should then only expect the renter to pay the excess (as they would in their own home) and that should be stated in advertisements for the property. I am a frequent renter of airbnb properties and this liability issue is of concern to me. I take out travel insurance as well, even for domestic travel.
I have a glass top stove in my home. The usual damage is when you don”t see the gas is still burning and you close the lid. It then burns a hole in the protective (anti shatter) film on the underside. I have only had one lid shatter in eleven years.
I have just yesterday had a simialr incident at my property that we have where the guest has taken the frypan off the stove and put it right on the bench leaving a burn tight in the centre of the bench .the other side of the cook top is a stainless steel bench but no they put it right on the bench leaving a burn hole 5he fry pan was qlso charcoal black . I arrived to clean after letting them have a late check out qnd found the damage I messaged them immediately they said they were just about 5o contact me .this happened the evening they arrived but never notified me. I contacted air bnb and have been advised to first ask them if they are prepared to pay for the damage i am in the process of waiting for my quote . Its very frustrating such a stupid thing to have to deal with . DEB
Better to stay at some hotel in this range and enjoy nature,seens and peace of mind
HI So I’m reading this and wondering what happened? Have you written the outcome somewhere? Thanks
It’s linked in the post, I believe. Here is the conclusion: http://bit.ly/2m497RE
I’m in a AirBnB right now and I walked into our bedroom this morning and saw our flatscreen was on. There was a spiderweb like shatter design inside the screen and the picture is flashing on and off. I have a suspicion my 7 year old must have done something to the tv like hit it with an object but he’s in full denial mode and not fessing up. I feel TERRIBLE. This article has helped as this is the very first time we have ever used and AirBnB. We fully intend to cover a replacement because that’s only fair for the owner. It’s just put a little damper on the trip though as I would be upset if I rented my place out to a group who broke a TV.
We just broke a shower head, and was asked to pay a replacement. The shower head was not new, and was placed in a holder off the wall, that kept swiveling. When my daughter dropped in in the tile floor (I had done it two the day before), it broke clear off.
I don’t think we should have to pay the full amount because it wasn’t fully functional to begin with. It was set up for an accident.
gas ovens with a glass cover over the burners should if closed over the gas burners should turn off the gas to the burners, and this accident should not have occurred. So the responsibility lies with the host for lack of maintenance.
Guests should take reasonable care with a home and expect to pay a reasonable REPLACEMENT costs. So, yes, 100% is reasonable. The host has gas, time, and a ton of energy to fix things. Most do not have maintenance or purchase agreements in place. Further, other guests will ask for refunds or discounts if the house isn’t fully functional so there are many costs in addition to replacement costs. It amazes me how many people don’t know how to operate a home. If you can’t, don’t rent. I mean, last week, a kid hung on the garage door opener release latch (in case your remote doesn’t work or power is out and you have to open door). Does the host have to say, hey, don’t pull on this? Damage: entire mechanism pulled off. Result: next guest complained they had to manually open door and lock it. The same guests also left collectible acrylic wine stems in the lower shelf of the dishwasher and melted them as they ran on the pots and pans additional soil level. Hmmmm…. isn’t irmt common knowledge to not out plastics on lower shelf? Maybe even seen if they are dishwasher safe? Should guests pay for 3 that were broken or entire set of four as they are no longer available. BTW, the above items were 6 months old. They also busted a desk chair, sheared the mechanism clean off, I can include guess a heavy person was rocking back and forth. Do I need to say 250 lb limit and this is for sitting at desk? Guest was unhappy I didn’t purchase an additional sofa for them as they said they were large and wanted to lounge. I told them there was a sofa, loveseat, and an additional couch. Should I be expected to BUY additional furniture for a guest? Go to CORT and rent what you want if what is there isn’t meeting your desires, or rent another property….
So, short story: 1) communicate (my guest said the glasses shrunk and they may have broken something else) 2) work with the hist on what is reasonable. 3) expect to pay damages you caused ( I had a guest tell me ruining the coffee table with markers and scratches was part of the cleaning fee they paid….
Treat it as your own home and your stay should be good and your host relationship good.