Airbnb dispute from a customer perspective

[ocrx8]

Hi all,

Looking for some advice here.

I stayed in an Airbnb at the start of August for a couple of weeks. All was fine on checkout and the host (a management company) published positive feedback.

Five days later I received communication from them that an item of furniture had been damaged and I owed ~£550. It goes without saying that I didn't cause the damage so I declined the claim. Airbnb themselves have since got involved, reviewed both sides and their final decision is that I need to reimburse the host the safety deposit, approx £150.

Do I have a leg to stand on? I'm a honest guy and will hold my hands up when wrong, but on this occasion I'm not guilty and am obviously extremely reluctant to fork out for something unrelated to me. Airbnb tried to take the money directly but the card I used for the booking was cancelled a few weeks back for different reasons, which has worked out nicely!

Thanks.

[WinkleHoff]

Air bnb is like the wild west. Did they issue evidence?

[A993LAD]

WinkleHoff said:

Air bnb is like the wild west. Did they issue evidence?

I'm not sure a statement like that can be based on a great deal of personal experience, sounds more like it's based around some of the more lurid stories from the popular press.

Having been an Airbnb host for two years and hosted nearly 300 visitors we haven't yet had a single significantly bad experience and the vast majority have been incredibly positive as well as quite lucrative. We also regularly use the system as guests and have stayed in some brilliant locations and venues across the UK and overseas - again without any difficulties or disappointments.

Guests at our venue regularly break or damage things but never at any significant cost nor have we contemplated billing them for the damage because we just consider it inevitable wear and tear easily covered by the rental costs.

It would be useful if the OP could provide details on the item of furniture that was damaged and the extent of damage alleged to have been caused if he wants feedback on the reasonableness of the claim from the host/Airbnb

[Algarve]

It might just be a coincidence but bank card already cancelled usually means the renter knew it was coming.

[meatballs]

With a normal rental tenancy you would have a check in inspection and a check out inspection. Without these a landlord doesn't really have a leg to stand on for claiming damages. Ditto for car rental.

Can't see why it would be legally much different for Airbnb, I suspect it won't be done because of the timescales and effort involved.

Probably some damage from a previous rental that they have only just discovered, but unless they can prove the condition of it at the start of your tenancy then it's tough for them (imo)

[ocrx8]

It was a glass coffee table, of which the base is in two sections and the top rests on these. One of the base sections was cracked on the very upper edge and had a clip holding it together. I asked Airbnb to show before and after photos and they were unable to show anything from before my tenancy.

I've used Airbnb before in the past and it's always been a positive experience - shame about this one.

[mikeveal]

Write back and say that you as you did not damage the table, you will not be paying.

Politely state that any further demands for money will be seen as harassment. If the renter wishes to proceed further he should do so through the courts.

Expect them to ban you from using their site.

[pavarotti1980]

A993LAD said:

I'm not sure a statement like that can be based on a great deal of personal experience, sounds more like it's based around some of the more lurid stories from the popular press.

Are you sure?

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...