Post by High Priestess on Oct 5, 2015 0:47:32 GMT
Tom shared in AUgust 2015
Compliments to Resolution Team & Guest
Recently, I had a guest that severely burned toast in the toaster oven which resulted in smoke throughout the flat. The toaster oven was ruined with brown burn marks.
I contacted Airbnb and reported the incident. My guests were really nice people and I know accidents do happen.
The process was very easy. I took pictures of the toaster with the burn marks. All of the curtains needed to be washed so I charged 2 hours @ $25 per hour. It would have been higher if I chose to dry clean them but they are inexpensive cotton curtains from IKEA.
Airbnb did tell me that washing of the curtains might be considered part of the cleaning fee but I decided to wait with the claim.
I charged for the toaster oven along with tax and epediated 1 day shipping from Amazon. I also included $50 for the extra cleaning.
The claim form states to give the guest 3 days to respond. I didn’t hear anything for the 3 days from my guest. However, at the end of the 3rd day Airbnb did contact me and asked if I needed for them to get involved in the dispute.
On the 5th day, the guest wrote me several emails and asked how to send the money (check or through Airbnb).
Matter closed. (My guest did not pay any deposit).
In my case, I had decided to drop the deposit requirement on Airbnb listings. I do charge a cleaning fee but after 3 1/2 years of using Airbnb, I only had to keep the deposit 1 time.
So, I decided to drop the deposit requirement all together. I have insurance and Airbnb offers back-up insurance so what’s the point in asking for a deposit? So far so good.
I want to add one thing that I have learned in the past....... you run the risk of problems when your nightly rates are too low.
Tanya:
Could you please elaborate on that ? What kind of problems would you expect from guests booking at low rates that you wouldn't expect from guests booking at higher rates?
Keith:
There are many threads that discuss this topic and many have offerred their time tested thoughts on the topic of price and guest quality
Tanya:
I'm sorry if it sounds like a dumb question, but how can I access these threads? I was trying to use the search feature on top and it either doesn't work or takes forever.. I would really like to read about it.
Keith:
if search isn't doing the trick then you may just have to resort to scrolling until you find what you need, but you shouldn't have to go super far to find more info.
I think this is a good place to use the add on charge feature. When guests are accommodating.
Peter:
Tom. I do have a security deposit. My reasoning is as follows - with insurance claims (Airbnb's or ones own) you're always at the mercy of the insurance company or Airbnb as to whether or not your claim merits payment and how much. With a security deposit, the Host is much more in control of the process. In case of damage, apply the deposit for instant reimbursement. If the Guest disputes, the Guest has the burden of proving to your satisfaction that they should not pay for the damage. Lastly, it's always a good idea to make as few claims against your insurance policy as possible either to maintain the good customer credit or to avoid red flags for future insurance companies you may want to work with.
Melanie:
Hi Tom. I list a $500 security deposit. Airbnb does not actually collect and hold the deposit, it is only a pre-authorization, by the way. I specify several items that will be charged a minimum of $150 (grease stains on the paver driveway, damage to plaster walls, anything that requires a handyman or contractor to repair). I feel this serves to ensure guests will be careful, and also gives me the right to charge that amount without dispute, since you can not usually obtain services in less than 48 hours. I have never actually collected any deposit funds, although there have been occasions when it could be justified. If you use the "resolution tool" to add a fee, you may have more difficulty collecting.
RTom:
Are you certain that Airbnb does not collect the deposit? The other platforms do collect the deposit.
I originally started out requiring $500 then dropped it to $400, $250, and finally $100.
Since my nightly rates are quite high, I found that my guests have been quite responsible.
The guests that I sent a bill for $103.00 did not have a deposit with me but they paid after I submitted a claim. I did have pictures which documented the damage.
I didn’t charge a deposit with guests either and I found all of them to be very responsible as well. Anyway, I am going to give it a try. I have hosted over 250+ guests with only 2 incidents that resulted in claims for extra cleaning. However, I have been told that hosts might not be compensated for extra cleaning since it is assumed that cleaning fees cover this charge.
Anyway, since I put “strict no parties, no group events, no guests, no drugs, no excessive alcohol, and no loud noises”, I have not once had an issue of inconsiderate guests.
Peter has made some good points but I have a commercial business insurance and I have a $250 deductable so Airbnb’s insurance will kick in if I ever have damages less than this amount.
Anyway, I guess my Buddhist philosophy or outlook on life makes me feel uncomfortable if I feel any possible negativity about my guests. (it took me a long time to recover from my 1 negative experience).
Compliments to Resolution Team & Guest
Recently, I had a guest that severely burned toast in the toaster oven which resulted in smoke throughout the flat. The toaster oven was ruined with brown burn marks.
I contacted Airbnb and reported the incident. My guests were really nice people and I know accidents do happen.
The process was very easy. I took pictures of the toaster with the burn marks. All of the curtains needed to be washed so I charged 2 hours @ $25 per hour. It would have been higher if I chose to dry clean them but they are inexpensive cotton curtains from IKEA.
Airbnb did tell me that washing of the curtains might be considered part of the cleaning fee but I decided to wait with the claim.
I charged for the toaster oven along with tax and epediated 1 day shipping from Amazon. I also included $50 for the extra cleaning.
The claim form states to give the guest 3 days to respond. I didn’t hear anything for the 3 days from my guest. However, at the end of the 3rd day Airbnb did contact me and asked if I needed for them to get involved in the dispute.
On the 5th day, the guest wrote me several emails and asked how to send the money (check or through Airbnb).
Matter closed. (My guest did not pay any deposit).
In my case, I had decided to drop the deposit requirement on Airbnb listings. I do charge a cleaning fee but after 3 1/2 years of using Airbnb, I only had to keep the deposit 1 time.
So, I decided to drop the deposit requirement all together. I have insurance and Airbnb offers back-up insurance so what’s the point in asking for a deposit? So far so good.
I want to add one thing that I have learned in the past....... you run the risk of problems when your nightly rates are too low.
Tanya:
Could you please elaborate on that ? What kind of problems would you expect from guests booking at low rates that you wouldn't expect from guests booking at higher rates?
Keith:
There are many threads that discuss this topic and many have offerred their time tested thoughts on the topic of price and guest quality
Tanya:
I'm sorry if it sounds like a dumb question, but how can I access these threads? I was trying to use the search feature on top and it either doesn't work or takes forever.. I would really like to read about it.
Keith:
if search isn't doing the trick then you may just have to resort to scrolling until you find what you need, but you shouldn't have to go super far to find more info.
I think this is a good place to use the add on charge feature. When guests are accommodating.
Peter:
Tom. I do have a security deposit. My reasoning is as follows - with insurance claims (Airbnb's or ones own) you're always at the mercy of the insurance company or Airbnb as to whether or not your claim merits payment and how much. With a security deposit, the Host is much more in control of the process. In case of damage, apply the deposit for instant reimbursement. If the Guest disputes, the Guest has the burden of proving to your satisfaction that they should not pay for the damage. Lastly, it's always a good idea to make as few claims against your insurance policy as possible either to maintain the good customer credit or to avoid red flags for future insurance companies you may want to work with.
Melanie:
Hi Tom. I list a $500 security deposit. Airbnb does not actually collect and hold the deposit, it is only a pre-authorization, by the way. I specify several items that will be charged a minimum of $150 (grease stains on the paver driveway, damage to plaster walls, anything that requires a handyman or contractor to repair). I feel this serves to ensure guests will be careful, and also gives me the right to charge that amount without dispute, since you can not usually obtain services in less than 48 hours. I have never actually collected any deposit funds, although there have been occasions when it could be justified. If you use the "resolution tool" to add a fee, you may have more difficulty collecting.
RTom:
Are you certain that Airbnb does not collect the deposit? The other platforms do collect the deposit.
I originally started out requiring $500 then dropped it to $400, $250, and finally $100.
Since my nightly rates are quite high, I found that my guests have been quite responsible.
The guests that I sent a bill for $103.00 did not have a deposit with me but they paid after I submitted a claim. I did have pictures which documented the damage.
I didn’t charge a deposit with guests either and I found all of them to be very responsible as well. Anyway, I am going to give it a try. I have hosted over 250+ guests with only 2 incidents that resulted in claims for extra cleaning. However, I have been told that hosts might not be compensated for extra cleaning since it is assumed that cleaning fees cover this charge.
Anyway, since I put “strict no parties, no group events, no guests, no drugs, no excessive alcohol, and no loud noises”, I have not once had an issue of inconsiderate guests.
Peter has made some good points but I have a commercial business insurance and I have a $250 deductable so Airbnb’s insurance will kick in if I ever have damages less than this amount.
Anyway, I guess my Buddhist philosophy or outlook on life makes me feel uncomfortable if I feel any possible negativity about my guests. (it took me a long time to recover from my 1 negative experience).