SleepOver Brisbane hosted over 1000+ stays in the past 12 months with more than 3000 guests.
Maintenance of any property is always going to occur, whether it’s a leaking tap, door handle loose etc…
This is part of the beauty of short-term rental, with investment properties always being maintained + cleaned multiple times per week.
Aside from the day to day maintenance, damage can occur & in most cases these are minor (like a wine glass broken or stain on the carpet) & can be cleaned up or replaced.
The media love to report on Airbnb Parties & make it sound like they are common.
But to put the perspective of Airbnb Parties being common, we had 1x instance in over 1000 stays…or less than 0.001%
Early this year, we did have one such instance & went through Airbnb’s Insurance (or Host Guarantee) process.
This News Story can hopefully give you some insight into Airbnb’s Host Guarantee…
What Happened?
A guest booked via Airbnb a whole house for a Saturday night (no surprise what’s ahead).
At this property, we had all guest verifications turned on;
The guest had all verifications, however no previous reviews so could not instantly book.
Their message was that they were having a couple of friends in from Sydney & their house was not large enough to accommodate them + they would look after our home.
In good faith & always overly cautious, we took their message based on that they were truthful…
The morning after the guest stayed, we were devastated to receive this message from our neighbour;
It took us 2 days & over 12 hours to clean the property, so that it was presentable for the next guest 
However, in this case everything wasn’t a matter of being able to be cleaned!
What’s Airbnb Host Guarantee?
Short Term Rental Insurance vs Airbnb Host Guarantee
Each Insurance company policy will vary, but the main difference is;
- Insurance will cover you for New for Old
- Host Guarantee will include Depreciation (i.e. if you purchase New for Old you won’t be covered for the full amount)
Terri Scheer’s Short Term Rental Insurance;
Did Airbnb pay & what was the result?
The process for Airbnb’s Host Guarantee was fairly drawn out (it took about 3 months) & we had various trades complete quotes to submit the final claim.
In the end, Airbnb did pay out 
The guest was reported to Police for malicious damage, which is hard to prove intent, but she called to apologies & that phone call was recorded then used as evidence against her.
Her Airbnb Profile has been deleted & having ID on her profile will undoubtably mean that she will never be able to use Airbnb again.
Unsure if Airbnb attempt to sue her for their pay out cost.
Lessons Learnt
Even though the 1x instance of damage (0.001%) is good… once it happens, you want to take every step possible so that it never happens again!
What we did;
- Added Security Cameras with Motion Detection alerts – This way you can see people coming in / out
- Updated the Listing Description to highlight that no party is acceptable & if this is your intent to book somewhere else (in a direct manner!)
- Turn off Instant Book – All guests must send a request, where you can highlight concerns before accepting their booking
- Our house rules on all properties state excess noise, parties / gatherings of any description will mean immediate eviction + all monies forfeited – This will help if you do kick someone out & they want their money back
- Put up the price! – If your property is attracting unsavoury guests, this is the best way to stop them
Conclusion
Short Term Rental Insurance is a must.
If you are renting a whole house, Security Cameras are a must.
If you use other platforms (Booking .com, HomeAway / Stayz, Expedia, Direct Bookings etc…) they do not have Insurance & you are not covered if something does go wrong.
Depending on the situation, decide what is best for you;
- Make a claim via Insurance vs Airbnb Host Guarantee