Money Moral Dilemma: Should I ask the guest to replace my broken furniture?

Anatidaephobia

No. It's just an unfortunate consequence you sometimes have to deal with when you invite others into your home.

It would be nice if more info was provided; eg. how expensive was it, and exactly how was it broken.

Lily-Rose_3

MSE_Nick wrote: »

This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks...

I recently hosted a small gathering, and one of the guests brought a friend along that I'd not met before. He ended up breaking a unit that's not intended for sitting on, by, well, sitting on it. It's now unfixable - should I ask him to pay to replace it?

ANOTHER one of these?!

I would claim on the insurance. If it was less than a hundred, I would probably just replace it.

But if *I* went to someone's house and accidently broke something....... If it was under a hundred quid I would offer to pay, but if it was more, I would not, because I would expect their insurance company to cover it.

I know a couple who had a 15 year friendship destroyed in the blink of an eye, when the one couple's 10 y.o son accidently broke something expensive (£450,) and the boy's parents refused to fork out for it. Not sure why the other couple didn't claim on the insurance.

tain

How knackered was the unit that it broke when someone sat on it?

Sazzie23

Did they have anywhere else to sit? Perhaps they needed to sit down for health reasons.

If they were likely to pay, they have offered, write it off.

AnneMary

You used the word hosted in your question; a host offers hospitality.

I Googled hospitality:
Hospitality refers to the relationship between a guest and a host, wherein the host receives the guest with goodwill, including the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.

For me it is simple: if you can't be a gracious host don't invite anyone to your home, fullstop.

julie777

I disagree with everyone else. If they gatecrashed and then crashed your furniture too by doing something totally irresponsible and downright rude, I WOULD ask him to pay a reasonable amount especially as insurance is unlikely to cover the total cost.

minicooper272

To be honest, I think it’s up to the host to provide enough seats for their guests. The host should also be the first to give up their seat if there are not enough – you know what other furniture is safe to sit on, but your guests don’t. If you don’t have a seat for your guest, then you need to tell them where they can and cannot sit – they don’t know any better! Obviously it if was a house party you can’t have eyes everywhere, but breakages at house parties happen.

To echo others: if it was cheap, replace it (try Gumtree and eBay for second hand), if it was expensive, go through your contents insurance. I think you only have the right to ask them to pay for it if you offered them somewhere sturdy to sit, or told them it wasn’t a safe place to sit, and they ignored you.

nomadgirl

I'm amazed at some of the responses to this dilemma. Surely anyone who has been accepted into someone else's house, whether or not it's someone known to them, would at least offer to put right any damage they caused. Whether the offer is taken up is the decision of the home-owner. I believe it's known as decency??

VfM4meplse

minicooper272 wrote: »

To be honest, I think it’s up to the host to provide enough seats for their guests. The host should also be the first to give up their seat if there are not enough – you know what other furniture is safe to sit on, but your guests don’t. If you don’t have a seat for your guest, then you need to tell them where they can and cannot sit – they don’t know any better! Obviously it if was a house party you can’t have eyes everywhere, but breakages at house parties happen.

I completely agree with this. If I'd spotted it I would have had a discreet word for the guest's own safety, and given up my seat / arranged for another.

If my home is packed with guests, I am the first to sit on the floor - and guess what, people follow suit.

AubreyMac

I think the decent thing to do is for the guest to offer to pay. They broke it so should show some responsibility and decency.


Not everyone has contents insurance (I don't) but wouldn't claiming from it bring up your premium anyway?


I have broken something in someone else's house before and I offered to replace it.