Airbnb Host Requesting Damages (Result Update)

bujin

I think patch repairs would depend on the existing decor - if it was newly decorated I would expect it to be much easier as presumably the paintwork won't yet had faded or 'weathered' at all, they may still have paint left over and/or be ableto get it matched as the colour is likley to be still available. If it was older then it may be harder to match exactly. But even if they had to redo the whole of the room where the sellotape was used, I would expect that to be a lot less than £2,000.

That said, I would be a bit sceptical about whther a hen party using it to party in may not perhpaps have done more damage than they thought, especially if they were driniking it's possible that they did cause mire damage and just don't recall or the MOH didn't see it happen, as it was a large group.

As to your first point yes I think that's basically what the MOH did and said, so she asked a painter and decorator how he'd go about repairing the damge they actually caused and she mentioned that to the Resolution Centre and as you said  the suggestion that paint might still be available rom the recent decoration, the host said had been done.

Your second point is a fair comment and was actually the first thing I asked, was it possible the damage was done without the MOHs knowledge, my only comment is that one, they only put decorations up in the kitchen and the host is saying that it is blu tac grease marks in the other room, so the host is being quite specific as to the type of damage, rather than just general marks where there would definitely be more chance that they could have been done by anyone and without the MOH's knowledge.

As an update there's a lot of toing and froing of messgaes at present so nothing decided yet.

hfdka

I manage 3 holiday properties, they are quite high end "party" properties with for example, jacuzzi or hot tub, grand piano's, antique furniture and beautiful design aesthetic. We ask for a £200 deposit which is retained until I and the team have been to the property when guests leave, always the same day as they depart. I have two properties fully booked for the next 2 years and the third, a new management, is fully booked for all of this year and 57% of next year.

Recently (within past 3 months) we have had broken glasses, vintage tea cups used as tea light holders, scratched antique table, antique gilt edge mirror cracked, broken glass candelabra, pen stains on a white leather sofa, white wine stains on a pale carpet, blood stains on a feather down duvet, mattress and pillows, jacuzzi bath being overfilled and pouring through kitchen ceiling requiring repainting and a hot tub wooden cover being set on fire.

We retained the deposit for the hot tub and that was it, the guests are sent details for the wood fired hot tub and provided with wood to light it, we advise that charcoal or coal are not suitable but the guests decided to use it anyway, the £200 does not cover the replacement but the insurance will need to pick up the rest of the bill.
 All the others were accidental or we expect as part of wear and tear, we have a team of us as touch up's to paint, replacing champagne flutes, stain removal etc is all part of what you expect when you rent out a holiday home. We request no group parties (I think that's pretty standard), but we also appreciate that when people are on holiday they want to relax and enjoy themselves.

I think the Airbnb owner is being very unreasonable, i suspect she is hoping to claim the rest through airbnb or insurance and i would stand firm, did the MOH request decorations go up via email by chance? Personally after several bad experiences I would never use that company, I don't think I'm biased - I've not named the company i advertise with.

bujin

Thank you for your comments hfdka. As per the email the MOH received yesterday AirBNB hhave found in favour of the party and not the owner of the property. They have stated that the party will not have to pay any damages at all!!

I'm not sure why AirBnB Resolution Centre have decided to award her £0 but obviously it's very welcome news indeed, with the wedidng only a few days away now.. What's sad is if the ower had been reasonable the party were completely willing to pay for the damage just not £2,000 worth and not for damage they didn't cause,now she's left with nothing. Thanks for all your comments and advise.

martindow

Thanks for coming back with the outcome.  All too many threads are left hanging with the end result never being known.

I wonder if the owner has some history leading to their claim being dismissed completely?

Hope the wedding goes well!

maisie_cat

bujin said:

Thank you for your comments hfdka. As per the email the MOH received yesterday AirBNB hhave found in favour of the party and not the owner of the property. They have stated that the party will not have to pay any damages at all!!

I'm not sure why AirBnB Resolution Centre have decided to award her £0 but obviously it's very welcome news indeed, with the wedidng only a few days away now.. What's sad is if the ower had been reasonable the party were completely willing to pay for the damage just not £2,000 worth and not for damage they didn't cause,now she's left with nothing. Thanks for all your comments and advise.

There is nothing to stop anybody paying the owner a reasonable amount for the damage they caused on the basis that it's the right thing to do.

bujin

maisie_cat said:

bujin said:

Thank you for your comments hfdka. As per the email the MOH received yesterday AirBNB hhave found in favour of the party and not the owner of the property. They have stated that the party will not have to pay any damages at all!!

I'm not sure why AirBnB Resolution Centre have decided to award her £0 but obviously it's very welcome news indeed, with the wedidng only a few days away now.. What's sad is if the ower had been reasonable the party were completely willing to pay for the damage just not £2,000 worth and not for damage they didn't cause,now she's left with nothing. Thanks for all your comments and advise.

There is nothing to stop anybody paying the owner a reasonable amount for the damage they caused on the basis that it's the right thing to do.

Funnily enough the girls have been discussing sending her a payment anyway. I think they felt bad about the damage in the first place which was why they told the owner straightaway.

Cryptogramman

I don't think that the owner be paid anything they gambled the offer to be fairly compensated and lost.
They should not be rewarded for trying it on with an inflated figure.

onashoestring

I imagine that the host has made a claim on Airbnb’s host liability insurance. 

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/help/article/937/host-liability-insurance