Damage to table top - guest won't pay for it and Airbnb won't pay for it

Luis-And-Fernando0
Level 2
San Francisco, CA

Damage to table top - guest won't pay for it and Airbnb won't pay for it

Hello Everyone,

 

I had a guest stay at my house for New Years eve with 5 guests. I told her that there were no parties allowed several times and she said ok. Well they had a party, not only that but after teling her that there were no more than 5 people alowed to stay overnight, she had 8 people sleep over, consumed my food and even had a dog in the property (which in the rules is clear...no pets allowed). I told them about the dog and they removed it after 2 hours and they left the house  semi clean.

But thereal problem was the damage to the table top from my dining room table (brown chocolate color) it was ruined! there is a huge white stain that wont come off. I went to West Elm (store where I bought it) and they told me that there was no way to fix it since the veneer was burned/stained/damaged and I would have to get the whole table top replaced and it would be cheaper to buy a new one. ($1,600 dollars)

 

I reach out to the guest and they said that the charges were too high. I involved Airbnb and they asked me to provide all the documentation necessary, well I submitted pictures within 24hrs of the guest checking out showing the damage to the table but they are saying that the guest can't be held responsible for the damages (what? why?) 

 

What am I supposed to do here? I dont understand, how can they side with the guest after I am showing the damages of the table.

 

The agent from Airbnb said "we'll be unable procced any further with your claim due to the fact that we do not believe the guest is responsible for the reported damages" No other information on how they determine this. 

18 Replies 18
Dee33
Level 10
Reston, VA

Can't comment on the Airbnb response, but google "remove white stain table." It's a heat mark, and may be fixable.

It seems dubious that a store that sells new furniture would tell you that veneer cannot be refinished. It seems like it is a do-it-yourself project that would probably take a couple hours, not including drying time. 

 

If you wanted to pay someone to do it, I would call a furniture repair shop. Since most do not sell new furniture, there would be disincentive to tell you to replace rather than repair.

Hi Scott,

 

I guess you have a good point, I reached out to a couple of places in my area and they can't check the table for another week (saying that they are  too buys) and Airbnb wanted me toprovide all info in 72 hours and I didnt have time to look for more places to repair it with my busy work schedule. I guess I will have to look for an additional place

theres more than one stain...I tried different things on one of the small stains and it wont come out, I dont want to damage the table even more if it doesnt work. The stain is 8 by 7 inches and it looks like something was spilled

Branka-and-Silvia0
Level 10
Zagreb, Croatia

Google tips to remove the white stain 

 

And then buy custom cut glass and put it on the table for protection. If you will not be able to remove the stain you can put some pictures, photos or something under the glass and cover the stain.

 

My opinion is that apartments for rent should be furnished in IKEA.... on as-is section ....or on sale. It helps the owner to sleep more or less peacefully 🙂

I definitely agree with that but this is my house  and I rent it whenever Im out of town....maybe this isnt a good idea for me

Serafina0
Level 6
Minneapolis, MN

So sorry about your esperience. Some guests. That said, I'd certainly balk at paying $1600 to replace a table, even if I did cause the damage. You might have had better luck recouping something if you had requested a more reasonable amount for refinishing. Even if the table were ruined completely, I wouldn't be comfortable charging replacement value for a new table.

I agree 100% with you but they asked me to add the link of the same item. The problem here is that there was not attempt from the guest to try to fix it or try to say that they would pay for anything not even the deposit amount.

Branka-and-Silvia0
Level 10
Zagreb, Croatia

tips:

1)white stain from hot teapot or cup or from water:

put the cotton towel on the stain, then hot DRY iron on top of it for a minute.

 

2) for scratches: 

  • 1/4 cup of white vinegar
  • 3/4 cup of olive oil

Mix the oil and vinegar in a jar and then rub it into the wood with an old towel. Once you have wiped, let it sit for a few minutes then with a clean cloth, gently wipe over the whole table to pick up any excess oil. The natural furniture polish will fix those ugly scratches

 

 

I see more than a damaged table top here. I also see a dishonest guest. This is not somebody I would want to host. I hope that you gave this guest an honest review stating additional people stayed, as well as a dog (even if just 2 hours), and there was a party although that was strictly not permitted. Four strikes against this guest. Please warn other hosts.

I will definitley leave a review and provide details...sadly Airbnb told me that they don't think the guest is responisble...not much I can do at this point

What is the security deposit for? Honestly, I don't understand Airbnb. I'm sorry for your damage. Mine was more about the principle as the damage was relatively minor, but it worries me about future guests. May have to rethink this. 

Luis-And-Fernando0
Level 2
San Francisco, CA

Im adding some of the pictures of the table so you guys can seeIMG_9955.JPGIMG_9956.JPGIMG_9954.JPG

Rod26
Level 1
Hōlualoa, HI

I had the same issue. Very clear cut case of guest's damage and Airbnb did nothing, but harass me for pictures 10 days after incident. No support for hosts. Very sad since I feel good hosts make this company.