Kitchen wall smashed. Where to start?

[Adam122]

Sorry if the answers to these questions can be found on the Airbnb and Community sites. I've looked around and not always sure what applies to which country. And it's pretty hard that Airbnb just sort of offers no way of asking questions of them until you're certain you wish to start a formal process. Anyway I've only been hosting for 20 reservations so far and now this is the first time I've had something damaged in my place.

I arrived after a guest left this morning to clean. I never met the guest but spoke over phone, message etc and didn't hear anything from him so assume things were okay and he checked out a little earlier than the check out time. Older retired couple just touring - seemed nice. Anyway I found to my horror the glass splash back on the wall behind my kitchen stove was smashed with huge cracks coming up from a point on the bench near the cooktop. This thing has been there 8 years and never had any damage even from quite sloppy long term tenants. I hadn't heard anything so immediately I'm just wanting answers.

Here's the problem with me though - I'm a really nice guy and I'm scientific so I never assume the worst from people (you guys may warn me about that) and I never lay blame until I know for sure what's happened. But at the same time I'm statistical so I can kind of break up the options with what's most probable.

The thing is, it's possible the splash back was smashed through something hitting it, although the crack may suggest it was another kind of stress. It may be heat from the stove? But it's been there 8 years and my brother (a glazier) said it didn't scream out heat stress to him.

So I'm not saying the guest definitely caused it. However, the other thing is that even if it wasn't their fault, there were (I worked out) 22 hours between me leaving and returning to the property, and the guest was checked in for 18 of those hours. So if this somehow just happened all on its own, there was only a 2 hour window this morning where it could've happened where the guest didn't know about it. But the statistician in me knows that's less than likely.

My guest didn't leave any message or contact me about it. And thing is I'd be thinking that even if something happened that wasn't my fault while I was a guest, first thing I'd do is tell the host so they knew it wasn't me. So I've messaged the guest but I'm aware (he said) he didn't have access to internet while travelling so haven't heard back yet. Although I suspect, because he didn't already tell me about the damage, that his answer will probably be that it didn't happen in their presence...

How can I follow this up when there's really no "100%" evidence it was caused by a guest? I'm sort of not ready yet to point a finger but I just want answers. And what if the guest takes a while, or doesn't respond?

The Airbnb Help topics on this seem to just talk about requesting money from the guest. And some community posts are about broken lamps and cups etc where people just respond, "oh well you should expect these things happen so bear the cost". But this is not just a lamp, it's a 2 metre splashback - it's going to be an expensive repair.

The Airbnb Help stuff also mentions you need to do something before the next guest checks in. But how is that possible when I arrived to clean, and my next guy was there 2 hours later! I've had to apologise and contact over the cracks for now. I know I'm supposedly covered by the HPI but unsure how a claim would go here, and unsure whether to begin this process before I have all the facts.

Anyway sorry for the very long question. Really just don't want to fail to take some action now that costs me compensation later.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[Wendy-and-Frank0]

Do you have a security deposit?

If not, then you won't be able to get anything from the guest.

I'd go to ABB and file a claim under the Host Insurance policy that ABB offers.

[Kelly149]

@Wendy-and-Frank0 Can't ABB require guest to pay regardless of security deposit? I think they'll always try to go that route first. They have the guest ccard info after all. 

[Helga0]

@Adam122, 

I hope you did not ask such à lenghty questions with all your doubts to the guest !

the proceedings should be: ask the guest how he broke the wall and tell him that he is liable for the damage. 

In my experience, it were the little green men landing just after the guest left and fleeing when they heard you approach. 

If you hear nothing, open a claim via the resolution center. You need pictures and a vodt estimate. 

If I were you, as your brother is a glazer, I'd ask for material value and get him to do the work for free  (any thank you bottles of wine or dinner on me). That would make it easier to get the damage if the guest refuses. He may even accept it, even if the little green men did it, if the amount is not high. 

If they refuse, involve airbnb, after you filed the claim. The claim in 48 hours, a day or two to wait, not longer. 

If they don't answer and it goes into mediation, they can't review. 

Good luck

[Zacharias0]

Did the guest do it? Well, if it wasn't like that when you left and you haven't noticed any earthquakes in your area then  the guest did it. Will the guest tell you they did it? No! Even old people are prone to avoiding paying money for damage they caused. We like to think the best of people, but, unless you want to be stuck with the bill it's time to put your emotions aside and get to work. When the guest departed the clock started to filling out a claim. Yes, you have 48 hours to inform AirBnB or before the next guest arrives. If the next guest arrives and you haven't sent in that claim then its usually denied.

Good Luck.

[Kelly149]

@Adam122 Yes, if you checked in another guest then you likely are out of luck for ABB to pay any of this for you. If guest willingly pays then so much the better. 

[Alison1]

Send the guest a request for money for however much it cost to fix it.