Most disputes on Airbnb can be resolved by direct communication between the host’s Airbnb management agency and the guest. However, there are times when you might need to escalate to Airbnb’s dispute resolution staff for mediation and a decision. It is essential to work with your holiday-home property management agency to get the best possible resolution for your situation. Your agency will also help you to understand the steps involved in the decision and what both they and you need to do.
Accessing the Dispute Resolution Centre
The Dispute Resolution Centre can be located from your account directly. The centre allows you to keep track of any existing disputes and relevant conversations, and create any new ones. All communication through the centre is visible to both guests and hosts, ensuring transparency.
You have up to 60 days to lodge a Resolution Centre request for non-security deposit related issues, but just 14 if you want to make a claim on the guest’s security deposit.
Try to Work with the Guest Directly
Before getting Airbnb involved in a complaint, your property management team should try to contact the guest to resolve the issue. To do this, you should take the following steps:
• Document everything. As a host, the first time you will likely realise there is a problem is when your Airbnb cleaning service gets to the property. Make sure they take plenty of photos of the issue, with a date stamp if needed. You will also need to get an estimated quote for repair or restitution of the damage.
• Contact the guest and ask for resolution. This solution could include asking for repair or replacement of the damaged items, allowing them to make good or whatever other action is fair.
• If speaking to the guest is unsuccessful, then you or your holiday home agency needs to escalate to the Dispute Resolution Centre to access the guest’s security deposit. To lodge a complaint, select the reason for ‘request compensation for damages’. Then submit details about the damage or issue, in as much detail as you can, as well as the costs involved in rectifying it to your satisfaction.
• The guest can then review the issue and agree, or not, to a sum being released from their security deposit.
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Get Airbnb Involved
If the guest is not cooperative, refuses to release their security deposit, or a resolution cannot otherwise be found, you will need to escalate for Airbnb’s intervention. To do this:
• Wait 72 hours from submitting the original request, to give the guest time to consider the issue and respond.
• After 72 hours have elapsed, or after the guest has refused your request, then return to the Resolution Centre through your account and select “Involve Airbnb”.
• Airbnb’s team will then review the matter and make a determination, including on the distribution of the security deposit.
Although Airbnb has made the process as simple as they can, it is always better not to have to get them involved. Having a proactive Airbnb property management team will minimise the number of problems you risk with guests, as well as the hassle for you as the owner.
If you would like to learn more about Airbnb property management, or about Airbnb property management companies like HomeHost, click here to schedule a free phone call with us. We’ll chat about how much your property may be worth, how other similar properties in your area have been performing, and why HomeHost has so many great reviews on Google and Facebook.
