The guest disputes the damage: what counts then
The guest disputes the damage: what counts then
If the guest denies causing the damage, the evidence decides it alone. Otherwise it is your word against theirs.
The most common counter is: it was already like that. The only thing that reliably rebuts it is a capture of the same area from before the stay.
Airbnb Host Damage Protection Terms, April 2026 versionIn 60 seconds
If the guest disputes it, Airbnb assesses the evidence submitted. Without a before capture it is word against word, and that does not carry a claim.
The guest's most effective counter is that the damage was already there. Only a documented starting condition rebuts it.
A photo of the damage alone proves existence, not timing. Timing is exactly what the denial targets.
Stay factual. Tone does not influence the assessment; evidence does.
What Airbnb requires
Where the guest declines or disputes, Airbnb assesses the evidence submitted. Only true and unfalsified evidence is admissible. This is a platform rule, not law.
What rebuts a denial
| Does not hold | Holds |
|---|---|
| a detailed account of what happened | capture of the same area from before |
| a photo of the damage only | before and after, side by side |
| the cleaner's statement alone | the statement plus a documented starting condition |
How to build the proof is in Proving damage in a holiday flat; why photos alone rarely suffice is in Photos as damage evidence.
Common mistakes
A detailed account does not replace evidence.
That shows it exists, not that it is new.
The assessment follows the evidence, not the tone.
What to do next
Submit the capture of the same area from before the stay. Do it with BildProof, about two minutes a room →
Stay factual and evidence each item separately.
From now on document every turnover so this picture always exists.
Frequently asked questions
The guest says the damage was already there. Now what?
Submit a capture of the same area from before the stay. It is the only document that reliably rebuts that claim. Without it, it is word against word, and a claim generally cannot rest on that.
Does it help if my cleaner confirms the damage?
It helps, but it does not replace the before evidence. A confirmation says when the damage was discovered, not that it was absent before the stay. The strongest combination is a documented starting condition plus the finding at turnover.
Should I message the guest directly?
The reimbursement request runs through the Resolution Center anyway. Stay factual and brief there and evidence each item. A longer argument off-platform adds nothing to the assessment.
This page gives general information as at the date shown. It does not replace legal advice on an individual case.