How to File an AirCover Damage Claim: Step by Step (2026)
How to File an AirCover Damage Claim: Step by Step
In four steps: document, request within 14 days, escalate, supply further evidence.
What decides the claim is not the size of the damage but sequence and deadlines, and above all a documented condition from before the stay.
Airbnb Host damage protectionIn 60 seconds
Document the affected areas immediately after checkout. Before anything is cleaned, repaired or moved.
Since the April 2026 policy update Airbnb requires verifiable, non-AI-edited documentation.
File the reimbursement request in the Resolution Center within 14 days of checkout or before the next guest checks in. The guest has 24 hours to respond.
If the guest does not respond, pays only in part or declines, escalate to Host damage protection, then every piece of evidence you gathered first counts.
The strongest claim contains two points in time: the condition before and after the stay. Only the comparison shows a finding is new.
What Airbnb provides for
The reimbursement request must be filed within 14 days of checkout or before the next guest checks in; the guest has 24 hours to respond. Photos, a factual description and evidence of the amount must be attached. Normal wear and tear and consumables are not covered. This is a platform rule, not law. It can change.
The commonest mistake: no before-state
Once a new guest has been in the place, damage can no longer be attributed to any single booking with confidence. The most effective step is therefore not fast reporting after the fact, but baseline documentation before every stay.
Why claims get declined in detail is in When AirCover does not pay; how the proof is produced technically is in Proving damage in a holiday let.
Common mistakes
Most claims fail not at the reporting but at the proving. Without a documented condition from before the stay, every report is an assertion.
Tidying up before documenting destroys the evidence.
It leads to follow-up questions, delay and often a reduction. Complete, verifiable documentation from the start shortens the review considerably.
What to do next
Record the condition before you change anything: what is damaged, where, to what extent, dated. Do it with BildProof, about two minutes a room →
File a reimbursement request in the Resolution Center within 14 days, with photos, a factual description and evidence of cost.
If the guest does not respond or declines, escalate to Host damage protection.
Answer Airbnb's follow-up questions in full.
Frequently asked questions
By when do I have to report damage to Airbnb?
Within 14 days of the responsible guest's checkout or before your next guest checks in, whichever comes first. A missed deadline is the most common reason claims are denied, so report the damage before you prepare the property for the next guest.
How does an AirCover damage claim work?
First you open a reimbursement request to the guest in the Airbnb Resolution Center, with photos, a description and proof of cost. The guest has 24 hours to respond. If they don't pay, pay only partially, or decline, you escalate to Host damage protection; Airbnb then reviews the case and decides on reimbursement.
What documents do I need for an AirCover claim?
Photos of the damage, a clear description, and proof of the amount. A repair quote, invoice or estimate. The claim is strongest when you can also show the condition before the stay, because only the before-and-after comparison proves the damage is new.
Do I have to contact the guest first?
Yes. The process always begins with a reimbursement request to the guest through the Resolution Center. Only if the guest fails to respond within 24 hours, pays only partially, or declines does Airbnb's Host damage protection step in.
Can my cleaner handle the documentation?
Yes. What matters is that the condition is captured right after checkout, before anything is cleaned or changed, and ideally before the next check-in too. A guided capture that anyone can do without training makes this reliable and records who took it and when.
This page gives general information as at the date shown. It does not replace legal advice on an individual case.