Pet damage in a holiday flat: what you can recover
Pet damage in a holiday flat: what you can recover
Guests are liable for damage caused by pets they bring. The claim is only enforceable if the condition before the stay is evidenced.
The classics are scratch marks on doors and floors, hair in upholstery, and odour. All three are conditions that could also have existed before, and that is exactly what gets argued.
German law of obligations, §§ 280, 249 BGBIn 60 seconds
The guest is liable for damage their animal causes. That holds whether or not pets were allowed; breaching a pet ban only strengthens your position.
Scratch marks on door frames, parquet and furniture edges are the most common damage and the most easily disputed, because they can look old.
Pet hair in upholstery and mattresses supports a claim only where the cleaning effort goes well beyond a normal end-of-stay clean.
If you allow pets, capture the scratch-prone areas at every turnover. Without that before, every scratch is arguable.
Legal framework
A party who breaches a contractual duty must compensate the resulting loss. What is compensated is the cost of restoration; normal wear is not damage. The burden of proof falls on the party asserting the claim.
Where the line runs
| Wear | Damage |
|---|---|
| fine use marks accumulated over years | a fresh scratch from one stay |
| hair that vacuuming removes | upholstery cleaning by a professional |
| light odour that airs out | odour requiring treatment |
What Airbnb covers and does not is in What Airbnb does not reimburse; how to build the proof is in Proving damage in a holiday flat.
Common mistakes
Without a before capture, the age of a scratch cannot be evidenced.
Only effort clearly beyond the norm is reimbursable.
The breach does not establish an amount. You still have to quantify and evidence the loss.
What to do next
Include door frames, floors and upholstery in every turnover capture. Do it with BildProof, about two minutes a room →
For damage, obtain a quote or invoice rather than estimating.
Show exceptional cleaning separately from the normal end-of-stay clean.
Frequently asked questions
Is the guest liable even if pets were allowed?
Yes. Permission to bring an animal is not permission to damage the flat. The guest is liable for damage the animal causes. Breaching an explicit pet ban strengthens your position further, but does not replace evidence of the amount.
Can I bill extra cleaning for pet hair?
Only the part that goes clearly beyond a normal end-of-stay clean. A thorough upholstery or mattress clean is billable; ordinary vacuuming is not. Show the additional effort separately and evidence it.
How do I prove the scratches are new?
Only by comparison. A capture of the same door frame or patch of floor from before the stay turns a disputable assertion into evidence. Without it the guest will argue the mark was already there, and often they will be right.
This page gives general information as at the date shown. It does not replace legal advice on an individual case.