Mattress stains caused by guests: what gets reimbursed
Mattress stains caused by guests: what gets reimbursed
Stains on a mattress or bedding are recoverable if they are new and cleaning does not remove them. You have to evidence the condition before.
Mattresses are the classic dispute, because they sit under a protector and are rarely looked at. What nobody checked before the stay is hard to attribute afterwards.
German law of obligations, §§ 280, 249 BGBIn 60 seconds
A fresh stain that cleaning cannot remove is damage. A mattress yellowed over years is wear and not reimbursable.
What is reimbursed is the depreciated value, not the new price. On a five-year-old mattress that is a fraction of the purchase price.
Check the mattress under the protector at every turnover. What was never looked at cannot be evidenced as previously clean.
Try professional cleaning first and claim that. Replacement is only claimable where cleaning demonstrably does not suffice.
A mattress protector reduces the risk considerably and costs less than any argument about it.
Legal framework
What must be compensated is the expenditure necessary for restoration. Where replacement takes the place of repair, the value of the used item at the time of loss governs, not the new price. The burden of proof falls on the claimant.
Damage or wear
| Wear | Damage |
|---|---|
| even yellowing over years | fresh, clearly bounded stain |
| body indentations from use | a tear or burn hole |
| odour that airs out | soiling that requires cleaning |
Where Airbnb draws the line is in What Airbnb does not reimburse; how to prove damage is new is in Proving damage in a holiday flat.
Common mistakes
The depreciated value governs. Account for the age.
Then the before condition is missing exactly where the dispute arises.
Professional cleaning first; replacement only if that does not suffice.
What to do next
Check and capture the mattress under the protector at every turnover. Do it with BildProof, about two minutes a room →
For a stain, instruct professional cleaning first and claim that invoice.
For replacement, apply the depreciated value and disclose the age.
Frequently asked questions
Will I get a new mattress paid for?
Generally not at the new price. What is reimbursed is the depreciated value, the worth of the used mattress at the time of loss. On a mattress several years old that sits well below the purchase price, and a claim at new price is routinely cut.
What if the stain can be cleaned out?
Then the cleaning is the loss, not the replacement. Instruct a professional clean and claim that invoice. You can only claim replacement where cleaning demonstrably does not suffice.
How do I evidence the mattress was clean before?
By looking under the protector at every guest turnover and recording the condition. That step is almost always skipped, which is exactly why mattress claims fail so often.
This page gives general information as at the date shown. It does not replace legal advice on an individual case.