Mattress stains from guests: what the guest pays
When a stain is damage, what you can claim and how to evidence it.
For a new stain the guest pays for professional cleaning first and, only if that fails, a replacement at its depreciated value. Look under the protector at every guest change and record the condition.
What applies to mattress stains?
Mattresses sit under a protector and are rarely checked. These points decide it.
- 1
Clean first
Have a stain professionally cleaned first and claim that bill.
- 2
Then replace
Only if cleaning fails does a replacement come into play.
- 3
Depreciated value
On a five-year-old mattress, the used value is only part of the price you paid.
- 4
Damage
A fresh stain that cleaning cannot remove is damage.
- 5
Wear
A mattress that yellowed over years is wear, and the guest does not pay for it.
- 6
Under the protector
Without a photo from before the stay, you cannot show the mattress was clean.
Already have damage?
Guest damaged something?
Don't just leave the photos in your camera roll. BildProof helps you document the damage, add supporting evidence and create an organised, sealed report for your claim.
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Which rules apply
Under Airbnb's Host Damage Protection Terms (version of 1 August 2026) normal wear and deterioration from age are not covered, and your request to the guest must be made within 14 days of checkout. Under § 249 BGB the guest owes the amount needed for restoration.
General information, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Will I get a new mattress paid for?
Not at the new price. What you get is the used value, what the mattress was still worth when the damage happened.
How do I show the mattress was clean before?
Look under the protector at every guest change and record the condition. That is the step almost everyone skips.
Will Airbnb pay for a yellowed mattress?
No. Normal wear and tear and deterioration from use or age are not covered by Airbnb Host Damage Protection. For a new stain you must try to recover the money from the guest within 14 days of checkout.
Also in this topic: Party damage in a holiday flat: who is liable for what?Guest smoked despite the ban: what can you claim?Cleaner reports damage: how does it become evidence?
Next guest arriving soon?
Scan the flat before check-in and after check-out, each mattress without its protector. Then a claim rests on a comparison.
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