Calculating compensation: depreciated value, not new price
Calculating compensation: depreciated value, not new price
What is reimbursed is the depreciated value, not the new price. From a replacement figure you deduct the benefit of receiving a new item.
The principle is called Abzug neu für alt (new-for-old deduction). It is the most common reason legitimate claims get cut, and the easiest to avoid.
German law of obligations, §§ 249, 251 BGBIn 60 seconds
First check whether repair is possible and economic. Only if not does replacement apply.
On replacement the depreciated value governs: the purchase price less the useful life already consumed.
A simple calculation usually suffices: purchase price divided by expected useful life, multiplied by the remaining years.
Disclose age and purchase value yourself. A claim that hides the age reads as inflated and gets scrutinised harder overall.
None of this arithmetic matters unless the damage can be tied to the stay at all. Without that evidence the amount is irrelevant.
Legal framework
What must be compensated is the expenditure necessary for restoration. The injured party should not be better off than without the damaging event; a benefit arising from renewing a used item is therefore set off.
The order of calculation
| Step | Question |
|---|---|
| 1. Repair | is it possible and economic? |
| 2. Replacement | at depreciated value, not new price |
| 3. New-for-old deduction | how much useful life was consumed? |
| 4. Itemised list | each item separately, with evidence |
How to tie the damage to the stay at all is in Proving damage in a holiday flat; what Airbnb excludes is in What Airbnb does not reimburse.
Common mistakes
For used items the depreciated value is reimbursed.
It comes out anyway and undermines the whole claim.
While repair is possible and economic, it takes precedence.
What to do next
Check whether repair is possible and economic. Do it with BildProof, about two minutes a room →
For replacement, calculate the depreciated value and disclose the age.
Show each item separately rather than one total.
Frequently asked questions
How do I actually calculate depreciated value?
Purchase price divided by expected useful life gives the annual loss in value. Multiply that by the remaining years. Example: a mattress bought for 400 euros with a ten-year expected life loses 40 euros a year; after five years its depreciated value is around 200 euros.
Must I state the age myself?
It is strongly advisable. Age surfaces in any serious assessment, and a claim that conceals it reads as inflated overall. Hosts who apply and disclose the deduction themselves get cut far less often.
Do I get nothing if the item was already old?
Usually little, but rarely nothing. Even an old item has residual value, and for a repair the age often does not matter at all: repair costs are what they are. So checking for repair is especially worthwhile with older items.
This page gives general information as at the date shown. It does not replace legal advice on an individual case.