Compensation from a guest: depreciated value, not new price
How to work out what you can claim from a guest for a damaged item.
First check whether a repair makes sense. If the item has to be replaced, claim the depreciated value and state the age and purchase price yourself.
How do you calculate the claim?
A disclosed calculation gets cut less often than a single total with no details.
- 1
Repair first
A repair comes first, as long as it is possible and makes economic sense.
- 2
Depreciated value
For a used item, the depreciated value counts, not the new price.
- 3
How to calculate
Purchase price divided by the expected useful life, times the years left.
- 4
An example
A mattress bought for 400 euros with a ten-year life is worth about 200 euros after five years.
- 5
State the age
Give the age and purchase price yourself.
- 6
List each item
List each item separately, not as one total.
Already have damage?
Guest damaged something?
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Which rules apply
Under § 249 BGB the prior state must be restored, and for damage to a thing the necessary amount of money may be claimed instead. Deducting the benefit of the new item follows from the new-for-old rule the courts have developed.
General information, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Must I state the age myself?
Yes. The age comes out in any serious check, and a claim that hides it looks inflated.
Do I get nothing if the item was already old?
Usually little, but rarely nothing. For a repair the age often does not matter at all.
Does Airbnb cover loss of value through age?
No. Under Airbnb's Host Damage Protection Terms, normal wear and tear and deterioration from use, age or lack of maintenance are not covered. Airbnb also asks for an inventory with purchase date and condition, and repair estimates.
Also in this topic: Guest lost the key: who pays for the locking system?Floor scratches and stains from guests: what can you recover?Water damage caused by a guest: who is liable?Airbnb claim rejected: how to build the appeal
Next guest arriving soon?
Scan the flat before check-in and after check-out. That way your claim rests on a comparison, not only on a calculation.
See BildProof for hosts