Guides / Short-let & guest damage
Short-let & guest damage
Airbnb, Booking & Vrbo: guest damage, AirCover and proving that damage was new.
In short-term letting via Airbnb, Booking or Vrbo, damage claims rarely fail on the damage itself – they fail on proving it is new. AirCover and the platforms' programmes demand deadlines of a few days and documentation that many hosts only set up after their first lost case.
These guides show how to meet the deadlines, what AirCover actually covers, which insurance applies – and how a sealed condition record before every booking carries your claim.
Guides for hosts
- Photos as Airbnb Damage Proof: Why They Often Fail (2026)
Phone photos as proof of guest damage? Why the file date doesn't count, what Airbnb requires since April 2026, and how a photo becomes evidence that holds.
- Airbnb Security Deposit & Damage: What Really Protects Hosts (2026)
Is there an Airbnb security deposit? How Airbnb handles damage through AirCover since deposits ended, the deadlines that apply, and what actually protects you.
- Airbnb Damage Report Deadlines: The 14-Day Rule (2026)
What's the deadline for Airbnb damage claims? The 14-day rule, why the next check-in shortens it, and how to never miss the deadline again.
- AirCover Alternatives: Why Your Own Documentation Protects You Better (2026)
Is AirCover enough? What the Airbnb program doesn't cover, what the alternatives are, and why your own documentation is the basis of every reimbursement.
- How to File an AirCover Damage Claim: Step by Step (2026)
How to report guest damage to Airbnb AirCover: deadlines, the Resolution Center, the documentation you need, and the most common mistake that sinks claims.
- AirCover Won't Pay: Why Claims Get Denied and What to Do (2026)
AirCover won't pay out? The most common reasons Airbnb damage claims get denied, and how a sealed, timestamped record before every booking secures your claim.
- Guest Damage on Booking.com & Vrbo: Protection Without AirCover (2026)
Booking.com and Vrbo offer no AirCover-style protection. How their deposits and damage programs work, and why your own proof matters even more.
- Short-Let Insurance: Covering Guest Damage Properly (2026)
Which insurance covers guest damage in a short-let? Why standard policies often don't apply, and what every claim requires.
- A Guest Damaged My Short-Let. What to Do (2026)
A guest damaged your short-let apartment? What to do in the first hours, how to report it to Airbnb, and how to prove the damage is new, not pre-existing wear.
- Airbnb Guest Damage: The Complete Host Guide (2026)
Guest damage on Airbnb, Booking & Vrbo: what AirCover covers, how to report damage, the deadlines that apply and how to prove damage is new.
- How to Prove Short-Let Damage Is New (2026)
How to prove a guest caused new damage: before-and-after, an independent timestamp and a seal that makes any edit visible, the evidence platforms accept.
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