Airbnb Resolution Centre - All You Need to Know

If you host on Airbnb, it’s important to accept that there might be some sticky situations. Maybe it’s a guest accidentally breaking some dishware. Or maybe it’s a small mishap on your behalf that causes discomfort for guests. Whatever the issue, the Airbnb Resolution Centre allows room to make up for mistakes. 

What is the Airbnb Resolution Centre?

The Airbnb Resolution Centre is a platform that allows Airbnb guests and hosts alike to do two things: 

1. Request money for trip related issues
2. Send money for trip related issues

Here’s a breakdown of the two scenarios from a host’s perspective.

When should I request money from guests?

When there has been damage or disregard of house rules. For instance:

• Your guest has left makeup stains on a bath towel.
• Your guest accidentally lost your keys.
• Guests check-out after your designated check-out time.

All of these scenarios can warrant a justified claim with the Resolution Centre.

What guidelines should I follow before deciding to request money?

You should ask yourself:

• How easily can the damage be fixed or replaced?
• Has my guest disregarded my clearly stated house rules?
• Do I have enough proof to support this?

On the other hand, you may have home issues that inconvenience your guests’ stay.

When should I send money to guests?

This is a smart thing to do when you’ve caused some sort of inconvenience to a guest, big or small. Things like:

• Your fridge stopped working mid-stay.
• Your guest wasn’t happy with the cleanliness of your property.
• Sidenote: an easy way to avoid this is to review our world-class cleaning guide.
• The check-in instructions weren’t clear.

Send reimbursement to guests so that they recognise your commitment to their comfort. Even if the guest later tries to open a claim and request more money, it’s a strong rebuttal when a host shows they’ve tried to compensate for the discomfort that occurred. 

So now that you have an idea about the basics, let’s get into the knitty-gritty, shall we?

If we had to guess some of your questions still unanswered, we think they’d be something like:

Is there a time frame to request money?

Yes, there is, and always remember that the quicker the issue is claimed, the easier it is to resolve.

As far as numbers are concerned, here's what you should remember:

• To resolve the issue quickly, request within 24 hours.
• You must claim before your next guest checks-in.
• If your request isn't resolved by guests within 3 days, you should 'Escalate to Airbnb'.
• If you find the issue later on, you have 60 days after checkout to report it.

How long will it take the money to get my guests'/my account?

This depends on the severity of the resolution claim. If it’s something small like...

• offering compensation for running out of essentials.
• your guests sending money for a lost key.

...then it should take 5-7 business days from the date it was resolved. However, in larger cases that require receipts, pictures and documentation for damages or repairs, this could take over a month depending on how urgent the case is.

What will happen if the host or guest refuses to pay?

For any case that involves:

1. Requesting a large amount of money

or

2. One party refusing to comply

Airbnb brings in their 'peace officers,' if you will. We call them Case Managers and here's why they're helpful:

• Every troublesome case will have a manager who is in contact with both parties to hear each side of the story. (This is why it's important that you have all necessary documents and talking points ready when they contact you).

• They will essentially act as the judge in deeming one party ‘guilty’ or not.

• They are very well versed in judging all types of resolution cases, so chances are they'll have dealt with a very similar case to yours and will be able to resolve accordingly.

Side note: It is also very important to follow up with case managers (calling is highly advised) as they do have heavy case loads.

On the contrary, what happens if my guest makes a false claim on me?

Keep calm and prepare your evidence. This doesn’t happen often, but you may find the guest trying to cancel or get money back due to their own misaligned expectations. In this case, be sure to have as much documentation as possible.

It is also very important to reach out to guests trying to resolve the issue and offer your condolences that they haven’t had a 5-star experience. This will show your Airbnb case manager that you put in effort to make your guests comfortable and will help support your argument down the line. Stay composed, respond professionally and trust your case manager, they know a false claim when they see one.

Using the Resolution Centre at the right time can drastically make a host’s life easier. Whether it be to expedite the process of fixing damages from guests or to quickly alleviate a problem caused on your end. It’s a tool that has the potential to salvage a possible dent in your Airbnb hosting reputation and, luckily, our Account Managers are well versed in proper usage of it. 

Have more questions about Home Safety? Our Houst New Homes Advisors have the answers!