Airbnb - damage we caused

[CharlotteBog]

My son scratched the glass top stove in our rental. One ring of 4.
I told the host, including a photo.
I've just received a request for £550 to replace the whole top.
Says that's the only fix they can do.
I had 22 hrs to pay.

I've declined it, asking for more time.

We are away in Canada (from the Uk) and not back for another week.

I want to look into our options more; should I ask for quotes, look into how much a repair should be etc. I cannot so this when I only have my phone in a different country.

I've used Airbnb a lot, never had a situation like this.

I've cried about it this morning; I want to put it out of my mind so we can enjoy our last week.

I am accepting responsibility, and am not disputing I need to pay for repair, but this seems ALOT and I don't want to just pay it.

Any advice?

The scratch was caused by my adult son being over zealous with his cooking, not being reckless - just not experienced with these stove tops.

Ha! Yes I do (somewhere safe like a Premier Inn, or my own house!).

No, I didn't think you were, just pre-empting other posters wondering why I think I'm above paying for damage.

Have you read my posts in this thread?

@CharlotteBog yes I read the whole thread I was just giving my opinion as a host

I’d be gutted if my property was left with a sizeable glass scratch on the glass hob. And just like you’d expect with glass… it has to be replaced.

I would want it done ASAP so future guests don’t see it. If you take pride in your property, as I do and many do, you want it to feel… spot-on. And a big scratch on the glass hob, just conveys a bit of a “scruffy” feel to the kitchen

Yes me too

Speaking as the manager of a few higher end holiday lets, damage like the OP’s son did is really difficult to deal with. Yes, we understand that it was an accident but the end result is still that we have an expensive appliance damaged. I personally have let certain damages go because it would have been too difficult to try and claim.

It’s vanishingly rare for a guest to own up to damage of any kind.

In the 18 months I’ve been doing it, I’ve had just three guests actually speak to me or let me know that they broke something and we’re fully booked across all properties.

Mostly, I find out when I go in to check everything after the cleaners have left and then I have to scramble to replace the thing. I have a stock of glasses, plates, mugs etc, and I consider those to be par the course but sometimes it’s something more difficult to fix (shower head smashed in the cubicle, broken fridge shelf, broken blind), which had I known before I went in, I could have tried to replace.

A lot of MNers shrug this stuff off and say to claim on our insurance. What you don’t realise is that if we make a £400 claim on our insurance, our premiums go up and so do our prices. We’re also apparently supposed to let damage and mess go because we’re ‘raking it in’. Just to give you an idea, we recently had someone book one of our houses and he had a party. It took five of us plus the cleaning company six hours to get it sorted for the next guest due the same day. He paid £550 for two days and it cost us well in excess of £1800 to clean it including a deep clean and all carpets and soft furnishings cleaned. We’re still pursuing a claim against him.

I don’t doubt that there will be MNers picking this post apart and telling me what I should have done but I’m not going to respond to it. I see the self catering threads on here and frankly a lot of people should reconsider staying in a holiday let because they appear to have total contempt for the people who own them, clean them and try to run them.

@AnxiousPangolin I believe the host has been paid by AirBnB.

I am STILL waiting for the outcome of my appeal. I submitted it on the 8th Sept, was told would take 3-4 days....we're on day 14 now. I tried calling AirBnB yesterday and despite all their blather about wanting to help, understanding my question, understanding my frustration and thanking me for reaching out (FFS) they were unable to tell me when I would hear from them.

I am surprised at the number of people who have said they would not own up.

1. that's not my way and 2) they would have known it was us and the damage claim would have been even more uncomfortable.

A Resolution Has Been Found
Summary - I will pay £100

I finally heard back from my Claims Support Ambassador. She asked me how much I was willing to pay. What to say?!
There was no supporting information, just that question.

So I said that when the damage happened I was thinking it would be no more than £100 so that's what I was willing to pay.
Today she got back to me and said she will send me a link to pay £100.
I presume that will be the end of the matter, though she doesn't say that.

So, it's gone from £550 to £442 to £100, with no details at all about how much it actually cost to fix, how much AirBnB ended up paying, whether insurance paid (host's or Air Cover). It's taken 7 weeks.

I said I would include the photo once the matter was closed (I hope I'm not being premature), so here it is. nb the circle of marks were already there, my son made the scratches in the middle.

Bloody hell it was already showing wear!

Glad it has been resolved and you don't need worry about it anymore OP

Wow, yes I can see the scratch marks made by your son, but the hob was quite tatty anyway! I have an induction hob that is 4 years old and unmarked, good as new, no signs of looking shabby. I suspect AirBNB host was using your admission of damage as an excuse to replace a very old hob before it goes wrong.

Bloomin heck!!!! That is “sizeable”

i would count myself very lucky if I were you OP.

Your DS is heavy handed when cooking, isn’t he?!

2cm by 2cm my arse!

Agree with a pp it's a bit tatty looking anyway. How did he manage to do that? Was there something stuck on the bottom of the saucepan?

@CharlotteBog that is ridiculous! just a cosmetic scratch on an already worn hob. tbh I think the cf landlords saw it as an opportunity to replace the hob with a sizable contribution from you.

Am I the only one wondering why landlords put very expensive stuff in these units anyway? It reminds me of long-ago Property Ladder when Sarah Beeney always suggested that people fitting out rentals NOT go high end.

i like my air bnb property that I stay in to be the same or more plush than my home, and I’m prepared to pay for it.

Theres a huge range of accom available at different price points and you can’t understand that some people may like high end, especially in kitchen if they love cooking?

This is a holiday let, not a rental property people live full time in.

The answer in my case is because I respect my guests and want to provide them with a lovely luxurious experience for their holiday. People tend to not want to stay in places worse than their own home. I wouldn't put an Aga in, but similarly wouldn't put a cheap cooker in either.

Any significant damage will get complaints. Also with scratches like this in a holiday let you can't risk there being any safety concerns. A scratch could get worse and compromise the surface, water could get in and the guest could be injured. Very unlikely yes, but you can't take the same risks you might take in your own home.

That scratch is a bit bigger than the 2cm I think the OP was originally claiming. I’m not surprised they made a claim, frankly, I would have too.

It’s funny how many MNers expect high end stuff in holiday rentals but don’t want to take any responsibility for damaging it.

Looks to me like he was using the glass as a bloody cutting board.

My only dispute has ever been about the amount I was being asked to pay.
£550.

It was already scratched and quite used looking; the owner was clearly looking for an excuse to buy a new one on the back of someone who added to the wear and tear. I'm glad you held firm, OP.

This.