17 year old spilled water on Host family Laptop

[Mrsg26]

Wonder if someone can offer advice on what to do in this situation. My daughter is 17 and is auditioning for drama schools at present. As she is under 18 and visiting schools in London ( we live in Scotland) She has had to stay with a host family on her visits. Last night the Host offered my daughter some water but placed the glass on the kitchen table next to her laptop. My daughter picked up the glass but it slipped and some water went on the host’s laptop. The lady told my daughter last night not to worry and she dried it, she said she had a new laptop which was there in the kitchen however today The lady called me whilst my daughter was in her audition and told me it will cost £200 to repair the laptop and the expectation is for me to pay for it to be repaired.

Whilst i totally am sympathetic and sorry for what happened, as is my daughter, she didn't do it intentionally or with any malice and it was a complete accident. Part of me thinks why would she place a glass of water next to expensive equipment, as spillages often happen in kitchens. As an experienced host with lots of children in her home regularly she should be aware of these hazards. This is her business and therefore she should insure against these things.

Whilst I am not against contributing towards the repairs, I just feel that I shouldn’t have to pay for it all as they were both negligent. Any advice from other parents of teens? Thanks

You need to pay for the repair. In fact I can’t understand why you’re not falling over yourself to pay for it.

She probably said to your daughter not to worry about it so that your dauggter wasn't impacted by worry when staying there.
She then, as a normal person would got a quote and it is 200, which I thinknis your responsibility to pay, however I would enquire about insurance. Potentially the excess is more than this.
I would ask for a written quote for the repair and say you will pay it. If tou can't pay atraight away then offer an installment plan.

Everyone saying the child didn't choose to put the water next to the laptop etc. she's virtually an adult. She should be more careful. Everyone knows if you've got a drink near a computer you pay heed to potential spillages.
How would you feel if a stranger aged nearly 18 caused £200 worth of damage to something in your home? Would you really just accept it and pay out yourself?

I agree, they might not be able to make you, but morally you should pay. It's annoying but why should the host family pay for it, your daughter spilled the water even if it was an accident. My son broke a glass jug, while on holiday, it was sort of stuck to a mat and this in part caused it to break. I paid, we broke it.

I wouldn't pay at all. She bought a new laptop already. Is the old one even broken from the water?

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this, but as a host family, they ought to have insurance to cover liability and also damage to their house and contents.
They're being paid to host so it's a business.

Have you asked about their insurance?
Are they hosting 'under the tax radar'?

I'm not sure if a water spill if it was only slight would damage a lap top to the extent they say.

If the host does have insurance there will be an excess. As your daughter did indeed cause damage then she is liable. Accident or not. I do not see how a glass being in close proximity to a computer mitigates this. If one causes damage in a hotel room you will be charged.

I don't think it's relevant that she bought a new one, she might still need the old one.
However, I would only pay an itemised bill and just for the water damage (not for reinstalling virus software, defragmenting the hard drive, etc)

I think if a new laptop was in evidence the next morning then the host can't argue that the older laptop was not repairable and a new one had to be purchased.
I would be polite and regretful , explain funds are limited and ask to see confirmation / invoice from repair before paying.

Most laptops would not be out of use from half a glass of water. I've known people wash mobile phones in the washing machine and they still work!

I'd want to see the insurance policy to see any 'excess'.

The DD may be liable but the host's insurance should cover damage caused by guests. There isn't automatically an excess of £200.

Think I'd want to see a quote with the breakdown of repairs. It could be that it's a way she can make money from people, why did she already have a brand new laptop?!!! So suspicious isn't it?! If she sends you one, and it says water damage, I'd be inclined to pay half. But I'd want to see the words, water damage. I always think the adult in charge is responsible for the said child, I'm sure she'd have appropriate insurance as a host. If you're never going to see her again, and she fails to send you what you've asked for, I'd be inclined to ignore her.

Sorry but if you have been negligent you need to pay. If I were the host I would not claim on my insurance, which would increase the premium next time round. I would feel much aggrieved that a guest had acted so dishonourably and I would go to the small claims court on principle to recover the cash.

You/your daughter should pay. Accident or not, the host should not be out of pocket. A table is a perfectly reasonable place to put a laptop and a glass of water when it's an almost adult. Of the child was young, it would be different because you know there's a good chance that a small child but you'd expect a 17 year old to take more care or slide the laptop out of the way. Most people that age would think nothing of having a glass of water and a laptop on a desk, and many people have to work from a kitchen table.

Unlike most of the people on this thread my daughter actually went to drama school and lived with a host family between the ages of 16-18 so I know the type of situation and how these things are arranged.

This is a business, the hosts are seen as being in loco parentis and the host should have insurance against accidental damage. They may have several young people staying with them at any one time. It would be an entirely different matter had your daughter deliberately broken the laptop but she didn't.

Furthermore the host was negligent in placing the glass of water next to the laptop.

As the host is in loco parentis it would be equivalent to trying to sue your own child for a genuine accident.

You don't owe a penny to that stupid woman. Accidents happen and that is why contents insurance is for.
That fool should have not left her laptop in the kitchen. Screw her!

Ignore all these PP saying you should pay. I wonder whether they have paid the odd plate or glass they may have accidentally broken at a restaurant.

I don’t know if there’s any legal obligation for you to pay. If not, I wouldn’t.

It was accidental damage. If she charges to host, it’s surely part of the business if a guest accidentally damages something. And as you say, she put water next to the laptop, so is partly responsible for the accident.

I guess it depends if your daughter needs to stay there again. If so, I’d ask to see the invoice for the repair and offer half. Seems reasonable and fair.

How do your differentiate between 'negligent' and an 'accident'?

You come over as if you don't know the difference.

If a guest spilled tea on my white carpet I'd claim on the insurance. I'd not accuse them of being negligent.

Negligent would be leaving the front or back door unlocked and then something was stolen.

Knocking over a cup, glass or spilling for spag bol on the Turkish rug is an accident.

No it would not. Hosting music students is indeed part business but most people do it partly as they enjoy supporting music and the people involved. It is considerably cheaper than a hotel. The other advantage is that by and large people will behave decently and if they break things they will behave correctly, apologise and replace them. I am rather surprised that some people think it okay to do things differently, but then the world has moved to a different place.

Mobile phones these days are designed to withstand water as they’re used every day. Laptops are not. Some high end laptops will cost £600+ for water damage as the parts affected are soldered on to others and it’s not an easy fix. She needs to see the repair quote / insurance excess and pay that. It’s very unlikely that the person obtained a repair quote overnight as she would have needed to take the laptop in to be seen by someone, then opened up. I think she’s just trying to give the OP a random figure she seems fit for the damage, and likely not have the laptop sorted at all.

Yes. This should cover the cost of the lap top. And she should have insurance for hosting.

It's not a hotel alternative though. It's homestay. The students stay there because they are under the age of 18, not because it's cheaper than a hotel. The host works via an agency (even if on this occasion OP booked direct). They have to be DBS checked and have all sorts of things in place to be able to host. It's not like being an air B & B or having an adult lodger.

Everyone is responsible for your own behaviour. I think it is quite simple really.