Airbnb Resolution Center - Everything you need to know

If you rent out on Airbnb, it's important to accept that there can be awkward situations. Maybe it's a guest who accidentally breaks some dishes. Or maybe it's a minor mishap on your behalf that causes inconvenience to guests. Whatever the problem, the Airbnb Resolution Center offers room to make up for mistakes.

What is the Airbnb Resolution Center?

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

Requesting money for travel-related items
Send money for travel-related problems

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

When should I ask guests for money?

When there is harm or disregard for house rules. For example:

Your guest 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 could justify a legitimate claim at the Resolution Center.

What guidelines should I follow before I decide to apply for money?

You have to ask yourself:

How easily can the damage be repaired or replaced?
Did my guest ignore my clearly stated house rules?
Do I have sufficient evidence to support this?

When should I send money to guests?

This is smart to do if you have inconvenienced a guest, big or small. Things like:

Your refrigerator stopped working halfway through your stay.
Your guest was not satisfied with the cleanliness of your accommodation.

o Side note: an easy way to avoid this is to consult our world-class cleaning guide.

The check-in instructions were not clear.

Send compensation to guests so they recognize your commitment to their comfort. Even if the guest later tries to open a claim and ask for more money, it is a strong rebuttal when a host shows that they have tried to compensate for the inconvenience that occurred.

So now that you have an idea about the basics, let's start knitting, shall we?

If we had to guess that some of your questions are still unanswered, we think they would be something like:

Is there a time frame to apply for money?

Yes, there is, and always remember that the sooner the problem is claimed, the easier it is to solve.

As for numbers, here's what you need to remember:

Apply within 24 hours to solve the problem quickly.
You must file a claim before your next guest checks in.
If your request is not resolved by guests within 3 days, you must "Escalate to Airbnb.
If you find the problem later, you have 60 days after checkout to report it.

How long does it take for the money to be from my guests/my account?

It depends on the severity of the resolution claim. If it is something small like...

offering compensation for running out of essential supplies.
sending your guests money for a lost key.

...then it takes 5-7 business days from the date it is resolved. However, in larger cases that require receipts, photos and documentation for damage or repairs, it can take more than a month, depending on how urgent the case is.

What happens if the host or guest refuses to pay?

For each case involving:

Asking for a lot of money
or
2. One party refuses to comply

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

Every difficult case has a manager who is in contact with both parties to hear each side of the story. (That is why it is important to have all the necessary documents and talking points on hand when they contact you).
They will essentially act as the judge in determining whether or not a party is "guilty.
They are very well versed in reviewing all types of resolution cases, so chances are they have handled a case similar to yours and can resolve it accordingly.

Side note: It is also very important to contact case managers (calling is highly recommended), as they have a heavy caseload.

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

Stay calm and prepare your evidence. This doesn't happen often, but the guest may be trying to cancel or get money back because of their own wrong expectations. In that case, provide as much documentation as possible.

It is also very important to contact guests trying to resolve the issue and express your sympathy that they did not have a 5-star experience. This will show your Airbnb case manager that you made an effort to please your guests and support your argument. Stay calm, respond professionally and trust your case manager; they know a false claim when they see one.

Using the Resolution Center at the right time can drastically simplify a landlord's life. Whether it is to speed up the process of recovering damages from guests or to quickly resolve a problem on your end. It is a tool that has the potential to be a potentially.

If you have any other questions about Airbnb's resolution center, please contact us, we are happy to help!