Guest damage and insurance on Airbnb and Booking.com: what’s covered and how to claim
How to document damage and get paid on Airbnb and Booking.com, why Airbnb’s damage protection is not insurance, and which cover the owner and the co-host each need.
Sources listed, last checked
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules differ by country and city and change often, so check the official source and ask a qualified adviser before you act.
On Airbnb you first ask the guest to pay through the Resolution Center, within 14 days of their checkout; if they do not pay in full within 24 hours, Airbnb can review the request under Host damage protection, which Airbnb itself says is not insurance.1 On Booking.com you also have 14 days after the stay, but the guest is only charged with their consent.5 Neither programme replaces the owner’s own fire and liability insurance, which Flanders requires for every tourist accommodation, or the cover a co-host needs for their own mistakes.8
Key takeaways
- Airbnb and Booking.com’s damage programme both give you 14 days to ask for payment, and the clock starts at checkout, not when you notice the damage.16
- On Airbnb you ask the guest first; Host damage protection only steps in when the guest declines, pays part or does not respond within 24 hours.1
- Host damage protection excludes normal wear and tear and ordinary checkout cleaning, and Airbnb states it is not an insurance policy.1
- In Flanders, every tourist accommodation needs fire insurance and civil liability insurance, as one of nine basic conditions.8
- The owner and the co-host carry different risks, so check both policies and put the split in the management agreement.
In this guide
The first hour: documenting damage
Most claims are won or lost before you file anything, because the reviewer has only your evidence. Airbnb asks for photos or videos, repair or cleaning estimates and receipts.1 Booking.com asks for a detailed description, clear photos and invoices or receipts where needed.6 Build the evidence into your turnover routine:
- A baseline before every stay. Photograph each room from the same spots at the end of each turnover. Without a “before”, an “after” photo proves little.
- Photos at checkout, before cleaning. A close-up shows the damage; a wide shot shows where it is.
- A price, in writing. A repair quote, or a replacement link with the price on the day.
- Messages on the platform, so the reviewer can see what was said.
- An inventory per room, which makes “missing item” claims checkable.
Booking.com asks you not to upload invoices showing private addresses, phone numbers or other personal data, security camera footage of guests, or screenshots of conversations.6
Watch out: The deadlines run from checkout
On Airbnb the 14 days count from the responsible guest’s checkout, and if you want Airbnb Support involved, you must submit the supporting documentation within 14 days of the damage or loss.1 Booking.com’s damage programme counts 14 days from checkout.6 If you only find a stain when the next guest complains, days have already gone.
Claiming on Airbnb
Airbnb’s protection for hosts is called AirCover for Hosts. According to Airbnb, it includes guest identity verification, reservation screening, Host damage protection up to $3 million, Host liability insurance up to $1 million, and a 24-hour safety line.1 Airbnb shows all coverage limits in US dollars.1
Ask the guest first
A damage claim on Airbnb follows three steps, as Airbnb describes them.1
- Document the damage with photos or videos, estimates and receipts.
- File a reimbursement request in the Resolution Center within 14 days of the responsible guest’s checkout.
- Wait 24 hours for the guest. If they do not respond, pay part or decline, you can submit the request under Host damage protection, and Airbnb Support reviews it.
Some requests may be reviewed automatically; if you do not accept the result, you can ask for a human review and add evidence.1 If Airbnb decides the guest is responsible, the guest’s payment method may be charged.3 In the request, say what happened, when you found it, what it costs and how you got to that amount, and ask for the repair cost when a repair is possible.
What Host damage protection covers and excludes
Host damage protection as Airbnb describes it (checked 15 September 2026)
| Covered | Not covered |
|---|---|
| Damage to the home, furnishings, valuables or belongings caused by guests or their invitees1 | Normal wear and tear1 |
| Damage to parked cars, boats or other vehicles caused by guests or their invitees1 | Loss of currency1 |
| Extra cleaning to remove stains, pet accidents or smoke odour, or when there were unapproved extra guests1 | Acts of nature, such as earthquakes and hurricanes1 |
| Income lost when you must cancel confirmed Airbnb bookings because of guest damage1 | Injury or property damage to guests or others, which may fall under Host liability insurance1 |
| Cleaning that belongs to a normal checkout, such as laundry, dishes or rubbish1 |
Airbnb adds that other limitations apply and that the programme is subject to its own terms, conditions and limitations.1 Your cleaning fee is meant for the expected costs of a stay; Host damage protection is for unexpected costs, such as replacing a sofa a dog chewed.1
Why it’s not insurance
Airbnb states that Host damage protection is not insurance or a financial service, and that it is not related to Host liability insurance.1 It runs under Airbnb’s own terms, so read them rather than assuming insurance rules apply, and ask an adviser if a large request is refused. It covers damage during Airbnb stays only, so a Booking.com or direct stay in the same flat is outside it.1 And it does not replace the owner’s policies: wear and tear, storms and a fire the guest did not cause are for the owner’s insurer, or nobody.
Host liability insurance
Host liability insurance is the insurance part of AirCover. It covers hosts for their legal liability for bodily injury or property damage to guests or others, from an event during an Airbnb stay, at no cost to the host.2 For hosts in the European Economic Area, Airbnb says the programme was arranged by Airbnb Spain Insurance Agency, and in most jurisdictions the policy is issued by Zurich Insurance Company Ltd.2
Points worth knowing before you rely on it, all from Airbnb’s programme summary:2
- The limit is $1,000,000 per Airbnb stay; different limits and terms may apply by jurisdiction.
- Co-hosts are included in the definition of host, with staff, family members and roommates providing host-related services.
- It does not cover damage to the host’s own property; that is Host damage protection’s territory.
- Since 1 March 2025, hosts with 6 or more active listings at the time of loss may find the programme requires contribution from other insurance or applies as excess cover.
- Liability you took on in a contract is excluded, unless you would have had it without the contract. That matters when a management agreement makes you responsible for more than the law does.
- There must be an actual stay; cancelled stays and no-shows are not covered. The current term runs to at least 30 June 2027.
Claims go through an intake form, after which a third-party claims adjuster appointed by the insurer handles them.2
Claiming on Booking.com
For properties in Europe, Booking.com works differently from Airbnb in one important way: there is no damage protection that pays you when the guest refuses. Booking.com passes your request on, and the money comes from the guest.6 If you list on both platforms, the comparison of Airbnb and Booking.com explains the other differences.
The damage policy: 14 days, charged with the guest’s consent
Guests who book a property that uses Booking.com’s damage policy agree to reimburse Booking.com, on behalf of the property, for damage, breakages or losses they cause. You can request a damage fee through the platform up to 14 days after the end of the stay. Booking.com sends the claim to the guest and charges them only with their consent; you may not charge the guest directly. If the guest rejects the claim and Booking.com finds the rejection valid, the claim is closed.5
The policy excludes general cleaning, ordinary wear and tear, theft of cash, smoking fines, broken house rules, bodily injury, consequential loss, third-party liability and force majeure, though Booking.com notes the property could seek damage fees for these outside the policy.5
Damage deposit versus the damage programme
For partners outside the United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, Booking.com offers two options in the extranet, under Property policies: a damage deposit or a damage programme.6
Booking.com damage options for European partners (checked 15 September 2026)
| Damage deposit | Damage programme | |
|---|---|---|
| Who handles it | You collect, hold and return the deposit yourself6 | Booking.com contacts the guest and facilitates payment for you6 |
| Money up front | Yes, collected before the stay as agreed at booking6 | No; the guest pays only if damage is reported and they agree6 |
| Deadline | Set by your own agreement with the guest6 | Request within 14 days of the guest checking out6 |
| Maximum | Your deposit amount | A cap you set per stay; the maximum you can choose depends on the country6 |
| Guarantee | You keep the deposit if damage is proven to be caused by the guest6 | None; Booking.com says it cannot guarantee payment6 |
| Downside | Booking.com says deposits tend to lead to fewer bookings and more cancellations6 | Payout can take up to 30 days after approval6 |
A new cap only applies to guests who book after you change it. Under the programme you can ask for damage to furniture, equipment and fixtures, third-party cleaning beyond general mess (with an invoice), and lost keys or stolen items (with a receipt). You cannot ask for routine cleaning, smoking, untidiness, broken house rules such as pets or extra guests, or unpaid fees such as tourist tax.6
If the guest does not respond, the request stays open, but Booking.com says payment is then unlikely. For damage the guest will not pay for, it points you to your own insurance, if it covers short-term letting, and to its guest misconduct tool.6
Direct bookings and deposits
Most Airbnb hosts are not allowed to charge a security deposit, through the Resolution Center or off the platform; some, including select software-connected hosts, may collect one off the platform if it is shown in the fee field.3 Airbnb’s off-platform policy lists failing to disclose a security deposit as a violation.4 So do not ask an Airbnb guest for a deposit by bank transfer.
A direct booking is outside both platforms: no Host damage protection, no Booking.com damage programme and no platform liability insurance, which only covers that platform’s bookings.27 You set the deposit and its terms yourself. Put them in writing before the guest pays, say when and how the deposit is returned, and check the consumer and privacy rules in your country with an adviser.
Insurance: who needs what
Platform programmes cover one platform, under their own terms. The owner’s and the co-host’s own insurance covers the rest, and in Flanders part of it is a legal condition for renting at all.
The owner’s building and contents policy
Booking.com warns that an existing homeowners policy may not cover accidents during rental periods, and asks partners to check with their insurer.7 Airbnb tells hosts to check their own policy terms too.2
Before the first guest arrives, the owner should tell their insurer in writing that the property is let short-term, ask whether building, contents and liability cover still apply during stays, and keep the answer. Ask about theft by guests, water damage, the excess per claim and whether a claim may raise the premium, which Booking.com mentions as a possible effect.6 In an apartment building, check the building’s policy and the co-owners’ rules too.
Fire and civil liability insurance in Flanders
Under the Flemish accommodation decree, every tourist accommodation in Flanders must meet basic conditions, including a fire safety certificate and fire and civil liability insurance.8 The decree asks the operator to have at least:8
- Fire insurance for the building, or for the parts let as tourist accommodation.
- Fire insurance for the contents of the accommodation.
- Civil liability insurance for the building, covering at least the contractual liability under article 1721 of the Civil Code.
- Civil liability insurance for the operation, which is not required for a holiday home.
Toerisme Vlaanderen publishes a model form your broker or insurer can fill in, and can ask for your documents at any time.8 Rules in Brussels, Wallonia and the Netherlands differ; see Airbnb rules in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Airbnb and Booking.com liability insurance
Both platforms include liability insurance at no extra cost, in most places through policies issued by Zurich Insurance Company Ltd.27 Next to Airbnb’s Host liability insurance (above), Booking.com’s Partner Liability Insurance gives owners and property managers €1,000,000 in primary liability cover for stays booked on Booking.com at home-like properties, such as apartments and holiday homes. Properties are enrolled automatically unless they opt out, and the programme period runs from 1 January to 31 December 2026, so check what applies to stays after that.7
Neither covers damage to the owner’s own property, such as a guest breaking the TV.27 Booking.com’s cover also excludes your own injuries and damage caused by the owner, the management company or people acting for them.7 A cleaner who floods the flat downstairs is not a guest problem.
The co-host’s own cover
A co-host carries risks the owner’s policy was never meant for: a key lost by your cleaner, a boiler left off in winter, a booking you forgot to block, or advice that costs the owner money. Airbnb’s liability insurance includes co-hosts, but only during Airbnb stays and not for liability taken on in a contract.2 Ask a broker about business liability and professional liability cover for property management, and make sure the policy names the activity you actually do.
Who carries which risk in a managed short-term rental
| Risk | Usually carried by | Which cover | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guest breaks or stains something | Guest, then owner | Airbnb Host damage protection or Booking.com damage option, then the owner’s contents policy | The 14-day deadline and the exclusions16 |
| Guest is injured in the property | Owner, and the host of record | Owner’s liability policy; platform liability insurance for that platform’s stays | Whether short-term letting is covered27 |
| Fire or water damage to the building | Owner | Building fire insurance, required in Flanders8 | Short-stay use declared to the insurer |
| Wear and tear | Owner | Usually none; excluded by the platforms | Budget it in the agreement15 |
| Mistake by the co-host or their team | Co-host | Co-host’s business or professional liability | Activity named in the policy; limits per claim |
What the management agreement should say about damage
Write the damage process into the agreement, so nobody negotiates after the fact; the guide to management agreement clauses covers the rest of the agreement.
- Who documents and files, within a set number of days, so the platform deadlines are never at risk.
- A repair limit up to which the co-host can repair or replace without asking.
- Who pays when a claim fails: wear and tear, declined claims and small breakages, and damage caused by the co-host’s team.
- Insurance duties: the owner’s cover that allows short-term letting, the co-host’s own business cover, and proof of both once a year.
- Reporting: every claim, its outcome and its cost in the monthly owner report.
Worked example: A stained sofa and a broken lamp on Airbnb
A co-host manages a two-bedroom flat in Ghent for an owner. The guest checks out on a Sunday at 11:00. At 11:30 the cleaner finds red wine on the sofa and a broken floor lamp, stops, and takes a wide photo and two close-ups of each before cleaning the rest of the flat.
- Sunday: the co-host compares the photos with the baseline from the previous turnover, which shows the sofa clean and the lamp intact, and sends the guest a short, factual message on Airbnb.
- Tuesday: an upholstery cleaner quotes €90 and a replacement lamp costs €60, from a shop page saved with the date. The co-host files a €150 reimbursement request in the Resolution Center, well inside the 14 days.1
- Wednesday: the guest pays €60 for the lamp but disputes the stain, so the co-host asks Airbnb to review the rest under Host damage protection, with the quote, both sets of photos and the messages.
- Afterwards: the claim and its result go into the monthly owner report. The agreement says the owner pays for anything the platform refuses under €100.
The flat, the amounts and the guest’s reaction are an illustration, not a real case or a prediction of what Airbnb will decide.
Preventing damage
None of this guarantees a quiet stay, but it cuts the odds and strengthens your evidence when something does happen.
- Clear house rules, shown before booking. Rules on parties, extra guests, smoking and pets work as prevention, not as a fee: Booking.com’s damage programme does not let you charge for broken house rules.6
- The platform’s screening. AirCover for Hosts includes guest identity verification and reservation screening.1 On Booking.com, report a guest who caused damage through the guest misconduct tool.6
- Devices within the rules. Airbnb bans security cameras and recording devices that monitor indoor spaces, even when switched off. Indoor noise decibel monitors are allowed if disclosed and not in bedrooms, bathrooms or sleeping areas, and exterior cameras must be disclosed.9 Check your national privacy rules as well.
- A check-in message that sets the tone. Ask guests to report a breakage before checkout, as the Booking.com damage policy also does.5 The guest message templates include a check-in sequence.
- Tough, replaceable furnishings. Washable sofa covers, spare glasses and cheap lamps turn many claims into a turnover task.
- A checklist at every turnover. A room-by-room check with photos is both prevention and evidence; the turnover cleaning system shows how to build one.
Damage is part of hosting. Whether it costs you money depends on noticing it the same day, having the proof ready and agreeing in advance who pays for what is left.
Questions people ask
What is the time limit for an Airbnb damage claim?
Is AirCover for Hosts insurance?
Partly. AirCover for Hosts includes Host damage protection, which Airbnb says is not insurance or a financial service, and Host liability insurance, which is an insurance programme for your legal liability to guests and others.12 Neither replaces the owner’s own building, contents and liability insurance.
Can I charge a security deposit on Airbnb?
Usually not. Airbnb says most hosts are not allowed to charge security deposits, either through the Resolution Center or outside the platform; some hosts, including select software-connected hosts, may collect one off the platform if it is disclosed in the fee field.3 On Booking.com you can choose a damage deposit that you collect and manage yourself.6
Who pays when a guest damages a managed property, the owner or the co-host?
The guest should pay first, through the platform’s claim process. What is left over, such as wear and tear, a declined claim or the owner’s excess, is split according to your management agreement, so agree in writing who files claims, who pays for repairs up to which amount and who absorbs a rejected claim.
Do I need special insurance to rent on Airbnb in Belgium?
In Flanders, yes: every tourist accommodation must have fire insurance and civil liability insurance for the accommodation and its operation, which is one of the nine basic conditions of the Flemish accommodation decree.8 Check with your broker that your policy covers short-term letting; Booking.com warns that a homeowners policy may not cover accidents during rental periods.7
Sources
All sources checked .
- Airbnb Help Center, “Host damage protection”
- Airbnb Help Center, “Host Liability Insurance Program Summary”
- Airbnb Help Center, “Security deposits”
- Airbnb Help Center, “Off-Platform and Fee Transparency Policy”
- Booking.com, “Damage policy notice”, The policy guests agree to when they book
- Booking.com for Partners, “Everything you need to know about damage policy options”
- Booking.com, “Partner Liability Insurance: frequently asked questions”, Programme period 1 January to 31 December 2026
- Vlaanderen Vakantieland, “Het Vlaams Logiesdecreet”, Last updated 19 August 2026, in Dutch
- Airbnb Help Center, “Restrictions on security cameras and other devices in homes”
We check every figure against the sources above. Spotted something out of date? Email systemen@hostproacademy.com with the guide title.
About HostPro Academy
The team behind this guide
These guides are written by the team behind HostPro Academy, a training programme for building a short-term rental management business. The cleaning, maintenance and damage part of that programme is covered in levels 9 and 11 and lessons 4.4 and 5.4.