Insurance claim denied on Airbnb AirCover — my experience and alternatives

Category: Pricing & Revenue

By: Michael Thompson

Posted: 2025-12-08T00:41:54.418Z

Need to vent and warn others. A guest caused $2,800 in damage to my property (broken mirror, stained carpet, damaged kitchen counter). I filed an AirCover claim with documentation, photos, receipts, contractor quotes — everything. AirCover's response after 3 weeks: "We've reviewed your claim and determined the damage is consistent with normal wear and tear." TWENTY-EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLARS of damage is "normal wear and tear"?! Has anyone successfully gotten a large AirCover claim paid? What alternatives exist?

Reply by Emily Chen:

Yep, your experience is pretty much the standard AirCover experience. Sorry to say it. I've filed 3 AirCover claims in 2 years. Results: one was paid (reluctantly, after 6 weeks of back and forth), one was "settled" at like 25% of what I asked for, and the third was flat out denied despite having Ring camera footage of the party that caused the damage. They offered $900 on a $3,600 claim through their "arbitration" process. The fundamental problem is that AirCover isn't insurance. It's Airbnb's internal fund where they decide what to pay. And surprise surprise, the company has a financial incentive to pay less. If you want to fight it: document within 24 hours, get multiple repair quotes, show before/after photos (this is why you should photograph after every clean), and escalate past the first-tier agent immediately. Mentioning that you're "consulting with an attorney" tends to change the tone of the conversation real quick. But honestly the real solution is to stop relying on AirCover. Get Proper Insurance (https://properinsurance.com) for the big stuff and Safely (https://safely.com) for per-booking damage coverage. Real insurance with real adjusters who have legal obligations to process your claim properly. Worth every penny.

Reply by Brittany Simmons:

I've had one successful large AirCover claim ($5,200 for a guest who flooded the bathroom). Here's what I think made the difference: 1. I filed within 2 hours of discovery 2. I had video from my Ring camera showing the guest carrying cases of alcohol (party) 3. I had a plumber's emergency report documenting the cause 4. I had before photos from my cleaner's checklist (she photographs everything) 5. I escalated immediately to a supervisor — the first-tier agents always deny 6. I mentioned I was consulting a lawyer about the claim The lawyer mention is key. Not threatening, just casually: "My attorney suggested I document everything thoroughly." Their tone changes instantly. But this took 7 WEEKS and probably 10 hours of my time. The emotional toll isn't worth it for smaller claims. That's why dedicated insurance exists. For review damage situations, having a professional response template helps. The review response generator at https://strspecialist.com/tools/review-response-generator can help you craft appropriate public responses after damage incidents.