Airbnb damage claim: how to answer within 24 hours
Airbnb host claiming damage after your stay? You have 24 hours to answer: what to write, which evidence to ask for and how to appeal a charge.
Guest Defender guide
Booking.com: the property claims damage or keeps your deposit
Under Booking.com's Damage Policy the property cannot charge you for damage on its own: it must claim through Booking.com within 14 days of the end of your stay, and you can accept or decline. If the property took its own damage deposit, the conditions in your booking apply. If it charged your card without following the rules, you can ask your bank for a chargeback.
Two different routes
- A claim through Booking.com: the property can open it up to 14 days after the end of your stay, Booking.com sends it to you and you accept or decline. If Booking.com considers your refusal valid, the claim is closed with no charge.
- The property's own deposit: some properties ask for a damage deposit on arrival or on your card. The amount and when it is returned are in your booking conditions.
What cannot be claimed as damage
- Normal cleaning.
- Normal wear and tear of items and of the home.
- Fines for smoking or for breaking house rules.
If your card has already been charged
- Write to the property and to Booking.com, with your booking and your photos, and ask for the money back.
- If it is a hotel and you paid by Visa, for damage charged after departure it must first send you an explanation within 10 business days, tell you that paying by card is optional and wait 20 business days.
- If the charge breaks the rules, ask your bank for a chargeback, usually within 120 days for Visa and 90 for Mastercard. In the EU, if the amount was not specified when you gave your card and is higher than you could reasonably expect, you can also ask for a refund within 8 weeks, if the property's bank is also in the EU.
A deposit that does not come back
If the deposit is not returned within the time stated in your booking, write to the property with your departure date and ask for the refund or a breakdown of the costs, with evidence. If it does not reply, write to Booking.com and, if the deposit was on your card, to your bank.
This guide explains the rules of Airbnb, Booking.com and the card schemes in plain words: it is not legal advice. Guest Defender is not affiliated with Airbnb or Booking.com. If you receive court papers, see a lawyer straight away.
Sources
- Booking.com, Damage Policy
- Visa Core Rules and Visa Product and Service Rules, section 5.8.8.3
- Directive (EU) 2015/2366 on payment services, Articles 76 and 77
Rules checked on 12 November 2026 against the official texts of Airbnb, Booking.com, Visa and the European Union.
More guides on money claimed after a stay
How much can Airbnb charge you for damages?
If you live in Europe, Airbnb can charge your card at most 500 US dollars for damage, and Airbnb must prove the damage. What applies in other countries.
Upload the claim or the charge: the check is free
Guest Defender reads the claim or the charge, checks dates and rules and writes the letters to the property, Booking.com or your bank for €9.99.