What to do when a guest damages your property

The vast majority of stays go well. But over time, a glass of red wine on a light sofa, a cracked window or a forced door will happen. What makes the difference is speed and the quality of the file you put together in the hours that follow.

Here is the process to follow, and the prevention habits that limit the risk.

1. Record and document immediately

It all starts at cleaning or the post-checkout inspection. Before cleaning, repairing or moving anything:

• take dated photos and videos, wide shots then close-ups;
• note when the damage was found and who found it;
• keep broken items and any other evidence (bottles, packaging);
• gather anything useful: condition of the other rooms, statements from neighbours if there was a disturbance.

Without a “before” record, it is hard to prove the damage is recent. Hence the value of reference photos of the property, updated regularly.

2. Gather evidence of the stay

• the booking (dates, platform, number of declared guests);
• your message history with the guest;
• the cleaning or inspection report from the previous checkout, showing the condition before the stay;
• if needed, purchase invoices for the damaged items.

3. Contact the guest, in writing

Get in touch with the guest quickly, through the platform’s messaging rather than by phone: the conversation needs to stay on record. Be factual and polite, attach the photos and describe the problem. Many situations are resolved at this stage, when the guest acknowledges the incident.

Avoid accusations without evidence and requests for payment outside the platform: they complicate the official process later.

4. Report it to the platform

Each platform has its own procedure, with its own conditions and short deadlines after the guest checks out. On Airbnb, requests go through the Resolution Centre; on Booking.com, the options depend on your settings (damage deposit, claims procedure). Check the current terms as soon as you find damage: missing a deadline can be enough for a claim to be rejected.

Depending on the facts (theft, deliberate damage), a police report may be necessary, and is sometimes required by insurers.

5. Get quotes

To put a figure on the damage, ask a professional for a quote, backed by photos. This document is the basis for your claim with the platform, the guest or your insurer.

Also check your home insurance, which may cover some incidents depending on your policy, in addition to the mandatory civil liability insurance linked to Alojamento Local.

6. Act without blocking the calendar

The next guest may arrive the same day. Priority one: make the property safe and usable (protect the window, provide a temporary replacement, deep clean), then organise the permanent repair.

When management is delegated, the rule should be agreed in advance: at Maison Tejo, we agree with each owner on a maximum amount we can spend on a small urgent repair; above it, nothing significant goes ahead without their written approval.

7. Prevent rather than repair

On monitoring, stay within the rules: Airbnb in particular prohibits cameras inside homes, and any monitoring must respect guests’ privacy and each platform’s terms.

Go further: getting your apartment ready: the checklist and the equipment that actually makes property management easier.