Found Damage at Airbnb Check-In? What to Do Right Away

If you found damage at Airbnb check-in, photograph it before you unpack, then send your host a short message about it through the Airbnb app. That dated, written record is what protects you if the host later says you caused it. If the problem affects your stay (a safety hazard, a broken major amenity, a dirty home), Airbnb's help center says you have 72 hours from the time you discover it to report it to your host or to Airbnb (Airbnb: Problems during your reservation). Policies change, so check the current terms on that page.

Below is a step-by-step plan, a message you can copy, and what to do if the damage is serious enough that you want a refund.

Why reporting pre-existing damage on Airbnb matters

Most guests notice a chipped table or a stained couch and think, "Not my problem, I'll leave it." The trouble shows up two weeks later. Airbnb's help center says hosts can file a reimbursement request in the Resolution Center within 14 days of the guest's checkout (Airbnb: Host damage protection). If that request arrives and you have nothing showing the damage was already there, it turns into your word against the host's.

Guests on r/AirBnB describe this exact situation regularly. People are charged for a broken vacuum, a worn frying pan, or a stained sheet, and the guests who resolve it quickly are the ones with arrival photos or a message from day one. Hosts in those threads say the same thing from the other side: a quick note at check-in about existing damage would have ended the dispute before it started.

You are not accusing your host of anything by reporting it. You're simply both agreeing on what the place looked like when you arrived.

What to do if you find damage at Airbnb check-in: 6 steps

1. Stop and document before you unpack

Before suitcases go on the bed, do a slow walk-through:

• Take a video of every room, narrating what you see ("Living room, 4:12 pm, scratch on the coffee table").
• Take close-up photos of each damaged item, plus a wider shot that shows where it is in the room.
• Check the easy-to-miss spots: under rugs, mattress and sofa cushions, inside the oven and microwave, bathroom grout, blinds, balcony furniture, and walls behind doors.

Your phone records the date and time on each photo. Don't edit or crop the originals. Keep them as they are.

2. Compare with the listing photos

Open the listing and compare. If the damage is visible in the host's own photos, screenshot that too. It's strong evidence that the issue predates your stay.

3. Message your host in the Airbnb app

Send the message through Airbnb messaging, not by text or a phone call. Airbnb's help pages recommend keeping communication on the platform so there's a record (Airbnb: Unclean at check-in).

Keep it short and friendly. Here's a template:

Hi [Host], we just checked in and the place looks great. Before we settle in, I wanted to flag a few things that were already here when we arrived, so we're on the same page:

• Chip on the edge of the dining table (photo attached)
• Stain on the left sofa cushion (photo attached)
• Bathroom towel rail is loose (photo attached)

No need to do anything about the first two; just letting you know. Could you let us know about the towel rail? Thanks!

Attach the photos directly in the message. Even if the host never replies, you now have a dated record inside Airbnb.

4. Decide whether it affects your stay

Cosmetic damage (a scratch, a small stain) usually just needs to be on record. Problems that make the home unsafe, unclean, or not as advertised are different, and may be covered by Airbnb's Rebooking and Refund Policy (see the next section).

5. Keep your evidence until well after checkout

Don't delete anything once you leave. Hosts have a window after checkout to file a claim, and if a request does arrive, Airbnb says guests have 24 hours to respond (Airbnb: Getting charged for damage). Check the current terms on that page. Keep your photos and messages for at least a month or two.

6. Take checkout photos too

Before you leave, take a quick photo of each room and of the damaged items you flagged on arrival. Matching "before" and "after" shots from the same angles are the clearest evidence there is.

When can you get a refund for problems at check-in?

Airbnb's Rebooking and refund policy for homes covers certain "Reservation Issues." According to that page, they include:

• The home isn't reasonably clean and sanitary, or has safety or health hazards
• The home is significantly different from the listing, for example a missing or broken advertised amenity such as a pool, hot tub, major appliance, heating, or air conditioning
• The host cancels or you can't get in

The same page says guests must report these issues within 72 hours after discovery, back them with evidence such as photos or videos, and, where feasible, try to resolve the problem with the host first. It also says issues caused by the guest aren't covered. Cosmetic wear like a scratched table generally isn't something the policy lists, which is why for minor damage the goal is a record, not a refund. Read the full policy and check the current terms for your booking.

If the problem is serious, Airbnb's help center describes the process like this (Airbnb: Problems during your reservation):

1. Document the issue with photos or video.
2. Message your host and give them a chance to fix it.
3. If you want money back, send a refund request to your host in the Resolution Center with the details and photos.
4. If the host can't resolve it, doesn't respond, or declines, use Get Help on the reservation page to involve Airbnb.

In an emergency or if your safety is threatened, Airbnb says to contact local police or emergency services immediately.

What if the host doesn't reply?

That's fine. The point of the message is the timestamp, not the reply. Your message and photos are stored in the Airbnb conversation either way. If the issue affects your stay and you get no answer, contact Airbnb through Get Help within the 72-hour window rather than waiting.

What if you didn't report damage at check-in?

It happens. If you're charged later for something that was already there, gather whatever you have: casual vacation photos where the item appears in the background, the listing photos, and any messages. Then respond calmly within the deadline. We walk through that whole process in our guide on what to do when an Airbnb host charges you for damage you didn't cause.

Check-in damage checklist for guests

• Video walk-through of every room before unpacking
• Close-up and wide photos of each damaged item
• Screenshot listing photos that show the same damage
• Message the host in the Airbnb app with photos attached
• Report anything unsafe, unclean, or missing within 72 hours (check current terms)
• Take matching photos at checkout
• Keep all photos and messages for at least a month or two

Make it a shared record next time

The easiest version of all this is when the host has already documented existing damage before you arrive. With Stayd, guests use the app free forever: you get an invite from your host, review the damage the host has already recorded, check in with a PIN, and post any new damage you find with photos. Your host is notified, and you both see the same time-stamped record.

Hosts: if you'd like your guests to have that peace of mind, see how Stayd works.