Despite over 150 million people using Airbnb and an overwhelmingly high amount of people leaving positive and recommended reviews from the service, there can be a bad side.
An online holiday home insurer can show some of the most outrageous, crazy and horrifying claims. They found owners who have been left with hefty bills, claims from properties trashed by guests, possessions stolen, and frightening damage caused by nature.
Holiday home insurance provider schofields.ltd.uk has shared some of their most outrageous holiday home claims and some of the craziest Airbnb horror stories reported by hosts. They have seen holiday home claims with damage costs going up to £130,000, to a guest with a cow in their swimming pool who needed to claim for the removal of the cow and cleaning of the pool.
Airbnb costly claims
Despite over 150 million people using Airbnb and an overwhelmingly high amount of people leaving positive and recommended reviews from the service, there can be a bad side. Some overnight guests have managed to take full advantage of Airbnb hosts with parties and trashing the accommodation while the host is away.
Throwing a $23k rager
Guests staying in a property in San Antonio, Texas caused $23,000 US dollars in damage after throwing a party which saw over 300 people descend upon the property.
Plumbing problems
Plumbing systems in another property were damaged to a cost of $10,000 after feminine products were put down the toilet, which led to a blockage in the system of the house to be flooded.
$150,000 worth of damage was done by guests on a million-dollar Melbourne beachfront property. It was reported that roughly 70 teens trashed the house causing $150,000 worth of damage in one night.
The most expensive claims Schofields have seen
Flood: £130,000 – A river burst its banks in Scotland due to excessive rainfall. With water 1m high and 36 hours before it receded, the claim was made for damage to buildings, contents and loss of rent.
Storm: £26,000 – In a property in Spain, last occupied in November, mould and condensation were noticed in May by a cleaner. The roof was damaged by storms which lifted roof tiles, water ingress. A claim was made for damage to buildings, contents and loss of rent.
Public Liability: £26,000 – In Wales, a guest slipped on decking steps. The owner had a warning sign at the back door that decking could be slippery when wet. However, they claimed for personal injuries, time off work and legal fees.
Theft: £20,000 – In Spain, a property was emptied of its contents over several days, sustained damage to patio doors during the break-in and had malicious damage to fittings.
Weirdest claims
Taking a look at the oddest claims received:
- One claim claimed a cow was in a swimming pool.
- A guest recreated a beach inside an owner’s property.
- A pig’s head inside a cardboard coffin, in a rubbish bin.
- One guest placed a sofa, a single bed and chest of drawers to a shallow end of the swimming pool.
Phil Schofield, Head of Inbound Marketing at Schofields said: “People may not know what they need to disclose when purchasing insurance. If the property has been previously flooded or if they’re any nearby rivers or streams, then this should be brought to attention. Any major structural changes, such as a new hot tub or installing a wood burning stove, for example, need to be mentioned too.”
He continued: “Any updates to the decor, whether it’s fitting in anything big, drilling holes into the wall or something that generally changes the overall area, be sure to refer it to the company. Our policies don’t cover properties rented out via Airbnb, and we recommended checking with your current insurance provider to confirm if they do, if you are considering using this service”.
Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
