When something gets broken, you shouldn't also get the paperwork

It's checkout morning. Your cleaner sends a photo before you've finished your coffee: red wine across the cream rug. A second photo: a crack running down the bathroom mirror. Your stomach drops.

Then the math starts. Can the rug be cleaned, or does it need replacing? Who fixes mirrors? Is the next guest in tomorrow?

And then the paperwork. Photos. A repair quote. A polite message to the guest. A request through the booking site. Deadlines you've never had to think about. All of it on top of turning the home around for the next stay.

Claims administration takes that part off your plate. When a guest damages something, a claim is filed for you and followed through to the payout. You still decide what to fix and how. You just don't have to fight the forms.

Why it matters

For you. Damage is upsetting, and chasing it is tiring. It's easy to let a claim go because the effort feels bigger than the money, or because the next guest arrives tomorrow and the rug matters more than the form. But a claim that's never filed pays nothing. And the cost of the repair still comes out of your month.

For your guests. Most guests who break something feel bad about it. A clear, polite, well-documented request is fairer to them than an angry message or a surprise. Good process protects the relationship and your reviews.

Know the deadlines

If the stay was booked on Airbnb, timing matters. Airbnb's host damage protection asks you to file a reimbursement request in the Resolution Center within 14 days of the responsible guest's checkout. You first send the request to the guest, who has 24 hours to respond. Airbnb asks for evidence such as photos or videos, repair or cleaning estimates and receipts.

Other booking sites have their own rules. The sooner you tell us, the better.

How it can save you money

Here is a worked example. Every number is an assumption.

In this example, the fee is less than the value of your time. The bigger point: if you'd have let it go, the claim pays nothing at all.

Your numbers will differ. Small damage may not be worth claiming. And how much is paid out is never promised. The booking channel decides.

What to watch out for

• Payment is not promised. The booking channel decides whether to pay and how much. A claim can be paid in full, in part or not at all.
• Evidence matters. Photos before and after the stay make a claim much stronger. On HostDesk, AutoQA photo checks on every work order can help show how the home looked after each turnover.
• Deadlines are short. On Airbnb, 14 days from checkout. Tell us as soon as you find damage.
• Claims are for damage. Normal wear from people living in a home is part of hosting.
• It's per claim, paid or not. The fee is $50 for each claim we file, whether or not the claim is paid.

How it works with HostDesk

Claims administration is an optional add-on on Koli Concierge. It costs $50 per claim we file, whether or not the claim is paid, and isn't included in the plan. You opt in for each property and agree to the $50 per-claim fee. To file in your name, we need authorized access to your booking account; we set this up with you on your activation call.

1. You tell us about the damage, with any photos you have.
2. The claim is filed for you, with the evidence it needs.
3. The claim is followed through to the payout.

Koli Concierge is $299 per property, per month, available everywhere. If local vendors aren't in place in your area yet, billing starts the day they are. No commission on your bookings.

Want help the next time something gets broken?