On paper, this figure conveys quite a bit of peace of mind.
But having protection of up to 3 million dollars is one thing, and getting a specific claim accepted is quite another.
And that difference is especially important because, currently, most Airbnb hosts cannot require a security deposit from the guest, either through the Resolution Center or outside of Airbnb. There are some exceptions, including certain hosts connected through software and some hotel establishments, but the general rule established by Airbnb is that most owners cannot charge that deposit.
In practice, Airbnb asks the owner to trust a good part of the protection against damages from their guests to AirCover.
That’s why it’s worth asking:
Is AirCover sufficient to financially protect a tourist accommodation?
AirCover is not a security deposit
This is probably the first difference that any owner must understand.
A security deposit means having a certain amount of money or an economic guarantee linked to the stay beforehand. If there is a proven damage and the agreed conditions allow it, that guarantee can be applied to cover it.
AirCover works differently.
When the owner detects damage, they must initiate a claims procedure. First, they must try to obtain payment from the responsible guest, and if the guest does not pay, they can request Airbnb's intervention.
The current terms of damage protection state that the primary obligation to pay lies with the responsible guest and that Airbnb acts subsequently under the conditions of its protection program. Airbnb also expressly specifies that its Host Damage Protection does not constitute an insurance contract.
This is an important difference.
There is no fund from which damages are automatically deducted.
There is a claim that must be analyzed and accepted.
A broken piece of furniture is not enough: it must be proven
Let’s assume a seemingly simple situation.
A guest enters an accommodation, and when they leave, a door is broken.
For the owner, the relationship may seem obvious:
before the stay it was fine → the guest stayed → after it is broken.
But to obtain a refund, it may be necessary to prove much more.
The current terms of Airbnb require what they call “Legitimate and Verifiable Evidence”, that is, legitimate and verifiable proof that certifies the existence, extent, and amount of the loss.
Airbnb may request, among other things:
photographs or videos;
invoices and receipts;
repair estimates;
information on when the damage occurred;
explanation of its cause and origin;
brand and model of the item;
approximate date of acquisition;
previous condition of the item;
cost of repair or replacement;
documentation justifying the claimed amount.
For damages to certain elements of the property, detailed repair estimates may also be requested.
Therefore, being right and being able to prove it are two different things.
And that’s where one of the main risks for the owner appears.
What happens if the guest simply denies causing the damage?
This is possibly one of the most difficult situations.
The owner claims that an item was in perfect condition.
The guest claims it was already broken.
Who has to prove what happened?
In practice, the owner’s prior documentation then becomes extremely important.
A photograph of the broken object proves that it is broken.
But it may not prove when it was broken.
An invoice proves how much it costs to repair it.
But it does not necessarily prove who caused the damage.
And a guest can completely deny the facts.
That’s precisely why Airbnb requires evidence about the moment, cause, and origin of the loss, in addition to documentation about the damage and its economic valuation.
The result is that an owner who has not sufficiently documented the condition of their property before the stay may find themselves in a complicated position.
Does AirCover cover any violation of the rules?
No.
And this is another issue that can generate confusion.
Just because a guest violates house rules does not automatically mean there is a monetary amount that AirCover will pay.
For example, the terms cover certain physical damages, some additional cleaning costs, and specific situations like the removal of smoke odor when someone has smoked in violation of the accommodation rules. There are also certain coverages related to additional cleaning caused by unauthorized guests.
But simply violating a rule does not necessarily generate compensation.
There must be a loss included within the program's conditions.
In other words:
misbehavior does not automatically equate to compensable damage.
Owners have very different experiences
There is no public statistic that allows us to state what percentage of AirCover claims are fully paid, partially paid, or rejected.
Therefore, the testimonies published by hosts on the Internet should be interpreted as individual experiences and not as a statistical sample of the overall functioning of the program.
But they are particularly interesting because they show real situations that an owner may face.
“The guest admitted to breaking the door”
In September 2026, a host who claimed to have used Airbnb since 2010 publicly explained that a guest broke the door of a dryer.
According to their account, the guest had acknowledged the damage.
The owner provided photographs and documentation and claimed approximately 300 dollars.
However, they state that AirCover later rejected the request, considering that it could not be established that the guest had caused the damage.
This is a particularly illustrative example because it shows that even a situation that seems obvious to the owner can end up depending on how Airbnb values the documentation presented.
Photographs, invoices, and numerous checks
Another Superhost explained in July 2026 that they had been managing two accommodations since 2018 and had only had to resort to AirCover twice.
Their main criticism was not only the outcome of the claims but the amount of documentation they had to provide: detailed photographs, invoices, bank statements, calls, and other evidence.
In their own words, the amount of things they had to “prove” seemed disproportionate.
This experience coincides with something that appears expressly in Airbnb's terms: the existence of damage is not enough; its extent and economic valuation must also be proven.
A claim that ended up covering approximately half
Another host described in June 2026 a stay in which, according to their account, the guest smoked inside the accommodation, left dirt, objects disappeared, and other problems occurred.
They claim that they initially received a proposal equivalent to approximately 25% of their claim and that, after providing additional documentation and continuing to claim, they ended up obtaining approximately 50% of what they requested.
This type of case introduces another important variable:
an accepted claim does not necessarily mean that the owner will recover 100% of what they consider lost.
Airbnb may apply valuation, depreciation, and limitations established in its terms.
But there are also claims that do work
Presenting AirCover as a system that never pays would also be incorrect.
There are recent testimonies just in the opposite direction.
In September 2026, a host explained that they discovered that some guests had brought a dog into an accommodation where pets were not allowed. After their departure, they found numerous wet spots on a carpet.
They documented the situation with photographs, videos, ultraviolet light, and a moisture meter, hired professional cleaning for approximately 500 dollars, and submitted the corresponding documentation.
After various requests for clarification, Airbnb ended up reimbursing them.
Another owner recounted in 2025 that some guests caused about 5,000 dollars in damage to a wooden floor after a bag of ice melted. According to their experience, AirCover ultimately paid the full claim.
What do many of the cases that end favorably have in common?
The documentation.
The real problem: the owner also has to become an expert
Here probably lies one of the main conclusions.
AirCover can be useful when a significant incident occurs.
But relying on it requires the owner to manage their accommodation with a view to a potential future claim from the outset.
That means changing the way of working.
It is not enough to manage reservations, cleaning, prices, and guests.
Evidence must also be built.
How should an owner who works with Airbnb protect themselves?
If Airbnb constitutes a significant part of the accommodation's bookings, it is advisable to establish a small documentation protocol.
1. Periodically photograph the property
Not just commercial photographs.
Also sufficiently detailed images of furniture, appliances, doors, windows, countertops, bathrooms, pools, and items of special value.
2. Document especially expensive items
Televisions, appliances, furniture, outdoor equipment, installations, or any item whose replacement may be costly.
Also keep invoices whenever possible.
3. Quickly record any damage
When a problem arises, photograph and record it before manipulating or repairing it.
The shorter the interval between the guest's departure and the documentation of the damage, the better the incident can be reconstructed.
4. Obtain professional documentation
When necessary, having an estimate, invoice, or report issued by a professional can be much more solid than limiting oneself to establishing an estimated amount by the owner.
5. Keep conversations within Airbnb
If the guest acknowledges a fact, explains what happened, or admits some action related to the damage, keeping that conversation within the platform can provide particularly useful documentation.
6. Do not miss deadlines
The current terms state that, within 14 days after checkout, the host must have taken certain actions to try to recover the claimed amount from the guest and communicate the claim.
If the guest does not pay, the corresponding request under Host Damage Protection must be completed within 30 days after checkout, along with the required documentation.
Waiting can turn a perfectly real damage into a claim that is impossible to recover.
So, is AirCover reliable?
AirCover constitutes an important additional protection, and there are numerous cases where it has responded correctly.
But it should not be interpreted as equivalent to having a security deposit or as an automatic guarantee that any damage caused by a guest will be reimbursed.
The difference is fundamental.
Airbnb currently limits the ability to charge security deposits to most hosts, and at the same time, any claim made through AirCover is subject to specific conditions, deadlines, and documentation requirements.
Moreover, Airbnb itself expressly reminds that Host Damage Protection is not insurance and recommends obtaining independent coverage when the owner needs protection beyond what the program offers.
Therefore, the question may not be:
“Do I have AirCover?”
But rather:
“If tomorrow a guest causes me 5,000 euros in damage and denies having caused it, can I prove exactly what happened?”
Because when a claim arrives, that difference can determine who ends up financially bearing the problem.
And in the professional management of a tourist accommodation, trust should never replace documentation.
Sources consulted: current Airbnb terms on Host Damage Protection and security deposits, Airbnb Help Center, and public testimonies from hosts published in property owner and tourist accommodation manager communities. The testimonies collected correspond to individual experiences and do not represent a statistic on the total claims managed by Airbnb.