A host opens the door after checkout and is immediately hit with the unmistakable smell of cigarette smoke. The rental has a clear no-smoking policy, prominently listed in the house rules. But the evidence is everywhere: a cigarette butt on the coffee table, ash in the trash, and the acrid smell of smoke saturated into the couch cushions and linens that had been neatly folded in the closet.
The host does everything right. They call support immediately, document the evidence with photos, and file a damage claim for the extra cleaning costs. They spend hours airing out the property, washing every piece of fabric, and blocking out the next day on their calendar to make sure the smell is completely gone before the next guest arrives.
Then comes the retaliation.
A scathing 3-star review appears: “He went through our trash, found a used cigarette butt and tried to get money out of us for an extra cleaning fee a week after we checked out because it ‘smelled like smoke’ even though no one smoked anything inside at all.”
The gut punch? It will take at least nine 5-star reviews to recover from this one bad rating, which is damaging your hosting reputation.
This shouldn’t be controversial. A guest broke the rules, caused damage, and the host simply asked for cleaning costs. So why does doing the right thing feel like a punishment?
You’re caught in a broken system
The problem isn’t unique to this host. It’s a systemic issue that puts short-term rental operators in an impossible position every time damage occurs.
The conflict is built into the process. Traditional damage claims through booking platforms create direct confrontation. The guest is notified of the claim, becomes defensive about the charge, and retaliates with a negative review. Your business depends on maintaining high ratings, so you’re trapped between enforcing your policies and protecting your reputation.
Platform support won’t protect you. That same host spent over six hours on customer service calls, cycling through multiple supervisors who repeated the same scripted responses. They requested removal of the obviously retaliatory review, citing the platform’s own policy against reviews given in exchange for something of value or as retaliation. The response? Rejection after rejection, followed by a link to the very policy the platform refused to enforce.
The math doesn’t work in your favor. Consider what one retaliatory review actually costs you:
- Nine 5-star reviews are needed to counteract a single 3-star rating
- Superhost status is at risk
- Future booking potential impacted
Hosts are being forced to game the system. The short-term rental community has developed a workaround: file damage claims at exactly 13 days, 23 hours, and 59 minutes after checkout. The goal is to submit right before the deadline expires, giving guests no time to leave a retaliatory review. This is no way to run a professional business.
You’re not asking for anything unreasonable. You’re asking to be compensated for legitimate damage to your property. But the current system makes you choose: protect your property, or protect your reputation. You shouldn’t have to choose.
What if claims didn’t create conflict?
The problem isn’t that damage happens. That’s an inevitable part of hospitality. The problem is that the claims process creates a direct line from “I need compensation” to “here’s your retaliatory review.”
What if there was a way to file claims without guest involvement, get paid without the back-and-forth, and protect your property without risking your ratings? What if you could resolve damages in days instead of weeks of disputes?
That’s exactly what Guesty Shield provides for hosts.
How damage protection removes guest friction
The key difference comes down to one critical factor: no guest involvement means no retaliation.
With damage protection through Guesty Shield, you can handle claims directly in your Guesty dashboard without notifying guests or relying on the booking platform’s customer service. Your claims are reviewed immediately, and you receive payment within days directly to your account.
What this means for your business:
- Guests never know a claim was filed
- No opportunity for dispute or retaliation
- Your 5-star reviews stay protected
- No dependency on the platform’s customer service
- Real-time claim tracking so you always know exactly where things stand.
Coverage that works across your business
Damage protection through Guesty Shield offers comprehensive coverage for common guest damages while working seamlessly across your entire operation. It applies to every property type and every booking platform, whether you’re listing on Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, or taking direct bookings, you’re covered on all OTA channels.
The coverage integrates directly into your Guesty dashboard as part of the Shield suite, giving you end-to-end protection without switching between external tools or platforms. You can even eliminate security deposits entirely, removing booking hesitation while maintaining full protection for your properties.
Protection options for your market
Guesty Shield offers property protection solutions tailored to your region:
For US-based hosts: Damage protection provides comprehensive coverage for guest-caused property damage with friction-free claims processing and rapid payouts, all managed directly from your Guesty dashboard.
For EU-based hosts: Screen & Protect combines intelligent guest screening with damage coverage, helping you identify booking risks while protecting your properties across all channels form guests that have been screened.
Both solutions integrate seamlessly into your existing Guesty workflow, ensuring you have the right protection for your market without added complexity.
What this actually means for your business
Enforce your rules with confidence
Stop second-guessing whether filing a claim is worth the potential bad review. Stop calculating whether the damage cost is less than the revenue you might lose from a retaliatory rating. With proper damage protection, your house rules actually mean something because you can enforce them without fear.
Protect both your property and your reputation
You’ve worked hard to build your review scores and earn 5-star rating status. Damage protection lets you handle guest-caused issues professionally without confrontation, preserving the ratings that drive your future bookings.
Save time and reduce stress
No more six-hour customer service marathons. No more waiting until the last possible minute to file legitimate claims. No more juggling multiple platforms and external tools. You can focus on hospitality instead of dispute management.
Get paid fairly for legitimate damages
- Fast resolution in days, not weeks
- Direct payment to your account
- No guest negotiation or platform mediation required
Learn how damage protection through Guesty Shield can protect your properties and your reputation.
Frequently asked questions
Damage protection removes guests from the claims process entirely, so they’re never notified when you file a claim. Without notification or involvement, guests have no reason to leave retaliatory reviews, keeping your host reputation protected while you get compensated for legitimate damages.
With Guesty Shield’s damage protection, you can receive payment within days of filing your claim. The process is streamlined through your Guesty dashboard with immediate claim review and direct payment to your account, eliminating the weeks of back-and-forth that traditional platform claims require.
Yes, damage protection through Guesty Shield works across your entire portfolio, regardless of where bookings originate. Whether you’re listing on Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, or taking direct reservations, all your properties and channels are covered.
You can eliminate security deposits with damage protection, reducing booking friction and increasing conversion rates. Many hosts find that removing the deposit requirement makes their properties more attractive to guests while still maintaining full coverage for potential damages.
