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How your holiday rental could charge you £500 for damages you didn’t do
A little-known clause in the T&Cs is leaving some guests unfairly out of pocket
Most of us diligently check our hire car for scratches and take photos at pick-up and drop-off. But have you ever thought to do the same for your holiday rental?
This summer, Airbnb apologised to a woman from London after she was falsely accused of causing thousands of pounds’ worth of damage at an apartment in New York.
The host had even used AI to digitally manipulate images of a cracked table to back up his claims.
‘Host took our security deposit’
Forty percent of Which? members who claimed they’d been falsely accused of causing damage at their holiday rental say that they ended up footing the bill anyway.
Which? member Rick Hough found himself in this position when he booked a Monmouthshire stay through Cottages.com.
The group of friends noticed a hole in the blue rug in the living room when they arrived – with an armchair seemingly positioned to cover the damage. They didn’t think anything of it, until they returned home to a series of ‘snotty’ messages from the host.
‘They told us they were keeping the £125 security deposit and wanted another £229 on top to pay for a replacement,’ Rick told us.
Rick and his party refused to hand over any more money, but their deposit was never returned to them. Cottages.com (the rental company) states in its terms and conditions that, when booking, customers agree to reimburse the owner for any breakage or damage caused by them, or a member of their party. But Rick was left with no way to prove the carpet was already damaged when he arrived.
When we approached Cottages.com, it promised to reach out to both the customer and host to ‘ensure a fair outcome’.
‘Hot tub was already broken when we checked in’
Rosemary had a similar experience when she rented an Airbnb in Norfolk with her family last summer. They’d noticed a couple of items floating in the hot tub the first time they used it. She only found out it was a filter when she got home and Airbnb requested £195 to cover the cost of repairs.
Rosemary insisted she hadn’t caused the breakage and the claim was dropped, but she described it as a ‘sour end’ to the stay.
Rosemary is lucky Airbnb backed her. If a host reports any damage or breakages, the rental platform doesn’t even need to request a payment. Its T&Cs say it can charge the card used to make the booking, or any other payment method associated with your account, as much as $500.
First, customers are given the opportunity to respond and supply any counter evidence. But it can be very difficult for guests to prove their innocence.
Broken bed frame: ‘I was billed for the upgrade’
When Max Rüther stayed at a Sykes cottage in Wales with his parents, the bed frame in the master bedroom snapped on the third night.
He reported the damage, but later received a message from Sykes telling him that his £400 security deposit (Good Housekeeping Bond) would be retained and requesting an extra £38 to cover the cost of a replacement.
A delivery note showed that, rather than replacing like-for-like, the simple wooden bed had been upgraded to a tweed frame and headboard.
‘My 75-year-old elderly father barely gets up the stairs anymore, so there definitely wasn’t a misuse of the bed,’ Max explained. But his appeals were repeatedly brushed off.
Sykes Cottages: what is a Good Housekeeping Bond?
In many cases, Sykes requires a Good Housekeeping Bond to secure the booking. You’re presented with a pre-ticked box at the checkout agreeing that Sykes can help itself to ‘any further payments including remaining deposit, balances, extras and any good housekeeping bond’ from the original payment method.
Customers can opt out, but we think it’s unfair that Sykes can effectively say ‘we can take as much as we want, when we want it’ without giving justification.
There seems to be little clarity around what happens if the item is old or poorly maintained, and simply breaks through normal wear and tear.
We also found nothing to stipulate that replacements must be like-for-like and of the same value. All of this means it’s too easy for holidaymakers to be unfairly left out of pocket.
After we contacted Sykes, it agreed to refund Max’s bond in full, saying: ‘While Good Housekeeping Bonds are intended to protect our owners from any damage caused during stays, we understand that in this case the damage was not the fault of guests.’
Better protection with Rural Retreats and Classic Cottages
Which? Recommended Provider (WRP) Rural Retreats has a better approach. Most of its properties are covered by the damage waiver scheme, which protects you – up to a certain amount – for any accidental damage to the house or its contents.
For a one or two-bed cottage, for example, you’re covered for up to £150. Although you will be asked to fork out for any damage that exceeds this amount. Cottages with Rural Retreats are pricier than Sykes, on average, but this potentially buys you peace of mind.
WRP Classic Cottages has a similar scheme (for up to £350), although customers have to pay an extra £18 for this protection. The provider’s T&Cs also cover any breakages caused by ‘fair wear and tear’
Best UK holiday cottage companies - as rated by guests
4 ways to protect yourself from false damage claims
1. Check the damage deposit
Before you book, check how much you could be liable for if you’re accused of causing damage. Sykes’ Good Housekeeping Bond amount (typically £0-£500) is displayed at the bottom of the booking page for each property.
Similarly, private rentals booked through Booking.com will detail the host’s damage policy – and whether they require a deposit – under the ‘house rules’ tab of the booking page.
2. Read reviews
It’s a red flag if other guests say they were accused of causing damage during their stay. As well as skimming reviews on the rental platform, cross-check the property on Tripadvisor and search the keyword ‘damage’ to see what pops up.
3. Take photos or videos
It’s a good idea to take timestamped photos or videos of the whole property when you check in, and again when you leave. You may need to download a third-party app – such as Timestamp Camera or Date Stamper – on your phone to do this.
If you notice any damage or breakages on arrival, make sure to report these to the rental platform or your host and keep your correspondence as evidence.
4. What to do if you're wrongly accused of damage
Lodge an appeal with the rental company and submit any evidence you have. If money has been taken or withheld, you can try a Section 75 (for credit cards) or a chargeback claim (for debit cards) to reverse the payment. As a last resort, dispute the charge at the small claims court.
Which? senior researcher/writer Jo Rhodes says: Damage and breakages happen and it’s important that property owners have a means of redress to help them recoup any losses. But it’s a problem when responsible holidaymakers end up paying the price. Some rental platforms seem to have given themselves permission to help themselves to customers’ bank accounts, which puts the onus on guests to somehow prove their innocence. We shouldn’t have to do an inventory of every item when we rent a holiday home, or photograph every nook and cranny but, sadly, this seems to be the only way we can safeguard ourselves against any false accusations later on.
This article first appeared in Which? Travel magazine