We really need a feature to collect a refundable deposit. If someone comes and ends up breaking my window, I have no way to collect without the legal process.
I find it misleading when peerspace mentions that they “insure” us, when they’re actually referring to something else. If my house is burned down, there’s no way peerspace insured us and that should be made more clear.
We need to be able to collect a refundable deposit. The alternative is to charge them a little more and refund it to them later (deposit).
There has been some discussion on how some other hosts are taking deposits upon arrival, which we can do. I do wish there was an option to have it already taken before the booking starts as the person booking sometimes isn’t on-site or even the first one to arrive.
While I agree that we do need a deposit function, are you aware that you can collect damages through Peerspace with documentation and receipts?
It’s not 100% effective by any means, but they do a decent job protecting the host most of the time. If a guest breaks one of your windows and it’s on your security cameras, all you need to do is report it to Peerspace with the video evidence. Assuming the guest doesn’t dispute the claim (which most don’t if it’s on camera) Peerspace will then direct you to get your window fixed by a licensed contractor and submit the bill to Peerspace for processing. Personal items and damage that is difficult to document is not generally covered and anything that is difficult to value will not be included.
You can also do what we do and demand that any film shoot get a supplemental insurance policy (thimble or fullframe) and provide a credit card upon arrival with the caveat that it is for a damage deposit and may be charged in the event of damages or excessive cleaning. Be sure to have the guest sign a short contract to that effect so if they are shady and dispute the charges you can prove to the CC company that you are entitled to the charge.
As a general rule, CC companies will always immediately side with any consumer that disputes a claim these days and force the merchant to prove their charges were legally owed. If you don’t have a signed document you’re S.O.L.
@Tommy_R You are also welcome to charge a refundable security deposit. Hosts are allowed to require a refundable day-of security/damage deposit from guests in the form of a check or credit card authorization such as Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, etc.
At this time, Peerspace does not support processing these deposits through our online and mobile applications. Provided there are no damages to the space, the deposit would then be returned to the guest in person at the end of the booking. For these reasons, do not charge a security deposit as an add-on.
If you would like to require one, it must:
be clearly stated in your listing’s Host Rules section
include the monetary value
include the method of collection (check, PayPal, etc.)
Remember that by booking through Peerspace, guests agree to cover in full any damages that they or their invitees cause during the booking. Any incidents during a booking will be resolved through the Peerspace Dispute Resolution process. If a security deposit was collected, you will be asked to provide supporting evidence of it.
Any hosts who do this and have success with it, feel free to jump in!
Also looking for an option via peerspace. It’s not effective to have to send a payment request outside of airbnb, and in the spirit of modern technology - we do not have a manager on site to collect deposits in person (nor to return them in person).