Willow and Hearth

The Instagram account @hommies__stay posted a 39 second walkthrough of a short term rental right after a guest checked out. A title card at the top of the frame reads “Airbnb Unfiltered Checkout Series” and “Fight at our Airbnb.” The caption sets the scene: “POV: You think it’s going to be a normal checkout… until you see what’s left behind.”

The camera moves quickly through the apartment. Clothing is left on a console table and a piece of clothing lies on the white tile floor. In the kitchen area a bin has been knocked over and wrappers and packaging lie around it, with more packets and trash piled on the counter. In the bedroom the bedding is twisted and pushed to one side. Several shots show the host’s hand holding up a bulb and its cord.

The caption says what the camera does not. It describes personal items left in the bedroom, a property left in a mess, and the host later finding out that there had been a huge fight during the stay. The host’s reflection is direct: “As an Airbnb host, you really never know what happens behind closed doors.” The caption adds that some checkouts are peaceful and some become “a whole story.”

Everything about the fight comes from the caption alone. The guests are not named and the video shows no damage that the caption ties to the fight.

For hosts, the habits that follow from the walkthrough are simple. Check the unit the same day a guest leaves, so a problem is found while the booking details are fresh. Photograph or film trash, stains and anything missing or broken before cleaning starts. Keep the dated files together with the booking in one place. Look at small items too, since the video lingers on a lamp bulb and cord that the host holds up for the camera.

Airbnb’s own host help pages set out what a host can do after a mess or damage. According to Airbnb’s host damage protection help article, a host submits a reimbursement request in the Resolution Center and the guest has 24 hours to respond. If the guest does not respond, pays only part of the amount or declines, the host can file under Host damage protection and Airbnb Support reviews the request. The request must be filed within 14 days of the responsible guest’s checkout, and Airbnb tells hosts to document the issue with photos or videos, repair or cleaning estimates, and receipts. Airbnb’s AirCover for Hosts page states that Host damage protection provides $3 million in coverage if a place or belongings are damaged by a guest, with all limits in USD.