Airbnb AirCover for Hosts: How Damage Claims Actually Work

Updated July 23, 2026 · ClaimPack host guides

Most Airbnb hosts can't charge a security deposit directly through the platform. Instead, Airbnb covers guest-caused damage through AirCover for Hosts: free, built-in protection that includes up to $3 million in host damage protection and $1 million in host liability insurance. If a guest damages your place or belongings during a booked stay, AirCover is the mechanism behind the reimbursement request you file — not a separate program you sign up for.

What AirCover for Hosts actually covers

Host damage protection reimburses you when a guest — or their pet or visitor — damages your property or belongings during a stay booked through Airbnb, and the guest doesn't cover the cost themselves. That includes physical damage to furniture, appliances, fixtures, floors, and walls, plus unexpected cleaning costs that go beyond your standard cleaning fee, such as smoke-odor removal or biohazard cleanup.

What it doesn't cover

• Normal wear and tear from ordinary use.
• Cash or valuables that go missing (this falls under separate theft handling, not damage protection).
• Damage from natural disasters or events unrelated to the guest's stay.
• General liability claims unrelated to property damage — those sit under the separate $1M liability portion of AirCover.

Airbnb's own Host damage protection page and AirCover for Hosts overview are the source of truth on current limits and exclusions — policies get updated, so check them before you rely on a specific number.

AirCover isn't a separate claim — it's where your reimbursement request ends up

A common point of confusion: hosts search for "how do I file an AirCover claim" expecting a dedicated form. There isn't one. The path is the same Resolution Center flow used for any damage reimbursement request:

1. Document first. Photograph the damage before cleaning, moving, or repairing anything. Get a repair estimate or receipt.
2. Message the guest through the Resolution Center and request reimbursement for a specific, evidenced amount.
3. Wait for their response — typically a short window, commonly 24 hours.
4. If they decline, pay only part, or don't respond, escalate the request so Airbnb Support can review it under Host damage protection. This is the point where "AirCover" actually enters the process.

All of this needs to happen within Airbnb's 14-day filing window after the responsible guest's checkout.

Why the evidence matters more than the label

Whether Airbnb calls the result "AirCover," "Host damage protection," or something else in a future update, the review step doesn't change: a person or system reads your documentation and decides if it clearly connects the damage, the timeline, the responsible stay, and the requested amount. A vague photo and a round-number ask are hard to approve no matter which program name is attached. A dated repair estimate, prior-condition proof, and a neutral written narrative are easy to approve under any name.

That's the same standard covered in our evidence checklist and claim narrative template — build the packet to that standard once, and it holds up whether you're asking the guest directly or escalating to an AirCover review.

If your AirCover request gets denied

A denial usually means the reviewer couldn't verify one of the four pieces above, not that the damage wasn't real. See our guide on rebuilding a denied damage claim for how to identify the weak link and refile with a clearer packet — and if your evidence includes any AI-touched photos, Airbnb's updated evidence rules are worth checking first.

ClaimPack doesn't file the AirCover request for you, and it can't influence Airbnb's decision — no tool can guarantee reimbursement. What it does is turn your photos, receipts, estimates, and guest messages into one indexed, factual packet in about 10 minutes, so whichever stage your request reaches, the documentation is already in the shape a reviewer wants to see.

Questions, answered