Airbnb Damage Evidence Checklist: What to Photograph After Checkout
Damage claims are won or lost in the first hour, before you've written a single word. This is the collection checklist we built ClaimPack around — use it as-is, whether or not you use the tool. The goal: when you sit down to file, everything is already in one folder.
At the moment of discovery
- Wide shot of the room showing where the damaged item sits
- Close-ups of the damage from at least two angles
- Brand/model/serial plate of the damaged item, if it has one
- A short video walkthrough if the damage is spread out (stains, smoke smell, party aftermath)
- Nothing moved, cleaned, or repaired until the photos are taken
- Original files kept unedited — no filters, no crops, no annotations (Airbnb's Terms now rule out AI-generated content as evidence)
Proof of condition before the stay
- Pre-arrival inspection or cleaner's photos from before this guest checked in
- Your listing photos showing the item intact
- Previous guest's checkout date (establishes the window when damage could have happened)
The money trail
- Original purchase receipt for the damaged item, if you can find it
- One or two written repair or replacement quotes, dated, from real businesses
- Itemized invoice if the repair already happened
- Extra cleaning hours documented by your cleaner, if applicable
Guest context
- Screenshots of any guest message mentioning the stay, the damage, or an apology
- Reservation details: code, guest name, checkout date
- Anything the guest reported during the stay (or the fact that they reported nothing)
Odor and smoke-smell claims
Smoke odor is harder to document than a broken item because smell doesn't show up clearly in a photo. The evidence needs to prove the timeline, the extra cleaning required, and the cost — not just that the room smelled bad.
- Cleaner statement describing the odor, where it was strongest, and when it was discovered
- Photos of ash, cigarette butts, smoke marks, open windows, stained linens, or trash if present
- Extra-cleaning invoice with line items for deodorizing, ozone treatment, upholstery, curtains, or linens
- Listing rule or excerpt showing the property is non-smoking, if applicable
- Guest messages mentioning smoking, parties, odor, or house-rule issues
Match the requested amount to the invoice exactly — there's no flat "smoking fee" a platform will simply approve. Write the request using the same neutral claim wording as any other damage claim.
Then: assemble before you file
Put everything in one place, give each file a clear label ("Checkout photo — cracked TV screen", not "IMG_4382"), and write a short factual note for each item. When the platform or a reviewer asks a follow-up question, you answer in minutes. This assembly step is exactly what ClaimPack automates — but doing it by hand with this list works too. When you're ready to write the request itself, follow the narrative template and mind the 14-day window.
Questions, answered
Can I charge a guest for smoke odor if my listing is non-smoking?
Yes, if you have evidence to support it. A smoke-odor claim goes through the same reimbursement process as any other guest-damage claim — request through AirCover for Hosts on Airbnb, or the equivalent deposit or damage-protection process on VRBO or Booking.com — backed by a cleaner statement, the extra-cleaning invoice, and your listing's non-smoking rule.
What if there's no visible sign of smoking, just a smell?
A smell alone is harder to prove than a photo of broken furniture, which is exactly why the cleaner statement and invoice carry more weight here than photos do. Photos of any related indicators — ash, open windows, stained linens — support the account, but the itemized invoice for the actual deodorizing work is the core evidence a reviewer checks.
How much can I charge for smoke-smell cleaning?
There's no flat "smoking fee" a platform will simply approve — the amount should match your actual invoiced cost for the extra cleaning (ozone treatment, upholstery, linens), not a round number. Keep the line items on the invoice matched exactly to the total you request.