Airbnb Damage Evidence Checklist: What to Photograph and Collect
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
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)
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.