For most people, your home is one of your biggest achievements, and while Home SWAPs go smoothly > 98% of the time, we understand there is always that ‘what if’ fear. For this reason, we have included in your membership our Security Deposit Management Service if you wish to set a security deposit for your listing.
Setting a Security Deposit
When you create your listing, under PRICE, there is an option to set a security deposit. We recommend a figure that will cover things like minor damage, missing items, or excess cleaning, i.e., $200-$500.
How it works
If a security deposit is set for your HOME SWAP listing, our Short Stays Security Deposit Management Team will send a STRIPE PAYMENT REQUEST via email to YOUR GUEST for the specified security deposit amount stated in the booking details 7-10 days before your guests’ scheduled check-in date.
Your guest will only be charged the security deposit or a portion thereof if the host submit a claim for damages, missing items, or unexpected cleaning costs which are proven to have occurred during your guest’s stay. Claims cannot be made for what would be considered ‘general wear and tear’.
If you chose not to include a security deposit in your listing, you can still refer to the steps below for MAKING A CLAIM. If your guest declines to help cover any part of the damage expenses, unfortunately, no further action can be taken.
Security Deposit Refunds
If no security deposit claims are made within 72 hours of your guest’s check-out, the security deposit will be promptly refunded. The deposit refund may require up to 10 days to reflect in your guest’s account, as processing times vary based on your guest’s financial institution.
Making a claim
To make a claim:
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Respectfully contact your guest directly via your Short Stays Inbox within 72 hours of your guest checking out or prior to the next guest checking in (if applicable), whichever comes first.
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Describe the damage, provide photos and, if possible, provide receipts/quotes of estimated repair/replacement costs.
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If the claim relates to a damaged item, proof of purchase must also be provided to your guest (i.e., receipt, invoice, and/or item photo).
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Once your guest has been notified of the claim details, your guest will have 72 hours to respond.
In most cases, your guest will have already reached out to let you know some damage occurred and, in turn, be expecting an email to come through.
Claim extension request
If you require more time to gather documents/quotes, you must request a claim extension within 72 hours of checkout, which cannot, for any reason, exceed 10 business days from the last day of your guests stay. You can request an extension by emailing our team here.
When to notify Short Stays
If your guest agrees to pay the amount in full (provided the value is less than the security deposit) or to the value of the agreed security deposit (if the value exceeds the security deposit), please notify our Dispute Resolution Team, we will process the claim with your guest and promptly make payment to your account.
If an Agreement cannot be reached or your guest fails to respond to your claim within 72 hours, please notify our Dispute Resolution Team with the claim details and documents. Our Team will review the claim, assist to mediate, and decide on an outcome deemed fair and reasonable.
If our Team are unable to contact your guest, we will proceed with the security deposit claim.