Tool guide

The AirCover Claim Strength Checker,
explained.

Most AirCover claims are denied for procedural reasons, not coverage gaps. This guide explains how the free Claim Strength Checker scores your claim across four pillars, what the score really means, and how to use it to close the gaps before you file.

By Checkout ShieldLast updated 2026-06-188 min read

How the tool works

The checker is a short wizard. You are not filling out a form for Airbnb. You answer a focused set of questions about the incident, the timeline, and the evidence you hold, and the tool grades the claim and hands you a fix list, all before you submit anything.

Step 1

Describe the incident

Pick the damage type and add what happened and the amount you want to claim. This frames the case and sets the baseline the rest of the score builds on.

Step 2

Set the timeline

Enter the checkout date and when you are filing. The tool checks you against the 14-day AirCover window and the 24-hour guest-contact step, and tells you how many days you have left.

Step 3

Mark your evidence

Note the proof you actually have: before-and-after photos, original timestamped images, receipts or repair quotes, proof of ownership, and whether the guest had a chance to respond. Honest answers make the score useful.

Step 4

Read the score and fix list

You get a 0 to 100 strength score, a breakdown across the four pillars, your ranked weaknesses, and a prioritized list of fixes you can still make before you submit.

The whole flow takes about two minutes. It runs in your browser, nothing is saved to an account, and no sign-up is required.

Why it matters

AirCover is not insurance. It is a host damage protection program with documented exclusions, a strict 14-day filing window, and an evidence standard that turns away most claims for procedural reasons rather than coverage gaps. In one analysis of more than 20,000 bookings, only about 57% of the claimed amount was approved on Airbnb.

Most hosts learn their claim was weak only when it comes back denied, and by then the window is usually closed. The checker moves that discovery earlier. It shows you the same gaps a reviewer would find, while you still have days left to fix them, so you file once and file strong instead of appealing a denial you could have prevented.

When to use it

Use it after you find the damage and before you open the claim in the Resolution Center, while the 14-day window is still running. That is the window where the score is actionable: you can still take the missing photo, pull the receipt, or message the guest to create a record of contact.

It also fits the handoff between a co-host and an owner. When a virtual assistant or cleaner builds an incident report at turnover, run the case through the checker before the owner files, so the claim goes in with its weak points already closed.

How it scores your claim

The score is built from four pillars with fixed weights. The weights are not arbitrary, they mirror the patterns that actually get AirCover claims denied, so the pillar that costs you the most points is usually the one a reviewer would catch first.

Evidence, 30%

How much proof you have and how directly it ties the damage to this guest. Before-and-after pairs, a photo of each damaged item, proof of ownership, and evidence the guest had a chance to respond all lift this pillar.

Timeline, 25%

Whether you are inside the 14-day filing window and met the 24-hour guest-contact step. Late filing is the single largest cause of outright denial, so this pillar falls fast once the window closes.

Quality, 25%

Whether the evidence holds up. Original, timestamped photos with intact EXIF metadata beat screenshots or images sent through messaging apps that strip it. Under the 2026 standard, AI-enhanced photos are rejected outright.

Presentation, 20%

How the claim reads to a reviewer. Specific, itemized amounts with paired evidence beat a vague narrative like "the place was trashed."

The model is deterministic and runs in your browser, so the same inputs always produce the same score. For the policy behind these factors, see the damage claim guide.

What the score does and does not mean

The number is a strength score, not a verdict. It tells you how well your claim answers the questions AirCover weighs. It does not tell you that Airbnb will pay, because that decision is made by a reviewer on the evidence you actually submit. A strong score means you have removed the common reasons for denial, not that approval is certain.

Two quality traps cost more points than hosts expect. In April 2026, Airbnb introduced a “Legitimate and Verifiable Evidence” standard that rejects AI-enhanced or AI-generated photos outright, so running an image through a brightness or sharpness filter can disqualify it. And EXIF metadata, the timestamp and location baked into an original camera file, is stripped when a photo is sent through WhatsApp, Google Photos, or social messaging, so the “original” you upload may already be weakened. The checker looks for both.

What to expect from the result

The output is a single result screen: your 0 to 100 score, the four-pillar breakdown that shows where the points were lost, your weaknesses ranked by impact, and a prioritized list of fixes written in plain language. An optional AI deep analysis adds a tailored strategy when you want it.

You can also turn the result into a shareable, printable claim document. By default only the score and pillar breakdown are shared, and you control which details are visible per field, so you can keep the amount and description private, or switch them on and submit the document alongside your AirCover filing as a structured summary.

What to do before you use it

A few minutes of gathering before you open the tool makes the score, and the claim, far stronger:

  • Find your check-in baseline. A before-and-after pair is the single most powerful piece of evidence; without it, the guest can argue the damage was pre-existing.
  • Keep photos original. Pull them straight from the camera roll, not from a messaging app, so the EXIF timestamp and location survive. Do not run them through filters.
  • Get a receipt or a repair quote, and proof of ownership for higher-value items.
  • Note the checkout date and whether you have messaged the guest. Both feed the timeline pillar and the window math.

For the standard that separates proof from a photo a reviewer discounts, see the evidence guide.

What to do after you use it

Act on the fix list while the window is open. The path from a score to a filed claim is short:

  • Close the top weaknesses first. The tool ranks them by impact, so start at the top.
  • File the AirCover claim in the Resolution Center inside the 14-day window, and attach your evidence and the claim document.
  • If a strong claim is still denied, the damage claim guide covers your next options, including escalation, chargebacks, and small claims.
This is what Checkout Shield does

The fastest way to a high score is to never lose the points.

The checker grades the evidence you have. Checkout Shield is the system that produces it: GPS-verified, server-timestamped inspection reports at every check-in and checkout, so the before-and-after pair and the intact metadata already exist when a guest causes damage.

  • Pre-stay and post-stay inspections paired per booking
  • Server-verified GPS and timestamps at capture
  • Tamper-evident hash on every original photo
  • Public verification link, no login required
  • Cleaner and co-host delegation built in
  • Free plan for one property

Score your AirCover claim before you submit

Your claim has hidden weaknesses. We will show you exactly what is missing from your evidence and how to fix it in the remaining filing window. Free. Two minutes.

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FAQ

Got a question? Here are the answers.

The common questions about the AirCover Claim Strength Checker, answered.

01

What is the AirCover Claim Strength Checker?

It is a free tool that scores a host damage claim before you submit it to AirCover. In a short wizard you describe the incident, the timeline, and the evidence you have. It returns a 0 to 100 strength score, a breakdown across four pillars, your weaknesses, and a prioritized list of fixes, all while you still have time in the 14-day window to act on them.

02

Does a high score mean my claim will be approved?

No. The score measures how strong your claim is on the factors AirCover actually weighs, not whether Airbnb will pay it. Approval is decided by Airbnb on the evidence you submit. A high score means you have removed the common procedural reasons claims get denied; it is not a guarantee.

03

How does it score my claim?

It uses a deterministic four-pillar model: Evidence (30%), Timeline (25%), Quality (25%), and Presentation (20%). The weights mirror AirCover's real rejection patterns, insufficient evidence, missing the 14-day window, weak photo metadata, and unprofessional presentation. The scoring runs entirely in your browser and is not a black box.

04

When should I use it?

After you find damage and before you file in the Resolution Center, while the 14-day window is still open. It is the step that catches the gaps you can still close. If a virtual assistant or co-host built an incident report, run the case through the checker before the owner files.

05

Is it free, and do I need an account?

It is free and needs no sign-up for the score, the pillar breakdown, the weaknesses, or the fixes. You can also generate a shareable, printable claim document. The optional AI deep analysis asks for an email only so we can rate-limit it, and it is also free.

06

What should I do after I get my score?

Fix the gaps it flagged first, then file the AirCover claim in the Resolution Center inside the 14-day window and attach your evidence and the claim document. If the claim is denied despite strong evidence, the damage claim guide covers escalation, including chargebacks and small claims.

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