A Guest Broke the TV: How to Claim for Damaged Electronics

A cracked television or a dead sound system is one of the cleaner damage claims to win, because electronics either work or they do not. There is no wear-and-tear grey zone for a shattered screen. Yet hosts still lose these claims, almost always for the same reason: they cannot prove the device was working when the guest arrived.

Why broken electronics should be an easy claim

Unlike a carpet or a sofa, a TV does not gradually degrade in a way a reviewer can attribute to accumulated use. A cracked panel is a discrete event. A guest either dropped it, knocked it, or mishandled it. That makes electronics damage a strong candidate for recovery, because it reads as accidental damage, not as wear.

The catch is the other half of the proof. A reviewer needs to know the device was functioning at check-in. A cracked screen photographed at check-out shows the end state. It does not, by itself, show that the crack happened during this stay rather than before it.

The pre-existing problem with electronics

Electronics invite a specific version of the pre-existing damage defence. The guest says the TV was already cracked, or already would not turn on, and they simply did not mention it. Without a baseline, you cannot disprove that, and a reviewer faced with the uncertainty will not charge the guest for a device that may have been broken before they arrived.

This is why a working-condition record matters more than the photo of the damage. The way to establish it is a check-in image that shows the device powered on and functioning, captured at the start of the booking.

How to document electronics at check-in

• Photograph each significant device powered on, with the screen lit or status light visible.
• Capture the model so the replacement value is not in dispute.
• Include the device in your standard check-in inspection, not as an afterthought.
• Keep the record timestamped and tied to the specific booking.

A powered-on baseline does for electronics what a clean baseline does for carpet. It proves the device was in working order when the guest took over, so a failure at check-out lands on their stay.

What you can charge

Charge the documented replacement or repair cost. For a screen that cannot be repaired economically, that is the cost of an equivalent model, with reasonable accounting for the device's age. Attach the receipt or a current price for the same model. As with any claim, a number tied to a real cost is approved far more readily than an estimate.

Filing the claim

Open a Resolution Center request within the filing window, attach the powered-on baseline and the broken-device photo, include the model and the replacement cost, and request the specific amount. If the guest disputes it, your before-and-after settles it. For how reviewers weigh the evidence, see the property damage guide, and check your claim first with the free AirCover Claim Strength Checker.

The habit that wins it

Broken electronics are unpredictable. A powered-on check-in photo is not. Hosts who include every device in a routine check-in inspection already hold the proof that the screen worked before the guest, which is the single fact that turns a cracked TV into a paid claim.