Airbnb security deposit

Airbnb stopped collecting traditional refundable deposits in late 2021. The new model replaces the deposit hold with AirCover, the platform’s host protection program. From the guest’s perspective, no money is held against the stay. From the host’s perspective, recovery for damage moves from automatic deduction (the old model) to a claim filed through the Resolution Center (the current model).

This is a structural change in how risk gets distributed. In the old deposit model, a host had cash on hand to subtract from; in the AirCover model, a host has to convince Airbnb to pay out from its own funds. The evidence standard for that convincing is materially higher.

When damage is discovered, the host opens a request in the Resolution Center, itemises the damage with photos and repair quotes, and asks the guest to pay. The guest has 24 hours to accept, decline, or ignore. If the guest accepts, Airbnb charges them. If the guest declines or ignores, the host can escalate to Airbnb support, who will review the claim under the AirCover program.

Practically, the system works like a deposit if the evidence is solid. It works like nothing at all if the evidence is weak.

Yes, but not through Airbnb directly. Hosts can require guests to pre-authorise a refundable damage deposit through third-party tools (such as SuperHog or Autohost), or via a rental agreement signed before key handover. These deposits sit outside Airbnb’s payment rails and are held by the tool provider.

This adds friction at booking - which can reduce conversion - but gives the host a faster path to recovery that does not depend on Airbnb’s judgement.

Under the old deposit model, weak evidence still produced partial recovery, because the cash was already in escrow. Under the current model, weak evidence produces zero recovery, because Airbnb has no incentive to side with the host without proof.

The shift quietly made the standard inspection workflow - phone photos at random angles - functionally useless. Recovering damage costs in the current Airbnb economy requires evidence that is timestamped, GPS-verified, and tamper-evident before the guest checks in.