What is the deadline to report damage on Airbnb through AirCover?
Found damage after checkout? Airbnb's clock starts running from the responsible guest's departure. Understand the 14-day and 30-day limits currently in the terms, and why inspecting right after checkout can matter.
The terms set two milestones from the responsible guest's checkout: up to 14 days to report the claim and seek a resolution with the guest (through the Resolution Center); and up to 30 days to submit the Host Damage Protection form with the required documentation, if the guest does not pay.
⚠️ In practice: do not wait for the deadline. Take the photos and file the request as early as you can — the more time passes (or the more new guests enter the property), the harder it gets to show which stay the damage happened in.
How long do I have to report damage on Airbnb?
Under the current Host Damage Protection terms, there are two deadlines that matter:
Do not leave the process until the last day.
When does the 14-day clock start?
The deadline runs from the checkout date of the guest considered responsible for the damage.
What matters is not confusing the moment you noticed the problem with the reference the terms use. For this stage, Airbnb uses the responsible guest's checkout date.
What do I need to do in the first 14 days?
The current terms state that within this period the host must use their best efforts to recover the amount from the responsible guest. That includes:
- • explaining why you consider the guest responsible for the damage or loss;
- • requesting reimbursement or another form of resolution;
- • notifying Airbnb of the claim.
One way the terms allow you to meet this stage is filing the request through Airbnb's Resolution Center.
And where do the 30 days come from?
That is a second deadline in the current terms.
If the responsible guest does not pay the amount requested and you want to file a Host Damage Protection request, Airbnb states that within 30 days of checkout you must:
That evidence can involve photos, videos, documents, item details and other records Airbnb asks for.
So is the deadline 14 days or 30 days?
Both. They refer to different stages of the process.
The distinction matters:
Reading the deadline as simply "I have 30 days to report it" can be a costly mistake. The first stage has a shorter window.
Do not wait 14 days to inspect
The maximum window Airbnb allows should not be confused with the right moment to check the property.
Picture this:
Which stay did the damage happen in? Guest A or Guest B?
Even within the allowed window, pinpointing where the problem came from gets much harder once other guests have been through the property.
Run the check right after checkout
Whenever you can, check the property between one guest leaving and the next arriving.
A simple routine can look like:
That shortens the distance between checkout and identifying possible damage.
Common situations and questions about deadlines
Photograph the damage close up and wide, take video if needed, identify brand and model, confirm which inspection the damage was noticed in, and check the earlier move-in reports.
What evidence to submit to AirCover →Checklist after finding damage
- ☐ Run the inspection
- ☐ Photograph the damage
- ☐ Identify the item
- ☐ Check the move-in records
- ☐ Log the issue
- ☐ File the request to the guest in the Resolution Center
- ☐ Notify Airbnb
- ☐ Organize receipts and quotes
- ☐ Follow the response (24h)
- ☐ File the Host Damage Protection request
- ☐ Submit complete evidence
- ☐ Answer any follow-up requests
The clock starts at checkout. Your documentation should start earlier.
By the time you discover damage, the clock is already running.
But something matters even more: the record of how the item looked before cannot be created afterwards.
So hosts can adopt a preventive routine:
Record every stay with Listio
Listio helps hosts and property managers run inspections between guests, organize the property's inventory, record photos and keep a history of the checks.
That way you can spot changes closer to checkout and look up earlier records when something happens.
Listio does not affect Airbnb's deadlines or decisions and does not guarantee that AirCover will approve a request.
Keep learning about AirCover
Frequently asked questions about AirCover deadlines
The time limit for each stage of the process.
What is the deadline to report damage on Airbnb?
The current terms allow up to 14 days after checkout to notify Airbnb and seek a resolution with the guest, and up to 30 days after checkout to submit the formal Host Damage Protection request with evidence, if the guest does not pay.
When does the 14-day clock start?
It runs from the checkout date of the guest considered responsible for the damage, not necessarily from the moment the host noticed it.
What happens if I miss the 14-day window?
Failing to notify and to seek reimbursement from the guest in the first 14 days can compromise the request's eligibility under Host Damage Protection.
Does Listio track Airbnb's deadlines for me?
Listio helps you run the inspection right after checkout, so you can spot damage before the next guest arrives. Sending notifications to Airbnb and meeting the deadlines remain the host's responsibility.
Organize your property's history at every stay
Build your inventory, run check-in and checkout inspections, and keep your evidence organized with Listio.