The Host Damage Evidence Checklist, Explained Item by Item
A walkthrough of the free evidence checklist tool and why each item on it exists, aimed at hosts preparing for a possible claim.
Start from the text, not from a template
Most checklists circulating among hosts are someone's guess. There is no need to guess, because the program text enumerates the categories itself. Section 3.3.2 requires evidence supporting "the existence, extent, and amount of the Eligible Loss" and then lists what that includes (article 2869 §3.3.2).
Time, cause, and origin
The first enumerated item is "the time, cause and origin of the Eligible Loss, and evidence and proof of such loss in the form of receipts, photographs, videos, documents and other verifiable forms of proof" (article 2869 §3.3.2). Three nouns, and none is satisfied by a single photo of a broken thing. Time means a dated record, cause means something connecting the change to an event, and origin means where it started. In practice that is a dated pair: a condition record before the guest arrives and another after checkout, covering the same rooms and angles.
The complete inventory
The second item is the most detailed. Airbnb asks for "a complete inventory of the lost, destroyed or damaged Eligible Property with descriptions of the make and model, including the date you purchased or acquired the item, the condition at the time of the loss or damage, and the estimated cost to repair or replace along with receipts or related documents that justify the figures in the inventory" (article 2869 §3.3.2).
Read that as six fields per item. General recordkeeping guidance describes the same shape for asset records, listing when and how the asset was acquired, purchase price, and cost of any improvements (IRS recordkeeping). An inventory maintained is cheaper than an inventory reconstructed.
Estimates and cleaning documents
For physical damage to real property, Section 3.3.2 asks for "detailed repair estimates," and detailed is doing work in that phrase: a one-line total is a number, not an estimate. Cleaning documentation is called out separately as "receipts, bills, or invoices for additional, reasonable, customary and unexpected cleaning costs" (article 2869 §3.3.2). Remember the excess-only rule that governs how much can be paid: "only cleaning costs in excess of cleaning fees paid to or charged by a Host will be paid" (article 2869 §6.3.6). Keeping the fee you charge and the cost you paid in the same stay record makes the difference legible.
Smoke odor has its own evidence rule
The host "must provide Legitimate and Verifiable Evidence that the Responsible Guest or an Invitee caused the smoke odor," which "may include photographs, professional assessments, smoke detector readings, or an admission by the Responsible Guest," and Airbnb may require that the related receipts come "from an independent third party approved by us" (article 2869 §3.3.2). If a property has a smoking rule, the House Rules text and detector data belong in the record next to the invoice.
Amount, ownership, and police report
The remaining items are the total amount requested, "all information that we reasonably request to determine the amount of the loss," and "proof of ownership or responsibility for the Eligible Property and a police report, if any" (article 2869 §3.3.2). Section 3.4.1 describes acceptable proof of ownership as receipts, photographs, videos, documents or other customary proof, including appraisal or valuation forms, "certified by you as true and correct" (article 2869 §3.4.1). Where a criminal act is alleged, 3.4.2 requires filing a police report and providing a certified copy (article 2869 §3.4.2).
The duties that continue after filing
A checklist that ends at submission is incomplete. Section 3.4.3 requires the host to "protect and preserve damaged Eligible Property from further loss or damage," 3.4.4 contemplates producing "all books of accounts, business records, bills, invoices, and vouchers," 3.4.6 requires timely responses to reasonable requests for more documentation, and 3.5 reserves a right to investigate independently even where every condition has been met (article 2869 §§3.4.3, 3.4.4, 3.4.6, 3.5). So do not discard the damaged item, and do not close the folder.
Where the checklist sits in the calendar
The evidence requirement attaches to a window, stated here in full: Airbnb Host Damage Protection Terms, article 2869, checked July 31, 2026, when the live page displayed "Last updated: August 1, 2026" (the operative 14-day and 30-day provisions quoted here matched the text visible on that check). Within 14 days of the Responsible Guest's checkout: best efforts to recover from the guest AND notify Airbnb of the complaint. Within 30 days of checkout: the Host Damage Protection Payment Request Form with Legitimate and Verifiable Evidence (article 2869 §§3.1.2, 3.3). Processing is also tied to "the completeness and type of information and documentation that you provide" (article 2869 §4.2).
Turning the list into a habit
None of these items is hard alone. All of them are hard at once, after the fact, across a phone gallery, an inbox, and a text thread.
StayTurn is a $39 one-time purchase that keeps each stay's turn prep, cleaner handoff, photos, receipts, notes, and costs together in one dated record you own, on your device. Your photos and files stay on your device unless you choose to send them.
StayTurn organizes evidence for export. It does not submit claims, does not give claims-handling advice, and no documentation practice determines any outcome.
StayTurn is an independent tool, not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Airbnb or Vrbo.
Source. Airbnb Host Damage Protection Terms, article 2869. Live page checked July 31, 2026. The page displayed "Last updated: August 1, 2026." The quoted sections in this article were compared with the text displayed during that check. Platform terms can change, so operators should verify the current source directly (article 2869).
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