House Rules, Deposits and Damage
Part of our series Let Others Pay for Your Vacation Home.
Most stays go fine. This guide is about the few that don't: how to set rules, screen guests, and what each platform actually offers when something breaks. Everything about the platforms comes from their own pages.
House rules
Airbnb lets hosts set standard rules for pets, quiet hours, maximum guests, events, smoking, check-in and checkout times, and commercial photography, and add reasonable extra rules (Airbnb Help 472).
Good rules are short and specific: - ✅ "Quiet hours 10 p.m.–7 a.m. Max 8 guests, including visitors." - ✅ "No parties or events." - ✅ "Two dogs allowed with pet fee; no pets on beds." - ❌ A two-page list of "don'ts." Guests skip it.
Put the rules in the listing, the welcome guide and a sign near the door (reviews guide). Check that your rules also meet any city permit conditions, such as occupancy or parking limits (rules guide).
Guest screening
Airbnb says every booking guest must complete identity verification, and that it may run background checks on U.S.-based guests (Airbnb AirCover for Hosts; Airbnb Help 1237). Airbnb notes identity verification "doesn't guarantee that someone is who they say they are." Its reservation-screening system looks at signals such as listing type, stay length, distance from the guest's home and last-minute booking, and may block a booking, ask the guest to agree to its anti-party policy, or send it for manual review (Airbnb Help 3280). Airbnb also says Instant Book can be limited to guests with at least one past stay without incidents or low ratings (Airbnb).
Your own steps: read guest messages for party signs, ask about the trip purpose for big groups, and consider minimum stays on holidays prone to parties (see our calendar guide). Treat every guest the same way; screening must never be based on protected traits such as race, religion or disability.
Airbnb: AirCover for Hosts
Airbnb says AirCover for Hosts includes $3 million in Host damage protection (with protection for valuables, parked cars and boats), $1 million in Host liability insurance, guest identity verification and reservation screening (Airbnb). Two cautions from Airbnb itself: - Host damage protection isn't insurance (Airbnb). - AirCover doesn't replace homeowner's insurance or adequate liability coverage (Airbnb Help 1376).
Deposits on Airbnb: most hosts can't charge a security deposit. Airbnb says only certain hosts using connected software can collect one, and it must be shown at checkout (Airbnb Help 140).
Not confirmed here: the exact deadline and evidence rules for an AirCover damage request. Check Airbnb's AirCover terms before you need them, and act quickly after checkout.
Vrbo: deposits and Property Damage Protection
Vrbo lets hosts require one of three things (Vrbo Help; Vrbo Help):
| Option | How it works |
|---|---|
| Card on file | For damage deposits of $5,000 or less, Vrbo stores the guest's card; the guest is charged only if you file a claim. |
| Refundable damage deposit | For amounts above $5,000, Vrbo charges the deposit at booking and refunds it if no claim is filed. |
| Property Damage Protection (PDP) | Optional insurance the guest buys instead of a deposit: $59 for $1,500, $89 for $3,000, or $119 for $5,000 of coverage. |
You have 14 days after checkout to file a damage claim. Vrbo says it covers valid claims up to your deposit amount even if it can't collect from the guest (Vrbo Help). Vrbo's policy says deposits can't be used for optional services, extra utility use or returning lost items; use a separate payment request for those (Vrbo policy).
When damage happens
- ☐ Photograph and video it before cleaning (date-stamped).
- ☐ Keep receipts or repair quotes.
- ☐ Message the guest through the platform, calmly, with the evidence.
- ☐ File within the platform's deadline.
- ☐ For big losses, call your insurer too (insurance section).
Before-and-after photos from every turnover make this much easier (turnover guide).
Related guides
- Vacation Rental Rules, Taxes and Insurance
- Getting 5-Star Vacation Rental Reviews
- Direct Bookings for Vacation Rentals (direct guests aren't covered by platform programs)
- Back to the pillar: rent out your vacation home
Checked October 19, 2026. Not legal or insurance advice.