Take a few holiday-let snaps to avoid damaging your good time

You might be planning an Easter minibreak right now. And if you are anything like me, a cosy holiday cottage or Airbnb often sounds more appealing than a hotel room. More space, more privacy and the comforting illusion that you are living like a local.

But there is a less relaxing side to the booming holiday-let market: damage disputes.

We all know that if you break something, you pay for it. Fair enough. But what if you’re charged for damage you didn’t cause, or the cost of replacing something looks wildly inflated?

I have been speaking to people who found themselves in exactly this situation. In one case, a group returned home from a break in Wales to be told they owed £229 for a damaged rug they insist was already worn through. They had noticed the hole during their stay but assumed the owner already knew about it. Unfortunately, they hadn’t taken a photo, leaving them with no evidence to challenge the claim later. The owner ended up keeping a £125 security deposit sent directly by bank transfer before the trip.

In another case, a guest reported accidental damage to a bed when his elderly father sat on it. He heard nothing until a fter the holiday, when he received a £438 bill, with paperwork suggesting the owner was installing a different, more expensive bed. The guest eventually recovered his deposit, but only after months of chasing and escalating the complaint to executive level.

To be fair, deposits exist for a reason. Hosts need to protect themselves from hell-raising guests, and the majority play a straight bat.

But disputes can still be messy. Booking platforms often act as intermediaries, not referees, leaving guests and hosts to battle it out. And if a deposit has been paid directly into a host’s account, recovering it can be the devil’s own job.

Naughty hosts also have a new wheeze at their disposal. Last year, Airbnb apologised after a host appeared to use AI to fake photos of a scratched table and claim thousands for its replacement. Even when damage is genuine, it may simply be because a cheapskate host has let something wear out, then upgrades it at your expense.

So, two small habits are worth adopting. Think twice before sending money directly to a host and treat a holiday-let a bit like a hire car. When you arrive, take a quick video of the property, then inspect and snap major items of furniture.

It may feel like tedious admin – and leave you with a dull gallery of sofas and side tables on your phone. B ut if those snaps rescue you from an unfair bill, they’ll be worth a hundred Stonehenge selfies.

Photograph by Getty Images