All Forum Posts by: Jessica West-Walker

@Nick Barlow thank you for the response! I have heard this from a few other people as well.

Thanks for the advice Michael - very helpful and encouraging.  I'm working through the process now with AirBnB and clean up companies. Spending time getting familiar with the Host Damage Protection Terms.   Will keep you posted on how it goes!

Also, will look into STR cover for when I re-open.

Hi,

I've posted a similar question in the Short Term Rental forum, but I'm hoping I can get some insurance advice about paying to remediate my STR/Home that was damaged by a guest smoking meth.

I built an STR apartment in the basement of my family home. The unit shares HVAC with the rest of the house where we live. There are several areas in the main home that require professional cleaning, and potentially replacing parts of the HVAC system.

My question is, does anyone have experience processing this sort of claim with AirBnB or their Home Owners / Umbrella insurance?

AirBnB have been a bit cagey / slow to respond and have offered no advice on how to manage this process. I am working through their resolution center, but I am concerned they are not going to pay when they see the whole bill. So far they have said they will pay for extra cleaning and direct losses, but no indirect losses. Like the testing, that cost $2,500.

The cleaning is looking to cost around $10k alone - and this doesn't include replacing soft furnishings, or the HVAC system - as we have flexible ducting and Colorado meth regulations don't allow the cleaning of flexible ducting.

I have home owners insurance, umbrella insurance and AirBnB Host Cover - but there seem to be exclusions concerning drug use.  I have read elsewhere that there are successful arguments made that the damage is 'vandalism' to receive cover?

Anyway, any help or advice would be much appreciated!

Or better yet, knows or is a lawyer who is familiar with the process and managing the insurance / AirBnB claim???

I know, the cleaning process sounds intense.  

Basically, I'm learning that with Colorado State Law,  once your property is professionally tested, and results are...

"above the current CDPHE 6 CCR 1014-3 regulation clearance level of one-half microgram methamphetamine per one hundred square centimeters (0.5μg/100cm2)...remedial operations are necessary. Remedial operations must be conducted by a Certified Methamphetamine Contractor, in compliance with CDPHE 6 CCR 1014-3 regulations, pertaining to
remediation of Methamphetamine-Affected Properties."

The test results are also submitted to the state...so then we have to clean the house to have cleared from State records as contaminated.  

At least that is what I understand at this point - there is a lot to take in. 

I'd love input from anyone who has had experience with this?

We haven't gone to the police as we didn't want to invite any kind of retaliation (as this is also our family home). Additionally, the guests looked pretty rough - so we weren't expecting they would have the resources to pay should we take them to court.

 Hi Michael,

Thank you - that is good advice! I will check my policy. I am with USAA. In Colorado they said I didn't need special insurance for the STR, as I live in the residence as well. So I have home owners and umbrella.

Is STR insurance something separate - that I should have arranged with another insurer?

Hi all,

I spent the past 6 months building and decorating an AirBnB apartment in my basement, and the third guests smoked meth in the unit.  :/  It is a long story of how we figured it out, but essentially bags over the smoke detectors and drug paraphernalia in the trash gave the situation away.  Needless to say, we were shocked and heart broken.

We decided to arrange proper testing (as this is our family home and we also want to be responsible hosts).  The results came back, with trace meth levels just over the state limits for 'contaminated' (.5 mcg) in the AirBnB and a couple rooms in our private residence (as we share HVAC).

My question is, does anyone have experience processing this sort of claim with AirBnB or their Home Owners / Umbrella insurance? 

AirBnB have been a bit cagey / slow to respond and have offered no advice on how to manage this process.  I am working through their resolution center, but I am concerned they are not going to pay when they see the whole bill.  So far they have said they will pay for extra cleaning and direct losses, but no indirect losses.  Like the testing, that cost $2,500.  

The cleaning is looking to cost around $10k alone - and this doesn't include replacing soft furnishings, or the HVAC system - as we have flexible ducting and Colorado meth regulations don't allow the cleaning of flexible ducting.

Not to mention we've had to move out and find other accommodation until this is resolved - which is looking to take 4-8 weeks.

My insurance have said they don't cover the cost to remediate meth contamination, but I've not pushed hard on them yet, as I was waiting for the test results.

Any help / advice would be much appreciated! 

Thank you.