Create a receipt for your services......there's no reason you shouldn't be able to.

Consider taking your own refundable security damage deposit for all your bookings.

That's crazy?!  I thought VRBO stayed out of it - was my understanding that the payment processor simply holds the funds, but VRBO wasn't involved in decisions regarding deposit claims etc...   Is that not the case?  Has it changed?  I'd be upset in your shoes too.  Have you sent an itemized list of deposit withholdings to the guest?  I guess I'd just send that along to VRBO and hope account gets reactivated.

Actually this whole thread is very disturbing. I'm worried that VRBO/HA is going to judge our Damage Deposit decisions. In the past I have used the Damage Deposit for many things in order to make it easier for our guests, an extra day stay, and extra parking pass, pay for lost property bands, etc.

Maybe Erinn can jump in and explain as obviously this is a change in policy and very Airbnb like.

Our listing expired in May of this year.  Essentially we have been out of business for a couple of years.  Before that, we took a security deposit off platform via PayPal and stated we do that in our listing.  That way we controlled any refund on the security deposit.  That said, we also did the cleaning, but for many years, we lumped it into the nightly rate and noted thus in our rental agreements for which a guest was required to review and sign.  We do not have a cleaning business per say, so can only make $600 a year without abiding by gov't regs for services we provide.  We did not want to get into paying into ss and medicare and worker’s comp, and would have to do so if establishing a cleaning business.  So we never used the security deposit to cover extraordinary cleaning fees even though we state that extraordinary cleaning fees will be deducted from the security deposit. The security deposit could only be used for damage for which there would be a receipt for repair. And we could not do the repair ourselves and charge.  Late check-outs were a problem, as there was no legal way to charge so more of an irritant.  Bottomline is that even though we controlled the refunding of the security deposit, we rarely withheld any amount.  We felt these statements in our rental agreement (so-called guidelines) were more of a physiological thing in an effort to make people think twice before trashing the place.

Edited...

Hi All,

We want to be sure everyone understands that this incident was handled as a property complaint. It happens to revolve around withholding the security deposit. Depending on the severity of the complaint, a listing will be removed from the site until the partner responds and provides any documentation that may be requested. Unless its' a very serious complaint we do give partners time to respond to the complaint and a deadline to respond before we remove the listing. If it's considered a serious complaint (e.g. property is significantly not as described, traveler is denied access, double booking, etc) then the listing can/will be removed from the site until the issue is settled.

This is covered under Terms & Conditions, section 36.

36. Termination of Listings; Other Remedies.

If, in our sole discretion, any member submits unsuitable material to our Site or into our database, is not abiding by local rental regulations and is creating a nuisance in its community, misuses the Site or our online system or is in material breach of these Terms, we reserve the right to limit the member’s use of the Site, impact the member’s listing(s) search position, and/or terminate such member’s listing immediately without refund. In addition, if we become aware of or receive a complaint or a series of complaints from any user or other third party regarding a member’s listing or rental practices that, in our sole discretion, warrants the immediate removal of such member’s listing from the Site (for example, and without limitation, if a member double-books a property for multiple travelers on the same date, or engages in any practice that, in our sole discretion, would be considered deceptive, unfair or improper within the vacation rental industry or in an online marketplace for vacation rentals, if we determine or suspect that the member’s payment-related practices or procedures are not secure, legal or otherwise proper, or if we receive a complaint that any listing’s content infringes on the rights of a third party), then we may immediately terminate such member’s listing(s) or subscription(s) without notice to the member and without refund.  We assume no duty to investigate complaints.  Finally, if any member is abusive or offensive to any employee or representative of the HomeAway Group, we reserve the right to terminate such member’s listing(s) or subscription(s) immediately without refund.

Thank you.

Erinn

HomeAway Community Member