A vacation rental management company in Nashville charged guests $1,000 for damaging a mattress after a one-night stay. Even more frustrating, the agency told the shocked travelers it didn’t need proof that they had caused the damage.
Can our advocacy team come to the rescue of these consumers?
Let’s find out.
Karthik Raj and his wife recently planned a trip to Nashville, Tennessee, from their home in Atlanta, Georgia. They were looking forward to enjoying all the city has to offer, including, of course, the Grand Ole Opry.
They decided that it would be especially nice to stay in a vacation rental and blend into a residential area. After scrolling through the listings on Hotels(.)com, they settled on an apartment in the Capitol Hill section of town.
“It was a great location and the apartment looked fine,” Raj told me. “For our purposes, we didn’t need much.”
They booked the property and soon received confirmation from the local management company, Kasa Living. Within a few days, the couple was on their way to Music City.
The Rajs checked into their vacation rental and immediately got started exploring the city. They spent very little time in the small apartment during their whirlwind visit to Nashville.
“We were barely in the rental, we checked in, went out, and came back late in the evening to sleep,” Raj told me. “Early the next morning, we left. We definitely weren’t expecting any problems.”
But the following day, Raj opened an email from Kasa. He assumed it was a friendly thank you and a request for a review of their stay at the vacation rental.
It definitely wasn’t.
Kasa has decided to charge $1,000 for mattress damage
As Raj began reading the message from Kasa’s Trust & Safety team he couldn’t believe his eyes – especially when he saw the attached photo.
My name is ****, and I am a member of Kasa’s Trust & Safety team. We are following up on your recent stay with us. While cleaning the vacation rental for our next guest, we identified that the mattress was heavily stained. I have attached an image of the damage to this email for reference.
Kasa has decided to charge your credit card on file in the amount of $1,000 to compensate for this damage.
We appreciate your cooperation in this matter.
Raj had absolutely no intention in cooperating in this matter. He furiously typed back a response and then called to follow up on his email.
We definitely did not cause that damage to the mattress. And those stains, whatever they are, look old and dried up. We just left [the vacation rental] yesterday, so a previous guest must have caused that damage. Please remove those charges.
Raj to the Kasa team
But, according to another representative, the Kasa Trust and Safety team had made its final decision. In fact, when Raj asked Kasa for proof that the mattress was actually the one he and his wife slept on and to provide evidence of the stained sheets, the company shut him down.
Related: Is this the worst vacation rental ever?
“We don’t need to give you any additional proof,” another agent told him. “This case is closed.”
It certainly wasn’t – at least not as far as Raj was concerned.
Asking Consumer Rescue for help fighting this vacation rental damage charge
Not exactly sure what his next step should be, Raj started searching the Internet for additional guidance. He soon discovered an article I’d written about another vacation rental guest who was blindsided with damage charges after leaving a property in great condition. I was able to defend those travelers, and Raj hoped I could help him, too.
He quickly sent his request to the Consumer Rescue advocacy team and crossed his fingers.
Can you help us? After booking this place, they sent a Pre-Arrival Checklist. As part of that, they asked for a picture of my ID and my face for ID verification, and also collected my credit card details for a security deposit of $250.
After we checked out of the vacation rental, Kasa says they discovered damage to the mattress and decided to charge my credit card $1,000. Can they do that?
Of course, the question wasn’t really “can they do that?” because they had in fact done it.
But Kasa certainly should not have done it — at least not without additional documentation.
Vacation rental guests getting charged for pre-existing damage
Unfortunately, regular readers of Consumer Rescue know that surprise post-travel damage accusations are not uncommon.
In recent years, unethical hotel managers, vacation rental hosts and car rental companies seemingly in search of additional income streams have plagued travelers – slamming them with surprise damage charges they never saw coming.
Related: Hit with fake car rental damage charges? Here’s how to make them go away
Even as you read this article, similar cases are piling up in our advocacy files.
Most of these complaints share a common trait: a significant lack of evidence that proves the traveler’s responsibility. Even worse, in some cases the “evidence” can easily be proven to be fabricated (See: How to get a hotel smoking fee refund? Like this)
In the paper trail Raj shared with me, he repeatedly asked the representatives at Kasa Living to give him a copy of the incident report. After all, if the company intended to pocket an additional $1,000 from the guest, there certainly must be documentation supporting this charge.
Related: Your hotel is accusing you of breaking a TV. Now what?
However, the Kasa agents had no incident report about the damaged mattress. They also could not produce any photos of the sheets covering the bed that the Rajs had slept on. If they had, and those linens were similarly stained, it would have strongly supported Kasa’s contention that the couple had caused the mess.
But Kasa didn’t, and the agent’s explanation for the lack of supporting documentation was not compelling at all.
“According to our on-site team, they weren’t able to capture additional photos or videos,” Kasa’s agent explained. “The damaged mattress has been removed, and the sheets have already been disposed of. Thanks for understanding.”
Again, Raj wasn’t about to “understand” or accept becoming a victim of whatever vacation rental shenanigans were going on here.
Asking the vacation rental company for evidence of bed damage
When Raj reiterated that he expected to see a photo of the sheets he and his wife had slept on, things escalated.
“We have no photos of the sheets. Those were disposed of and we don’t need to have those,” one particularly arrogant agent incorrectly assured Raj.
Unfortunately for her, by that time, Raj had found Consumer Rescue – and me.
And I live to mediate these types of cases.
The size of this company’s cash grab attempt made this situation particularly egregious. However, I found the arrogance of some of the customer service agents particularly troublesome.
Of course, vacation rental hosts and management companies should be able to bill guests who damage their properties. But there must be well-documented proof that the guest who is being accused caused the damage. Kasa had no legal right to “decide” to charge the credit card on file a random figure of $1,000.
After reviewing the flimsy evidence, which included just two photos of a heavily stained mattress, it was clear to me that Kasa could not support its $1,000 charge to Raj’s credit card.
Related: An Airbnb nightmare: Am I looking at blood stains in this bed?
However, we could all agree on one fact: That mattress was disgusting and no one should be paying to sleep on it. In fact, if that was really the bedding the couple had slept on that night, in my opinion, the management company should pay them compensation.
Can Consumer Rescue make these vacation rental damage charges go away?
I’ve never previously received a complaint about Kasa so I was not familiar with its executives. But I was sure that team would want to have a look at what was happening to the Rajs.
Related: How to avoid vacation rental scams this summer (my column over on TPG)
I sent my inquiry over to the Kasa Living executive team.
Karthik Raj and his wife stayed for just one night at this property. Two days after checkout, **** from Kasa customer service sent the couple a photo of a stained mattress, which looks like it could be dried blood. There is another area of the mattress that has an additional large stain of a different color, which looks like it could be urine. There are no sheets on the bed or anything in the photo that identifies the location, date, or time the photo was taken. Kasa then immediately charged Karthik $1,000 for this mattress, claiming that the stain appeared after their stay.
This accusation is troubling on multiple levels. First, the customer service agent told Karthik that no one had taken any photos of the sheets that would presumably be covered in blood and whatever else, and would provide additional evidence to support this charge. Why would someone just take close-up pictures of the mattress but not the stained sheets? Since the couple was only at that property for less than 24 hours, how did the stains become completely dry and aged?
The other problems include:
1) No incident report signed by whoever found this stain and tossed out the sheets.
2) No explanation as to how $1,000 was determined to be the value of this old, used mattress.
In the absence of any additional documentation, I’m fairly certain that this guest is being charged for pre-existing damage to the mattress. I believe he will win a credit card dispute against your company, but I have asked him to hold off on that route until your team is able to review this case and, hopefully, refund the $1,000 charge.
As I’m sure you agree, it isn’t correct to charge a guest the replacement costs for a used mattress. It also isn’t correct to charge a guest’s credit card on file $1,000 without clear, compelling evidence as to what that fee represents. I’m looking forward to your response. Thanks!
Michelle Couch-Friedman, Consumer advocate
The Kasa executive team quickly responds with good news
I was pleasantly surprised that within 24 hours, Kasa responded agreeing that this damage charge was problematic. Its executive team had good news for the Rajs.
Hi Michelle,
My name is **** and I’m reaching out to you from Kasa’s Trust & Safety team regarding a concern you flagged to our team involving the reported experience of Karthik.
Thank you for contacting us and for sharing the details of this situation. Following an internal reassessment, we have issued a full refund for the charge in question and contacted the guest directly to communicate this resolution.
At Kasa, we prioritize guest satisfaction and are committed to addressing concerns with care and diligence. Although we cannot provide specific details related to this individual’s stay due to privacy policies, please know that we take guest feedback seriously and continuously evaluate our processes to ensure a fair and respectful experience for all.
We appreciate your outreach and your role in advocating for fairness and transparency in the travel industry.
Kasa Living to Michelle
Raj and his wife couldn’t be happier with the outcome. They are relieved to have this unpleasant experience closed:
Thank you so much for your help with this, Michelle. I really appreciate your support!
Best regards,
Karthik
How to protect yourself from phony vacation rental damage charges this summer
If a vacation rental is in your plans this summer, there are a few things you can do to decrease your chances of being hit with post-stay damage bills.
As soon as you walk through the front door of the property, complete a thorough inspection. The same type of photoshoot you should do when you pick up (and return) a rental car is the same thing you should do at a vacation rental. Before plunging into the pool, relaxing in the jacuzzi, or heading out to dinner, always document any pre-existing damage.
Armed with your phone to take detailed photos and videos, look for any imperfections that stand out.
- Nicks or gashes on walls
- Mattress stains (pull back the coverings and have a look)
- Appliances that aren’t working
- Missing items like remote controls or other things you would expect to see
- Unusual smells – cigarette smoke or other heavy fragrances
Note: Many times, consumers will send me images to support their cases that are blurry, dark, unfocused or too close to the subject. You don’t have to be a skilled photographer to effectively document your vacation rental’s condition, but make sure that the snaps you take are in focus and clearly depict what you are seeing with your eyes.
It is critical that you report any oddities you observe at your vacation rental to your host or management company as soon as you arrive. If you don’t, you could make yourself a target for charges to repair damage caused by previous guests.
Remember to take a quick video of the property before you check out. You want to make sure you can prove the condition of the vacation rental as you left it, should any surprise damage charges come your way later.
Of course, if you need help along the way, Consumer Rescue is here to provide that guidance. Our mediation is fast, friendly, and always free of charge! 🛟⛑️ (Michelle Couch-Friedman, founder of Consumer Rescue)
