Security deposits on Airbnb and Booking: what each platform allows, how the damage deposit works and what to do on a direct booking

Short answer: on Airbnb, most hosts cannot charge a security deposit: neither through the Resolution Centre nor off the platform. Asking for one by bank transfer or Bizum breaks its rules. Instead there is AirCover. On Booking you can, and you have two options: a damage deposit, which you charge and refund yourself, or a damage programme, in which the guest pays nothing in advance and Booking asks them for payment if there is damage. On a direct booking you can agree a deposit. The Andalusian decree on tourist homes does not regulate it: it only regulates advance payments (October 2026).

Can I ask for a security deposit on Airbnb?

As a general rule, no. Airbnb's help pages say that most hosts cannot charge security deposits, either through the Resolution Centre or off the platform. There are only two exceptions:

• Some software-connected hosts (those who manage the listing with a program connected to Airbnb) can charge it outside, as long as they state it in the corresponding fees field so the guest sees it when paying.
• Hotels can ask for a card or a deposit at check-in, if they state it in the listing.

If you are neither, Airbnb treats it as a breach. Its Terms prohibit charging "any additional fees or charges off the Platform" except for authorised exceptions. Its policy on fees and off-platform use prohibits asking for, sending or receiving payments outside Airbnb, and in repeated or serious cases it can suspend or deactivate the listing or the account. And the Resolution Centre cannot be used to collect it either: Airbnb expressly excludes it.

If a guest causes damage, you claim from them through the Resolution Centre and, if they do not pay, AirCover's damage protection steps in (AirCover for hosts).

And on Booking?

Yes, and it is set up in the extranet: Property > Policies > Other policies > Edit under "Damage policy option". To the question "Do your guests have to pay a deposit to cover possible damage?", answer Yes and choose one of the two options:

Booking warns that damage deposits tend to bring fewer bookings and more cancellations. If you change the programme's maximum amount, it only applies to bookings made from that moment on.

What can I claim with Booking's damage programme?

You can claim:

• Damage to furniture, appliances, decoration or tableware.
• Water damage, broken fittings, scratched floors or holes in walls and ceilings.
• Cleaning by an outside company when it is more than normal mess (with an invoice).
• Lost keys or stolen items (with an invoice or replacement receipt).

You cannot claim:

• Normal cleaning (rubbish, dust, dishes).
• Damage that is not physical, such as having smoked.
• Breaking the rules: pets not allowed, arriving late or bringing someone who was not on the booking.
• Charges the guest left unpaid, such as the pet supplement or the tourist tax.

To claim, go to Reservations > the booking > Make a damage payment request. Describe the damage, enter the amount and add clear photos and, if needed, invoices. Booking asks you not to upload invoices with personal data, security camera images or screenshots of conversations. The status is followed on the booking page. If "No response from guest" appears, Booking itself acknowledges that they are unlikely to pay.

How is a deposit charged and refunded on Booking?

With the damage deposit, Booking does not touch the money. It puts it this way: you decide how and when you charge the amount and you handle the money. You have to charge it and refund it according to what was stated at booking, and you can keep all or part of it if the guest is shown to have caused the damage. That is why what matters is that the listing's policies clearly state the amount, when it is charged and the refund period. How charges to the guest's card work is in Booking payouts and invoice and in no-shows and invalid cards.

Apart from damage, Booking includes at no cost a partner liability insurance for home-type properties. It covers up to €1,000,000 in the European Economic Area against claims from guests and third parties for injury or damage to their belongings. It does not cover damage to your own home.

What alternatives are there to a security deposit?

• Screening before accepting. Airbnb verifies the identity of whoever books and blocks bookings at high risk of damage or parties. On Booking you can use "Request to book" to approve each booking and talk to the guest first (Instant Book or request).
• Clear house rules. Both platforms let you set rules on smoking, pets, parties and noise.
• Reporting bad behaviour. Booking lets you report a guest up to seven days after check-out and block them across all your properties.
• Insurance with guest damage. Some tourist home policies include it, and it works for any channel (insurance for a tourist home).

What does the law say if they book directly with me?

Andalusia's Decree 28/2016 on tourist homes does not mention security deposits. Its article 8 says that the conditions of price, booking, advance payments and cancellation are governed by what is agreed, and that if nothing is agreed you can ask for an advance of up to 30 % (cancellations). A security deposit on a direct booking is, therefore, an agreement between you and the guest. Put it in writing before they pay: the amount, how it is charged (bank transfer or a hold on the card with your payment gateway), when it is refunded and what you can deduct and with what evidence. The practical side is in direct bookings and in what if they wreck my flat?.

What does a manager do with this?

They choose each platform's damage option according to the flat. They screen bookings before accepting them. They take photos of the state of the flat before each check-in and claim on time: 14 days on Airbnb and on Booking's programme. And they do not ask for deposits outside Airbnb, because that puts the listing at risk. On Airbnb, TGV comes in as co-host and the listing stays in the owner's account, and the owner keeps it, with the reviews and the photos, if they leave TGV.