You've listed your apartment or villa on Airbnb, Abritel, Booking.com, or directly — your first booking, your first thrill. And then, one day, you open the door to your property after a guest checks out and find a broken plate, a stain on the sofa, or worse. That's when the question of the security deposit becomes very real.

Here's the thing: not all platforms work the same way. And what many owners discover a little too late is that getting a real security deposit isn't as straightforward as it seems.

What the platforms actually do… and what they don't

Airbnb and AirCover: protection, not a deposit

Airbnb made a lot of noise with its AirCover programme. On paper, it's impressive: up to $3 million in coverage for damage caused by guests, including liability. But in practice, host feedback is far more mixed.

AirCover is a protection programme managed entirely by Airbnb, with its own rules, exclusions, and timelines. To benefit from it, you must file a claim within 14 days of the guest's departure, providing photos, quotes, and evidence. And ultimately, it's Airbnb who decides.

Airbnb doesn't want hosts asking for a security deposit.

As for a proper security deposit? Airbnb has simply removed it from the equation for the vast majority of hosts. Except in rare cases, it is no longer possible to request a deposit directly from guests through the platform. The only workaround: using property management software connected to Airbnb's API — a Channel Manager or PMS — which allows you to set up a security deposit collected outside the platform.

Booking.com and Abritel: a deposit managed by hosts

Booking and Abritel offer insurance, but frankly, don't count on it! Getting compensated through them is a nightmare. The right solution is to use an alternative — not only does it act as a genuine guarantee, but it also filters out careless guests.

On Booking.com, property owners can indicate a security deposit in their listing.

Abritel (HomeAway / Vrbo) offers a bit more flexibility, with the option to set up a deposit at the time of booking.

The solution: online deposits designed for short-term rental hosts

Swikly is a Lyon-based company that has developed an alternative to traditional deposit methods. No more cheques gathering dust in a drawer, complicated bank transfe