Questions Around Security Deposits & Insurance After Horrible Guest Experience

I recently reactivated my 3BR townhouse in Philadelphia to prep for World Cup demand, especially from international guests.

Just had a brutal experience:

• Guests booked for 2, showed up with more
• Smoking inside (required ozone treatment)
• Damage, including holes in the walls and broken floor lamps
• Toilet clogged, requiring a plumber
• Deep clean (2x cost)

Total damage, cleanup, and replacements came out to $900, which wiped out the booking and put me $150 in the red.

Booking’s insurance did eventually reimburse me in full, but it was a process. Honestly, I’d rather avoid the hassle and just have a security deposit in place upfront.

Questions for other hosts:

• Have you enabled security deposits on Booking.com?
• Did it impact your booking rate at all?
• Are you collecting through your PMS/channel manager (I’m using Hospitable)?
• If damages exceed the deposit, can you still go through Booking’s insurance?

Also frustrating that:

• Guests aren’t automatically banned even after clear damage
• There’s no host-to-host review system for accountability

Would appreciate any real-world experiences or advice before I turn deposits on.