Staying at an Airbnb? Take pictures. Lots of Pictures.

If you’re staying in an Airbnb be sure to take time-stamped pictures of every room when you arrive, and again when you leave.

Travel writer Lee Abbamonte offers the advice after the owner of an Airbnb he stayed at in Spain accused him of leaving trash behind and damaging an expensive chair.

Abbamonte denies it, noting the chair was ripped when he arrived and feathers popped out when he sat on it.

Airbnb owners often submit photos to their Airbnb rep when making claims for damages. Submitting your own photos can verify your story. In Abbamonte’s case, Airbnb ruled in favour of the host. Abbamonte wasn’t charged, but there’s a note on his file suggesting ‘future discipline’ if anything else happens.

Other tips:

• always check your Airbnb’s reviews before booking a trip. If there are few or no reviews, check to see if the host has other listings with reviews
• check to see if the host is verified through Airbnb (which requires info like Facebook profiles, email addresses, and government-issued ID’s)
• verify anyone who reaches out to you from any means other than Airbnb’s direct messaging system