Overview

Damage claims often involve a guest — the person whose stay overlapped with the incident. Asking them about it early ("did you notice anything happen with the bathroom vanity?") usually saves time and helps you resolve the claim faster. From June 2026, the Message button on damage claims uses the same inline message drawer as the rest of the host UI — no more full-page jump to /messages.

How it works

From the damage list

On /damage:

  1. Find a claim with a linked reservation. (Property-only claims with no reservation_id don't show a Message button — there's no specific guest to contact.)
  2. Click the envelope icon on the right side of the row.
  3. The drawer slides in with that reservation's message history + an AI Draft button.
  4. Type your reply (or click AI Draft for a starter), edit, click Send.

You stay on the damage list. Your filters and scroll position don't move.

From the damage claim detail page

On /damage/[id]:

  1. The claim header shows a Message button next to the reservation link.
  2. Click it. Same drawer slides in.
  3. Compose, send.

The detail page stays put behind the drawer. When you close the drawer (Escape, X, or click outside), you're back where you were.

From the /tasks page "Open Damage Claims" section

The same envelope icon lives on each task-page damage row when the claim is reservation-linked. Same drawer.

What's a good first message?

A few patterns that work well, in declining order of how often hosts use them:

  • Soft inquiry while the guest is still on-site or just departed: "Hey Tracy! 👋 Quick question — did you notice anything happen with the bedside lamp in the guest room? Trying to figure out the timing on a small repair. Thanks!"
  • Acknowledgment for guest-reported damage: "Thanks for letting me know about the broken lamp. I've logged a claim and will follow up tomorrow with a replacement cost. No worries — these things happen."
  • Follow-up after a resolved claim: "Got the lamp replaced this morning. Final cost was $85. I'll deduct from the security hold and send the receipt. Thanks for being upfront about it!"

The AI Draft button generates a draft tuned to the reservation context. You always edit before sending.

Limits and requirements

  • Plan gating — the messaging feature is on the Host and Portfolio plans. Comply and Trial plans see the drawer open in read-only upgrade-prompt mode.
  • The Message button is hidden when there's no reservation_id on the claim. Property-only damage (not tied to a specific stay) doesn't have a "who to contact" — log a manual note or contact the guest through the original reservation thread if you can find it on /messages.
  • The message thread is the same one the guest uses for their reservation. Your damage-related messages are part of that single thread, not a separate "damage messages" channel. This keeps the conversation in one place for both of you.
  • Every message is timestamped and retained — they form part of your damage record and your compliance documentation. See Messages as compliance documentation.

FAQ

Why was the old "Message Guest" button changed?

The old button used window.location.href = "/messages?reservation_id=…" — it navigated you away from the damage list or detail to a full Messages page. You lost your scroll position, filters, and any open claim. The new drawer keeps you in context. Same conversation thread on the server side; just a less disruptive way to reach it.

What if the guest already returned the damaged item or paid?

You can still log the claim for your records (especially for compliance + audit trail) and message the guest as a courtesy follow-up. The Message drawer works the same way whether the claim is open, investigating, resolved, or closed.

Can I attach a photo of the damage to a message?

Not yet from the drawer. You can attach photos when logging the claim itself (see Logging an incident), and the guest can see those in the claim detail if you share the URL. Direct photo-in-message attachments are tracked as a future improvement.

What if I message the wrong reservation by accident?

Every message logs the sender, recipient, and timestamp. The drawer shows you the reservation header so it's clear which guest you're contacting. If you sent something to the wrong person, send a quick follow-up clarifying — and let support know via the in-app chat if you need help correcting a record.

Does the AI Draft know about the damage claim specifically?

The AI knows you're messaging from a damage-related surface and biases its tone accordingly (factual, polite, asking-not-accusing). It does not currently pull specific claim details (the chipped vanity, the broken lamp, etc.) into the prompt — those stay on your side until you type them. This is intentional: it keeps the prompt simple + the AI from making up specifics.