In case you’ve decided to rent out your home, second home, or part of your property, you should know that having suitable insurance is crucial. This is the only way to cover both your liabilities and the possible damage to your property.
The fact is that this is a complex issue because not every host is the same. For instance, some of them are renting their properties only during specific periods of the year. Others have more than one property.
One of the most common issues with insurance is the fact that people can’t determine what they have until they file a claim. According to the latest reports, about 7% of all renters and homeowners have filed a claim.
What many Airbnb & Booking.com hosts don’t know is that their homeowner’s insurance policy is virtually useless when they are renting their home. Most people have an insurance policy like this and they think that they are covered. The truth is different. You can’t expect to claim anything when you are renting your home for money. This is a residential insurance and when you have a guest, this is no longer a residence at least not for them.
There is one option that you can opt for and that’s motel, hostel or hotel insurance policy, but this is a very expensive option. So, the only logical solution is to find a provider that offers specific Airbnb & Booking.com liability insurance policies. But, before we go into details, let’s see why someone would want to use insurance like this.
The importance of insurance for hosts
As we have mentioned before, there are two main reasons that make Airbnb or Booking.com host insurance important. First of all, every host is responsible for the things that happen on their property. For example, in case a guest has an accident while getting out of the shower and they get injured, there is a risk that they will file a lawsuit against you. With liability insurance, you will cover the expenses for legal representation and possible settlements.
If this is not enough, you should also be aware of the fact that your property will be protected with an insurance designed for hosts. So, if some of your items are missing or they are damaged, the insurance policy will cover that.
Introducing Airbnb Hosts Protection Insurance
Airbnb has realized that liability is a growing concern for many hosts and that’s why they have introduced the Host Protection Insurance program. Every person that accepts the terms of Airbnb and lists a property on their platform becomes a part of this program. With its help, hosts are getting primary coverage (it works in more than 15 countries). The program keeps hosts safe against liability claims that can go up to one million US dollars.
The Airbnb host Protection Insurance program works in both ways. Namely, the program covers homeowners and landlords in cases where they are facing lawsuits filed by guests that have suffered injuries during their stay. On the other hand, the same program covers the claims in cases where guests have damaged the property.
Whenever an Airbnb host wants to file a claim, they can use the official website and their contact form. The Host Protection Insurance program is here to serve as primary coverage for eligible losses.
Private insurers specializing in Airbnb
IAG
IAG is one of the best general insurance companies in both New Zealand and Australia. About two years ago, they have created the ShareCover insurance product that is created specifically for people who list their properties on online property-sharing services including Airbnb. This product covers damage, theft, personal liability, and identity theft.
Admiral
Admiral is a well-established UK company that offers insurance to Airbnb hosts. That’s why they have introduced the Admiral Host Insurance package. Besides the typical cover of burst pipes, fire, and flooding, this insurance policy covers both accidental and malicious damage.
Towergate Insurance
This is another successful UK-based insurance company. They have a Holiday Home Insurance offer available to property owners and renters in the UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Greece. Their insurance policy works for Airbnb hosts that have chalets, cottages, lodges, apartments, and villas.
In addition to these private insurers, you can find many insurance companies around the globe that are prepared to design a specific plan for your individual home sharing ventures. In any case, having an additional insurance policy is always a smart idea.
