Although renting out your house can be profitable, home sharing may not always be covered by your homeowners insurance policy. Choose the appropriate insurance coverage to safeguard your home from damage and you from personal liability claims before you welcome short-term visitors.
However, when it comes to house sharing, the rules can get hazy. In general, liability and property damage are not covered by homeowners insurance when a house is rented out. Put another way, your homeowner’s insurance won’t pay for injuries sustained by the renter or damage to the rental property.
Riders for Insurance
If the short-term rental is an isolated incident and you notify the insurance company in advance, some insurers might let you extend your homeowner’s coverage to a temporary rental. Some insurance providers might ask you to add a rider or special endorsement to your current policy in order to have it cover a short-term rental.
Extra Protection Against Liability
Certain states have imposed additional regulations, like laws requiring liability insurance. For instance, Massachusetts mandates that homeowners maintain liability insurance with a minimum of $1,000,000 for every short-term rental.
If you’re using an Airbnb-like hosting platform, find out whether their host liability insurance covers you and whether it satisfies or surpasses the state laws in the area where your home is located.
Is Airbnb Covered by Your Homeowner’s Insurance?
Although renting out your house can be profitable, home sharing may not always be covered by your homeowners insurance policy. Choose the appropriate insurance coverage to safeguard your home from damage and you from personal liability claims before you welcome short-term visitors.
IMPORTANT NOTES
In most cases, short-term rentals are not covered by standard homeowners insurance.
Airbnb offers up to $1 million of its own coverage per rental, but there are coverage restrictions.
Several specialty policies exist to help insure against the unique risks posed by short-term rentals.
Be sure to review your local laws since some states may require additional liability insurance for short-term rentals.
Homeowners Insurance and Home Sharing
Homeowners insurance generally covers the cost of repairing damage to your home caused by fire, wind, or certain other natural disasters. In the event that someone is hurt on your property, it also provides personal liability protection. It’s likely that your mortgage lender will mandate that you purchase homeowners insurance if you have a mortgage loan.
However, when it comes to house sharing, the rules can get hazy. In general, liability and property damage are not covered by homeowners insurance when a house is rented out. Put another way, your homeowner’s insurance won’t pay for injuries sustained by the renter or damage to the rental property.
Riders for Insurance
If the short-term rental is an isolated incident and you notify the insurance company in advance, some insurers might let you extend your homeowner’s coverage to a temporary rental. Some insurance providers might ask you to add a rider or special endorsement to your current policy in order to have it cover a short-term rental.
Extra Protection Against Liability
Certain states have imposed additional regulations, like laws requiring liability insurance. For instance, Massachusetts mandates that homeowners maintain liability insurance with a minimum of $1,000,000 for every short-term rental.
If you’re using an Airbnb-like hosting platform, find out whether their host liability insurance covers you and whether it satisfies or surpasses the state laws in the area where your home is located.
Building a Company around Home Sharing
The insurance company typically considers renting out a portion of your house on a regular basis for financial gain to be business activity, which is not covered by a homeowners policy. Instead, you’d need to purchase business insurance.
You will also require landlord insurance if you intend to rent the entire house for a considerable amount of time. A shed or garage on the property is covered by the landlord’s insurance along with the main house. Usually, these policies will pay for losses like wind or fire, but they won’t pay for losses from normal wear and tear or for the loss of your tenant’s personal belongings.
House Sharing for Tenants
If you are a tenant and you are subleasing to another person, there might be more insurance requirements. First, confirm with your landlord that you are able to sublease the apartment. Next, find out if subletting is covered by your renter’s insurance policy by reviewing it. Tenant liability costs in the event of an injury, theft losses, and property damage are typically covered by renter’s insurance.
The sublessee would have to purchase the renter’s insurance for themselves if they were not going to be residing in the rental during the subletting period. Keep in mind that your renter’s insurance might not pay for damages caused by the sublessee to your personal belongings while you’re away.
Which Insurance Companies Cover Home-Sharing?
Insurance companies are responding to the home-sharing boom by providing short-term rental insurance to homeowners who rent out their properties on platforms like Airbnb and others. Here are three methods for getting insurance:
American Family Insurance—If policyholders intend to rent their homes for fewer than 62 days annually, they have the option to add short-term rental coverage.
Allstate: When renting out your house, your personal belongings are protected by the company’s unique HostAdvantage Home-Sharing insurance. For instance, you would be protected if a renter pilfered something or if someone broke in while you were away. Additionally, up to $10,000 would be covered if a renter unintentionally damaged your television or furniture.
Airbnb—As part of its AirCover for Hosts protection package, Airbnb provides host liability insurance. Up to $1 million in coverage is offered by this policy against third-party claims of property damage or bodily injury. AirCover also provides $3 million in coverage for damages to your personal property or the home.
What Kind of Insurance Do I Need for an Airbnb?
You’ll need host liability insurance, which covers the costs if someone in the rental gets hurt or if there is a theft or fire. Most homeowners policies do not cover short-term rentals. As a result, you’ll need to obtain coverage through Airbnb, a separate policy, or a rider added to your existing policy.
Does Renter’s Insurance Cover Airbnb Stays?
Typically, renter’s insurance policies do not cover your personal belongings at an Airbnb. However, if you are displaced due to a covered event, additional living expenses might be covered, including food, transportation, and hotel costs.
Are Airbnb Owners Insured?
Airbnb offers host protection coverage, including $1 million for liability due to bodily injury and $3 million for property damage.
Final Note
It’s vital that you do your research before jumping on the home-sharing bandwagon. If you’re renting out your home consistently, your insurance company could drop you as a policyholder if it considers that to be business activity. Even if you’re renting your home just once, you can’t afford to jeopardize your coverage. Talking to your insurance company about what is and isn’t included in your policy can help you determine what’s needed to fill the gaps.
