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Short-term rental and Airbnb insurance
If you’re thinking of using your home as a short-term rental in Australia, standard home and contents insurance may not be enough. Let’s check out the three main ways you can get covered.
Standard home and contents insurance won't usually cover short-term rentals.
Platform protections on sites like Airbnb may not fully cover you for all risks.
There are a few different options that can protect your property.
What is short term rental and Airbnb cover?
Short-term rental and Airbnb cover protect you from damages, theft, and legal issues when you use your home as a short term rental.
Renting your place out to paying guests makes it a business in the eyes of insurers. So typically home and contents insurance won't cover it - in some cases it might even be void.
Fortunately, you can choose from specific short term or holiday rental insurance options that safeguard you and your property. Landlord insurance is also an option in some cases.
Standalone rental cover vs Airbnb insurance
There are actually 3 different types of home insurance that might help you if you're renting out a property.
Short term rental insurance gives you comprehensive coverage for your entire property, or just the part you're renting out. Some providers let you pay per night you have the property rented, which is excellent if you also live in the home yourself. If you're looking to host over an extended period of time, you'll also have the option to insure your home for up to 12 months at a time.
AirCover for Hosts is Airbnb's in-house host protection insurance. It covers you and your property for a few different key risks. It's cover is divided into 'damage protection' and 'host liability'. Damage protection covers the cost of damage to your property, while host liability can help cover certain costs associated with your guests.
Landlord insurance is mainly for non-vacation rentals. However, it will sometimes provide cover for Airbnb and other short term rentals. Most insurers will have specific conditions you need to meet in order to be fully covered, and the cover can be fairly limited compared to dedicated policies. If you're looking at insurance for a dedicated vacation rental property, this probably isn't the best bet.
What does short term rental insurance cover?
What you get from specific short term rental policies can look a lot like home and contents insurance. What makes things different is the inclusion of incidents involving paying guests.
This can include incidents of damage or loss to the building itself and the contents of your home such as:
Injury or death to a guest
Legal & personal liability
Fire-related damage
Accidental damage by guests
Purposeful damage by guests
Bulgulary
Theft or attempted theft by guests
Strata and property damage
Coverage for natural disasters
Water damage
Loss of rent or income
Identity Theft
Many of these items are unique to short term rental insurance, as they involve paying guests not tenants. If it involves the loss of rent or income while you're hosting, you're unlikely to find cover outside of specific short term rental policies.
All policies will have exclusions. It's best to read an individual policy's product disclosure agreement (PDS) for a full rundown of these.
What is Airbnb insurance cover?
Airbnb insurance or Aircover is the included insurance that Airbnb provides for hosts. It's broken down into Damage protection and Host liability insurance - which offer financial protection for various incidents involving guests or people they invite.
Host liability insurance
Host liability insurance offers financial protection of up to $1 million USD if a guest is hurt or belongings are damaged.
What's covered
What's not covered
Bodily injury to a guest
Theft or damage to guest's belongings
Damage by a guest or others to common areas, like building lobbies and nearby property
Damage or injury to guests from something done intentionally
Damage to your property or belongings by a guest
Damage protection
Damage protection can compensate you for up to $3 million USD if your belongings or home is damaged by a guest or people they invite during their stay.
What's covered
What's not covered
Damage to your home, belongings, or valuables
Damage to parked cars, boats or other vehicles
Lost income if you need to cancel a booking due to damage caused
Normal wear and tear
Loss of currency
Loss due to natural disaster
Injury or property damage to guests or others
Costs related to fire, burglary, or Ongoing loss of income caused by an insurable event
Does landlord insurance cover holiday homes?
Yes and no. Looking at landlord insurance policies across five popular Australian insurers, there aren't many that provide comprehensive coverage for short-term stays and Airbnb.
Of the policies that do offer some protection, there seems to be quite limited coverage and a number of conditions you'll have to consider.
Suncorp: No cover unless property is leased to formal tenants.
QBE: Protects against loss of rent from holiday rentals with a number of exclusions.
Youi: Cover is available for stays under 3 months, but only for formal tenants.
ANZ:No cover is available for short term rental or Airbnb activity.
NRMA: No cover is available for short term rentals or Airbnbs.
Expert insight: The right type of cover is essential
"Before welcoming visitors to stay in your home, talk to your insurer about what is and isn't covered, and consider specialised coverage for peace of mind."
Here are a few landlord insurers that cover short term stays for less than 90 days. Remember to compare your options and read through the product disclosure statement if you're unsure of anything.
As an Airbnb owner, landlord insurance is likely the first port of call for your insurance needs, but it doesn't fit everyone. Here are 3 things to check with your insurer before you confirm that booking.
Review your home and contents policy to see if it includes short-term rental protection or, if using your policy this way might void your coverage.
Make sure the time is right. Landlord insurance policies generally only cover stays longer than three months. This won't apply to most guests in short stays or Airbnb's.
Does the policy fit your living situation? Some policies need you to stay on the property while hosting guests, while others require you to be absent for cover to apply.
Frequently asked questions
You'll have access to Airbnb's AirCover insurance if you're a host which will protect you against some of the main financial and legal risks as a host. If peace of mind is a priority, having a separate short term rental insurance policy is a good idea to shore up any gaps in protection.
Generally, landlord insurance will not cover you for Aibnb activity, or other short term rentals. Some landlord insurance policies will offer a limited level of protection for online booking arrangements like Airbnb, but it is usually minimal and subject to special conditions.
As a host, if you believe your guest is responsible for any damage then you can send them a reimbursement request through Airbnb's Resolution Centre. You can read more about this on Airbnb's guide to host damage protection.
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To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Tim Bennett as part of our fact-checking process.
Cameron is the local insurance scholar at Finder. With a diverse background writing in independent education, web-3, and finance, his mission is to build helpful content and that speaks to readers in language they understand. See full bio
I am looking to insure the contents like carpet and blinds and tenants goods in an Airbnb one bedroom strata apartment. The building is already insured.
Many thanks
Alistair
Finder
JamesJanuary 13, 2022Finder
Hi Alistair,
A few different insurers may be able to help you out with short-term rentals, including QBE and Youi.
Always read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) of a policy to understand exactly what you’re covered for. And by all means, reach out to an insurer directly if you’re unsure about anything related to your insurance.
​
Regards,
James
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I am looking to insure the contents like carpet and blinds and tenants goods in an Airbnb one bedroom strata apartment. The building is already insured.
Many thanks
Alistair
Hi Alistair,
A few different insurers may be able to help you out with short-term rentals, including QBE and Youi.
Always read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) of a policy to understand exactly what you’re covered for. And by all means, reach out to an insurer directly if you’re unsure about anything related to your insurance.
​
Regards,
James