Listing a place on Airbnb or VRBO turns it into a business, and most personal and standard landlord policies weren't written for paying overnight guests. The platform's "host protection" helps, but leaning on it alone leaves gaps.
Homeowners assumes you live there. A standard landlord policy assumes a long-term tenant on a lease. Short-term, revolving paying guests are a different risk — commercial in flavor. A carrier can deny a guest-related claim that falls outside what the policy was written for.
Airbnb's and VRBO's host protections offer some liability and damage coverage, but they're limited, secondary, and full of conditions. They're a backstop, not your primary policy — and they can leave your building, your income, and your personal liability underprotected.
The structure, the contents you provide, lost rental income, and liability for guest injuries — built around the way STRs actually operate. Some carriers offer STR-specific policies or endorsements. See our landlord insurance page.
Local rules and permits for short-term rentals vary by city, and some require proof of liability insurance. Check your municipality — and insure it as the business it is.
One caution: don't quietly run an STR on a homeowners policy. The one time you need it is the time the adjuster asks how the property was used.
Tell us the property and how you list it, and we'll quote coverage that actually fits an STR.
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