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Airbnb Host Home Insurance

Quick to buy online

  • Cover provided when let out to Airbnb guests (restrictions apply)
  • Defaqto 5 Star-rated buildings insurance
  • Underwritten by AXA Insurance.
David Joyson

Written by

David Joyson

Home Insurance Expert & Customer Champion

Libby Goodsearles

Reviewed by

Libby Goodsearles

Head of Marketing

Less than 1 minute

Updated: 8 May 2024

what insurance do i need for airbnb?

If you’re an Airbnb host, you can buy dedicated host insurance, if you want to rent out a spare room or your entire home for short periods on house-sharing platforms like Airbnb and Homestay. This host insurance is designed to protect against incidents that could be caused by guests, such as theft, damage (deliberate, malicious or accidental) and injuries.  

At Homeprotect we don’t provide host insurance, but we do provide home insurance for circumstances where you have paying guests, including through Airbnb. So, whilst our home insurance will, as standard, cover you for incidents such as storm, flood, escape of water and fire, it won’t cover you for theft from Airbnb guests, or damage (be it deliberate, malicious or accidental) by Airbnb guests. 

As long as you correctly disclose the fact that you use your property for business use and accept paying guests from the likes of Airbnb then a Homeprotect home insurance policy does provide liability cover for incidents involving your Airbnb guests that result in accidental death, bodily injury or illness or property damage and that you are legally liable to pay. 

What our expert says…

“A Homeprotect policy for Airbnb and other house-sharing platforms is not equivalent to host insurance, in that it won’t cover you for theft from Airbnb guests, or damage (be it deliberate, malicious or accidental) by Airbnb guests. It will, as standard, cover you, whilst your property is occupied by Airbnb guests, for incidents such as storm, flood, escape of water and fire. And it will also cover you for incidents involving your Airbnb guests that result in accidental death, bodily injury or illness or property damage that you are legally liable to pay.”  

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Gerry McNally

Home Insurance Expert

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What’s covered by home insurance with airbnb guests?

Home insurance provides financial protection if you need to repair your home or replace your belongings after they’ve been stolen, damaged or destroyed.

It comes in two parts: buildings insurance (cover against damage to the property itself) and contents insurance (for damaged or stolen items within the home). These can be combined or bought separately, so the first step is deciding which option is better for you.

What we offer

Quick fix for uncontrollable leaks

Have a home emergency, such as electricity failure, faulty locks or vermin infestation? With the 24/7 Home Emergency cover, which we provide as standard, you can typically get an engineer at your home within four hours. And if you’re worried about an uncontrollable leak in your home, we aim to have an emergency plumber to you within two hours.

Extreme weather conditions may extend response time. Policy terms and claim limits apply.

5 star rated buildings cover

Our building insurance has been given the highest rating by independent financial research companies, Defaqto and Moneyfacts.

Repair guarantee

Any buildings work we undertake is guaranteed for 24 months following a claim and any contents repair work we undertake is guaranteed for 12 months.

New for old

Where we replace an item, we will do our best to meet the original specification on a ‘new for old’ basis. If we can’t find an exact replacement, we’ll offer you a suitable alternative, or a full cash settlement.

Legal advice

We provide Legal Protection cover as standard, giving you access to telephone legal advice on any personal legal issue, under the laws of the UK, any European Union country, the Isle of Man, Channel Islands, Switzerland and Norway.

What isn’t included?

Damage cause gradually, or by wear and tear, or by failure to fix a known issue.

Faulty design or poor workmanship.

Theft, vandalism or accidental damage caused by a paying guest.

The cost of repairing or replacing items following a mechanical or electrical fault.

Lost items.

Escape of water incidents occurring between 1 October – 1 April (inclusive) if your home is left unoccupied for more than 30 consecutive days.

The costs of alternative accommodation (unless the property is your main home).

Recommended by our customers

72% Saved money when they switched to Homeprotect*

HOME Insurance Cover Levels

Our home insurance is designed to protect your home against insured events such as fire, storm, flood, escape of water, theft, malicious damage, subsidence, landslip or heave.

Buildings cover

Covers the main structure of your home, including attached garages and conservatories, if you need to rebuild or repair it following an insured loss. Also covers permanent outdoor structures such as driveways, patios and boundary walls. 

£1 million

(more cover available if you need it) 

Contents cover

Covering the value of the possessions you could take with you when moving home, such as furniture, clothing, valuables, appliances, fittings, entertainment equipment, gadgets and bikes, following an insured loss. Cover provided on a new for old basis. 

from £25,000

Loss of rent

If you have paying guests, we’ll cover lost rent if your guests can’t stay in the home due to an insured event. 

up to £30,000

Home emergency

Covers sudden, unexpected emergencies, such as uncontrollable water leaks, that require immediate corrective action to prevent or limit damage to your home, or make your home secure. Two levels of cover are available, for different types of insured loss. 

up to £500

Family legal protection

Covers legal costs following an insured loss. There must be reasonable prospects of winning and the incident must have occurred during the policy term. Two levels of cover are available, for different types of insured loss.

up to £25,000

Trace and access

Covers the cost of detecting the source of a water or oil leak to your home or outbuildings. Includes reinstating any wall, floor, ceiling, drive, fence or path removed or damaged during the search (up to the claim limit).

up to £10,000

Outbuildings cover

Covers rebuild or repair of your outbuildings (e.g. detached garages, greenhouses, sheds and summerhouses) that are within the boundary or a communal area you’re legally responsible for, if you need to rebuild or repair them following an insured loss.

from £20,000

Liability cover

Covers damages and claimants’ costs and expenses for your legal liability in the event of accidental death, injury or illness to a third party, or damage to property belonging to a third party. 

up to £5 million

Personal possessions

Covers items likely to be worn, carried or used by you away from your home (e.g. bags, clothes and sports equipment) in the event of physical damage or theft. Cover provided anywhere in the world.

Optional

(excluded if you have paying guests)

Gadgets, bikes and valuables away from the home

Cover for electronic gadgets (e.g. mobile phones, laptops, tablets etc), bikes (including electrically assisted bikes), valuables (e.g. watches and jewellery), equipment (e.g. hearing aids) and other expensive or high risk items that you take out of your home. 

Optional

(excluded if you have paying guests)

Accidental damage

Covers sudden, unexpected and unforeseen events around the house (e.g. spillages or breakages) that result in physical damage and which was caused by you, your guests, a third party or wild animals. Two levels of cover are available.

Optional

(excluded if you have paying guests)

New Customer?

If you’re deciding on whether to buy home insurance with us, you can use our latest policy booklets as a guide.

Existing Customer?

Your Questions Answered

Public liability insurance would be included as standard in your Airbnb insurance.  

Cover of up to £5,000,000 per period of insurance can be provided to pay damages and claimants’ costs and expenses (agreed by us in writing) for your legal liability in the event of incidents such as death, bodily injury, or illness to a third party (e.g. someone other than you, anybody permanently residing with you) or domestic staff (e.g. cleaners or gardeners). This cover can be extended for your legal liability in the event of death, bodily injury or illness to a paying guest (including Airbnb guest), as long as you note that your property is used for business purposes and has paying guests.  

Please read our policy booklet to find out more about what is and isn’t covered.  

The cost of Airbnb insurance will vary depending on factors such as location, rebuild value, property security, property maintenance, and the level of cover you choose. 

You can get a quote for Airbnb insurance today.  

No, Homeprotect can only provide Airbnb insurance to customers who live in the UK.  

No, Homeprotect only covers properties within the United Kingdom, England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. 

As long as your home has fixed foundations, our Airbnb insurance can provide cover for properties such as:  

  • Cottages 
  • Mansions 
  • Lodges 
  • Country homes 
  • Barn conversions 

A standard home insurance policy typically won’t cover your property if it’s used as an Airbnb. So you should look either for dedicated host insurance, or a home insurance policy which caters for paying guests from house-sharing platforms like Airbnb.  

A Homeprotect policy is not host insurance, but it will provide cover for most insurance circumstances, such as storm, flood, escape of water and fire. It won’t however cover you for theft from Airbnb guests, or damage (be it deliberate, malicious or accidental) by Airbnb guests. 

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