The Fine Print of Airbnb AirCover for Hosts: Coverage, Limits, and Tips

The saying goes: prepare for the worst to happen while expecting the best. When it comes to running an Airbnb rental, this saying remains true. 

No Airbnb host ever hopes for property damage or bodily injury to occur during a guest’s stay. However, for each Airbnb stay, they need to have a plan and protection in place in case it does. 

Fortunately, Airbnb has taken some of the planning and protection upon themselves when they designed AirCover for Hosts. It’s become a huge drawcard for hosts to list their properties on the platform. 

Curious about how it works? Read on to find out what it’s all about.

What Is Airbnb AirCover for Hosts?

Airbnb AirCover is a way for the platform to provide hosts with top-to-bottom protection against damage, liability, unexpected cleaning costs, and income loss that may arise in the course of running an Airbnb rental. 

AirCover is made available to all Airbnb hosts (new and existing hosts) and is completely free. It automatically applies to your vacation rentals and once your listing goes live on the platform, you’ll enjoy protection. 

What is Airbnb's incentive for offering more than a million in damage protection? It’s a way for Airbnb to allow hosts to keep their security deposit low and discourage charging exorbitant cleaning and pet fees, making their platform more guest-friendly. 

How Does Airbnb AirCover Work?

In a nutshell, AirCover makes it possible to get reimbursed or will limit your liability if one of the events covered by AirCover occurs at your Airbnb.  

Typically, hosts have a 14-day filing window after a guest’s stay to file a damage report for reimbursement via the Resolution Center. You’ll also need to submit supporting documents like photos/videos of the damage and/or a third-party estimate for how much it will cost to repair or clean. 

Airbnb’s goal is to make quick reimbursements and aims to pay out for the claim within about two weeks. 

Airbnb Superhosts also enjoy a dedicated support line with priority routing when filing a claim.

What Exactly Is Protected Under Airbnb AirCover?

AirCover was recently upgraded to include a wide range of different qualifying events. Let’s take a closer look at what exactly AirCover includes: 

1. Host liability insurance

The $1M host liability insurance covers hosts in the rare event that a guest gets hurt during their stay or co-hosts, property managers or cleaners get injured on-site while carrying out their duties. 

It also applies to their belongings, should it get damaged or stolen.

2. Host damage protection

The $3M host damage protection is available to cover any damage made by guests to your property and its contents. While Airbnb will reimburse you for up to $3 million in property damage, they’ll first try to claim from the guest, though.  

Aside from offering damage protection for your home and its furnishings, it also extends this protection to parked cars and extra cleaning costs. 

Plus, if you need to cancel your next guest stay because you’ll need more time to get your property ready, the platform will also cover your lost income.

3. Pet damage protection

In an effort to encourage pet-friendly accommodation, AirCover also covers pet damage when travelers’ four-legged guests cause any accidents. 

4. Deep cleaning protection

Deep cleaning protection covers any unexpected costs that hosts may not have budgeted for such as the removal of tough stains or smoke odors. 

5. Income loss protection

Income loss protection kicks into effect if you are forced to cancel confirmed Airbnb bookings due to damage. Airbnb will reimburse you for the lost income you would’ve generated if you could go ahead with those confirmed bookings.  

What Is Not Protected by AirCover? 

As is with any insurance policy, there are exclusions. With regards to AirCover, hosts need to take into account two main Ts and Cs. 

Firstly, AirCover naturally only applies to incidents that occur during an Airbnb stay. If you list on other OTAs like Vrbo, and the incident happens during a stay booked on that platform, the host liability insurance, host damage protection, pet damage protection, and coverage for unexpected cleaning costs all fall away.

Secondly, it also will not cover hosts and their properties for normal, everyday wear and tear of their rental and belongings or any damage caused by any acts of nature. 

As such, it’s strongly recommended that you invest in an additional insurance policy catering specifically for short-term rentals for more protection. 

It’s also best to read Airbnb’s full terms for their host protection insurance. Here you’ll find more detailed information about its host damage protection terms.

How Do I Submit an AirCover Claim?

In the unfortunate, rare event that you need to deal with guest damage or incur extra deep cleaning costs because a guest’s dog makes a mess or a guest smokes during their stay, here’s how to file a claim.

• Host damage protection reimbursement If an event occurs that the host damage protection covers (for example, a pet or guest damages a property), there is a process to request reimbursement. Here are the steps to follow:
  • Collect evidence of the damage or bodily image by taking pictures or videos so that you can submit them to Airbnb. Also, be sure to keep any receipts and estimated costs ready to submit too.
  • Describe the damage and the reimbursement request to both the guest and Airbnb support via the Resolution Center. Hosts need to inform the guest so that they have an opportunity to respond to the request.
  • If your guest agrees to pay for the damages caused, they will do so via Airbnb, which will then transfer the payment to you. If the guest refuses to pay or does not respond within 72 hours of the request, you will be eligible for reimbursement from Airbnb. An Airbnb Support Ambassador will be assigned to the case to ensure you are properly reimbursed. 
• Host liability insurance claimIn the event of an injury that the host liability insurance covers, hosts will need to complete a liability insurance intake form. Here you will be able to describe the incident that took place so that Airbnb can process the claim.

Airbnb AirCover FAQs

Do I need personal insurance on top of AirCover for hosts?

The short answer is yes. While AirCover for hosts is quite comprehensive and provides cover for the main instances where hosts could suffer a loss, it still has its limitations. Vacation rental insurance will give you peace of mind that your Airbnb rental is protected no matter what.

To keep your rental fully secure and manage your Airbnb effortlessly, it’s also a good idea to invest in robust vacation rental management software like iGMS. iGMS integrates with leading vacation rental insurance providers such as InsuraGuest while allowing you to automate the management of your Airbnb rental. 

From one platform, you can manage all your listings across the top vacation rental sites, avoid double-bookings, improve the guest experience, and keep track of your vacation rental insurance and payments. 

Does AirCover include Airbnb Experiences?

Yes, Airbnb Experiences are also covered under Experiences liability insurance. This liability insurance will cover hosts in the event that a guest is injured during their Experience, or if their belongings are damaged.

How long does it take to receive an AirCover reimbursement?

Airbnb aims to reimburse hosts within two weeks of the request.

About the AuthorCallan Riddles is the Content and Social Media Specialist at iGMS. Callan has a passion for finding new ways to help vacation rental businesses thrive. In her free time, she loves to travel, read, and experience all the new things that life has to offer.