Property insurance
Airbnb Insurance
cover for a home, room or holiday let rented to paying guests, where standard home and landlord policies can fall short
Cover for a property let to paying guests for short stays. Telling your insurer how you let it, and keeping to the guest conditions, matter as much as the cover itself.
- Whole homes, rooms and holiday lets
- Guest damage and liability
- Airbnb, other platforms and direct bookings
- FCA authorised and regulated
Quick answerAirbnb insurance covers a property let to paying guests for short stays, through Airbnb, other platforms or direct bookings. Standard home and landlord policies can exclude short letting, so letting without telling your insurer can put a claim at risk. Short-let cover can protect the building, contents, your liability to guests, guest damage and lost bookings. Tell MyMoneyComparison.com about the property once, and specialist UK brokers can come back with quotes.
This page is about letting to paying guests for short stays. A property let to a tenant on a longer agreement is on our landlord insurance page, and a second home you mainly use yourself on holiday home insurance.
At a glance
Short-Let Cover, in Brief
Six things that decide how Airbnb insurance behaves, before any of the detail.
- Tell your insurer
- Standard policies can exclude paying guests
- The building
- Insured for its rebuild figure
- Contents
- Furniture, linen and kit you supply for guests
- Guest liability
- Injury to guests and visitors at the property
- Lost bookings
- Income lost if an insured event stops lettings
- Guest damage
- Accidental or malicious damage, where included
The basics
What Is Airbnb Insurance?
Cover for a property let to paying guests for short stays, through Airbnb, other platforms or direct bookings. It fills the gap where home and landlord policies can exclude short letting.
Buildings
The structure and fixtures, for the rebuild figure.
Contents
Furniture, appliances and linen you provide.
Property owners’ liability
Injury or damage to guests and others.
Guest damage
Accidental or malicious damage by guests, where included.
Loss of booking income
Income lost after an insured event, where included.
Legal expenses
Disputes with guests, as an optional extra.
How it works
How Does Airbnb Insurance Work?
You describe the property and how you let it, set the sums insured, and the insurer sets the cover and any conditions for guest stays.
You describe the property
Type, construction, location and whether it is your home, a second home or a dedicated let.
You describe how you let it
Platforms used, how often it is let, the number of guests and how check-in works.
You set the sums insured
A rebuild figure, contents and booking income. The method is in our guide to calculating a rebuild value.
The insurer sets conditions
Such as guest checks, key handling, fire safety and cleaning between stays.
What it covers
What Does Airbnb Insurance Cover?
The building, contents and your liability, with guest damage, theft by guests and lost bookings available on many policies.
| Section | Where it sits | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Buildings | Core for owners | For the full rebuild figure |
| Contents | Core or optional | For items you supply for guests |
| Property owners’ liability | Core | The limit is set on your schedule |
| Accidental damage by guests | Optional | Check any limits |
| Malicious damage by guests | On some policies | Can carry a higher excess |
| Loss of booking income | Optional | Check the indemnity period |
| Theft by guests | On some policies | Can be restricted or excluded |
A guest is different from a burglar. Theft by someone you let in is treated differently from a break-in, so check how the policy handles it.
Exclusions
What Airbnb Insurance Does Not Include
Cover can exclude undeclared letting, wear and tear from guest turnover, lost bookings for reasons other than insured damage, and losses where conditions were not kept.
Undeclared letting
Short letting the insurer was not told about.
Wear and tear
The gradual effect of regular guest turnover.
Cancellations
Bookings lost for reasons other than insured damage.
Unmet conditions
Such as guest checks or key rules not followed.
Parties and events
Damage from gatherings the policy excludes.
Long empty periods
Beyond what the policy allows between bookings.
Types of let
Which Short Lets Can Be Covered?
A wide range of short-let property, from a room in your home to a dedicated holiday let. How you let it shapes the terms.
Whole-home lets
Your home or a dedicated property let in full.
Private rooms
A room let while you live there.
City apartments
Flats let to visitors.
Holiday cottages
Rural and coastal lets.
Serviced accommodation
Professionally managed short-stay units.
Mixed long and short lets
Properties that switch between the two.
Several short-let properties? See our property portfolio insurance page.
Who it is for
Who Needs Airbnb Insurance
Anyone letting property to paying guests for short stays, whether occasionally or as a business.
Homeowners
Letting their home while away.
Room hosts
Letting a spare room.
Second-home owners
Letting a holiday home when not using it.
Dedicated hosts
Running short lets as a business.
Serviced accommodation operators
Managing several units.
Landlords switching
Moving from long lets to short lets. See our buy-to-let landlord insurance page.
Policy or platform
Short-Let Cover vs Platform Host Protection
Platform protection, such as AirCover for Hosts, has its own limits and conditions. It is not a replacement for insuring the building, contents and liability yourself.
| Short-let insurance | Platform protection | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An insurance policy you choose | A mix of platform protection and insurance |
| Scope | Set out in your schedule | Set by the platform’s terms |
| Direct and other bookings | Can be covered | Platform bookings only |
| Buildings and income | Can be included | Limited or not included |
Read the platform’s own terms. What platform protection includes can change, so check its current terms alongside your policy.
Cost
What Airbnb Insurance Is Priced On
The property, its rebuild figure and contents, the location, how often it is let, the number of guests, and the claims history. We do not print average premiums.
Why the letting pattern leads
How often the property is let, how many guests stay and how check-in works can shape the risk as much as the building.
Why the property matters too
The rebuild figure, construction, location and contents set the base for the building and contents cover.
What the quote is rated on
The main factors
- Rebuild figureThe buildingBase
- Letting patternHow often and to whomRate
- LocationCrime and flood exposureRate
- Contents and incomeWhat you insureRate
- HistoryPast claimsAdjust
Security
Good locks and secure key handling can help the terms.
Fire safety
Alarms, extinguishers and fire blankets for guests.
Guest checks
Verified guests and house rules can help the terms.
The details
The Guest and Booking Details That Decide a Short-Let Claim
Short-let claims can turn on whether the letting was declared and the conditions were kept. Four details come up again and again.
Tell your insurer, lender and landlord
Your insurer needs to know you let to paying guests. A mortgage lender, freeholder or local rules may also restrict short letting, so check before you start.
Check guests and set house rules
Use verified bookings, set rules on numbers and parties, and keep records of each stay.
Handle keys securely
Use a secure key safe or smart lock, and change codes between guests.
Record the condition between stays
Photos and cleaning checks help show when damage happened and who was staying.
Quote checklist
What You Will Be Asked for a Short-Let Quote
Six things shape the quote: the property, how you let it, the guests, the sums insured, security, and the claims history.
The property
Type, age, construction and address.
How you let it
Platforms, how often and for how long.
The guests
Maximum numbers and how they are checked.
The sums insured
Rebuild figure, contents and booking income.
Security
Locks, key handling and alarms.
Claims history
Recent claims and any refusals of cover.
Comparing
Checking Airbnb Insurance Quotes Side by Side
Four areas decide whether a policy suits your let: the cover, guest damage, the conditions, and cost terms. The price is only one of them.
The cover
- Buildings and contents
- Guest liability
- Loss of booking income
Guest damage
- Accidental damage by guests
- Malicious damage by guests
- Theft by guests
Conditions
- Guest check rules
- Key and access terms
- Empty periods between bookings
Cost terms
- The excess
- Higher excesses for guest damage
- Paying monthly or upfront
Check how guest damage is covered. It is the claim hosts can face most. Unfamiliar terms are explained in our plain English jargon guide.
Cutting costs
How to Reduce the Cost of Airbnb Insurance
The levers are guest checks, good security, accurate sums insured, and the excess. We publish no savings figures.
Check your guests
Verified bookings and house rules can help the terms.
Secure the keys
Smart locks or key safes with changing codes.
Get the sums insured right
Too high can waste premium; too low can lead to a reduced claim.
Fit fire safety kit
Alarms and extinguishers protect guests and the property.
Keep stay records
Photos and check lists support a claim.
Choose the excess deliberately
A higher excess is a lever, worth using only at a level you could absorb.
Glossary
Airbnb Insurance Terms Explained
The words that come up most on a short-let insurance schedule.
- Short let
- A stay by paying guests for days or weeks rather than a tenancy.
- Host
- The person letting the property to guests.
- Platform host protection
- Protection offered by a booking platform, with its own terms.
- Malicious damage
- Damage caused deliberately.
- Loss of booking income
- Cover for income lost after an insured event stops lettings.
- Serviced accommodation
- Short-stay units run like a small hotel.
- Rebuild figure
- The cost of rebuilding the property, not its sale price.
- Unoccupancy period
- How long a property can stand empty before cover changes.
- Property owners’ liability
- The owner’s liability for injury or damage caused by the property.
- Excess
- The part of each claim you pay yourself.
Why MyMoneyComparison.com
Why Compare Airbnb Insurance with MyMoneyComparison.com?
MyMoneyComparison.com is an FCA-authorised UK comparison service that introduces property owners to specialist brokers. We do not sell insurance and we do not give advice: the broker you choose arranges the policy. Using us is free.
One form, one property
Describe the property once, instead of repeating yourself to each broker.
Advice given
We are an introducer, not a broker. We do not sell policies and we do not recommend one insurer or product over another. Read our editorial policy.
Authorised and regulated
MyMoneyComparison.com Ltd appears on the FCA register under FRN 916241.
Incorporated
A UK company since 2013. FCA authorisation is separate and later; the register carries its date.
FAQs
Airbnb Insurance FAQs
Answers on guest damage, platform protection, lenders and lost bookings.
What is Airbnb insurance?
Cover for a property let to paying guests for short stays, through Airbnb, other platforms or direct bookings. It can protect the building, contents, your liability to guests, guest damage and lost bookings.
Does my home insurance cover Airbnb guests?
Often not. Many home policies exclude letting to paying guests, or need you to tell the insurer first. Letting without telling them can put any claim at risk, even one unrelated to guests.
Does landlord insurance cover short lets?
Not usually. Landlord policies tend to be written for tenants on longer agreements. Short lets to changing guests are a different risk, so the insurer needs to know and may offer separate cover.
Is AirCover for Hosts enough?
Platform protection has its own limits, conditions and exclusions, and covers bookings made through that platform. It is not a replacement for insuring the building, contents and liability yourself, so read its current terms.
Is damage by guests covered?
Accidental damage by guests is covered on many short-let policies, and malicious damage on some. Check the limits and excess, as guest damage can carry its own terms.
Is theft by guests covered?
It depends on the policy. Theft by someone you let in is treated differently from a break-in, and some policies restrict or exclude it. Check the wording before you rely on it.
What about liability if a guest is injured?
Property owners’ liability can cover claims from guests injured at the property, such as from a fall. Check the limit on the schedule and keep the property safe and well maintained.
Is lost booking income covered?
Some policies cover income lost when an insured event, such as a fire or flood, stops you letting the property. Cancellations for other reasons are not usually covered.
Do I need to tell my mortgage lender?
It is worth checking. Many residential mortgages restrict letting, and some lenders need consent for short lets. Freeholders and local rules can also limit short letting.
Can I insure a room in my own home?
Yes. Some insurers offer cover for hosts letting a room while they live there, often as an addition to home insurance. Tell the insurer how often guests stay.
What about a holiday cottage?
Holiday lets can be covered on short-let or holiday home policies, with buildings, contents, liability and lost bookings. Empty periods out of season can carry their own conditions.
Do conditions apply to guests?
Some policies set conditions such as verified bookings, maximum guest numbers, no parties or secure key handling. Keep records of each stay to show conditions were met.
What if the property is empty between bookings?
Policies allow a set empty period, which differs between insurers. Longer gaps, such as out of season, can bring conditions like inspections or turning off the water.
Does fire safety matter?
Yes. Guests do not know the property, so smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, extinguishers and clear exits matter. Insurers can ask about fire safety measures.
Can I insure several short lets together?
Yes. Some insurers offer a single policy for several short-let properties, with each rated on its own details. This can suit serviced accommodation operators and hosts with a growing number of lets.
How do I compare Airbnb insurance quotes?
Look beyond the price to buildings and contents cover, guest liability, how guest damage and theft are treated, lost bookings, the conditions and the excess.
Ready when you are
Get Quotes for Your Short Let
Tell us about the property and how you let it. Specialist UK brokers can then come back with quotes. Free to use, with no obligation to buy.
- Whole homes, rooms and holiday lets
- Free to use, no obligation
- FCA authorised and regulated
Free to use · No obligation · UK brokers
About this page
This page explains UK Airbnb and short-let insurance: what it covers, what it leaves out, and how declaring the letting and keeping guest conditions decide a claim. It is general information rather than advice. Policies differ between insurers, so read your own documents and put the questions raised here to your insurer or broker.
How we approached this page
- Published UK short-let and holiday let policy summaries
- Guest damage, liability and booking income sections
- Financial Ombudsman material on property insurance complaints
Legal & Regulatory Information:
The MyMoneyComparison.com website is owned and operated by MyMoneyComparison.com Ltd, which does not provide financial advice and does not sell insurance policies. MyMoneyComparison.com Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for insurance mediation and credit broking activity under FCA registration number 916241.
MyMoneyComparison.com Ltd is a data controller under the Data Protection Act 2018, registered on the Data Protection Register under registration number ZA460665.
Registered Office: Jubilee House, 55 Church St, Morley, Leeds LS27 9JQ, United Kingdom.
© 2013-2026 MyMoneyComparison.com Ltd. All rights reserved.