General Liability Insurance
General liability is the foundation policy for any short-term rental host. It protects against third-party claims of bodily injury and property damage tied to renting your property to paying guests — the exposure a homeowners policy excludes.
General Liability for Vacation & Short-Term Rentals
The moment you rent your property to paying guests, you're running a business — and a standard homeowners policy was never designed for that. General liability insurance is the foundation that protects you when a guest or third party is injured or their property is damaged in connection with your rental.
What GL Covers
- Bodily injury: A guest is hurt at your property and holds you responsible
- Property damage: Your rental operation damages a third party's property
- Personal & advertising injury: Listing-related and reputational claims
- Medical payments: Minor guest injuries handled without a lawsuit
- Legal defense: Defense costs for covered claims, even ones that prove unfounded
Why Your Homeowners Policy Isn't Enough
Most homeowners (HO) policies contain a business-use exclusion. Once you accept payment for short-term stays, claims tied to that activity can be denied — leaving you personally exposed. A dedicated short-term rental program (built on general and premises liability) closes that gap.
Platform "Host Guarantees" Are Not Insurance
AirCover, VRBO's liability program, and similar platform protections are limited, conditional, and only apply to bookings made on that platform — not direct bookings, not off-platform stays, and not on their own terms. They are not a substitute for your own liability policy.
Certificate Requirements
HOAs, lenders, and some booking platforms or municipalities require proof of liability coverage, sometimes naming them as additional insured. We issue certificates same-day.
What's Covered
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually not. Most homeowners policies have a business-use exclusion that limits or voids coverage once you rent to paying guests. You need a dedicated short-term rental liability policy to be properly protected.
No. Platform host guarantees like AirCover are limited and conditional, apply only to bookings made on that platform, and aren't a substitute for your own general liability coverage — especially if you take direct bookings.