When hosts first get started in the vacation rental industry, they may not realize that homeowner’s insurance won’t protect them. You need proper rental insurance, but how do you know which one is right for you?
There are risks such as guest theft and property damage associated with the short-term rentals. You can’t always rely on rental sites for coverage or protection, even though many have programs and say they are safe. As many hosts have discovered (unfortunately from experience), they don’t receive the support or assurances they need from rental sites that they partner with for bookings. This is where vacation rental insurance comes in.
Rental sites are great to list and market your properties, gain exposure, and increase bookings because that’s how guests today search for lodgings. However, most hosts find that they are still prone to scams, hacks and malicious behavior. The coverage offered by leading rental sites isn’t enough. When it comes to vacation rental insurance, here are some tips from the experts at BookingTeam.com.
Prepare for the worst.
Instead of crossing your fingers and hoping that the worst will never happen, assume that it will. Anticipate and prepare for every risk that comes with running a vacation rental business.
You’ll thank yourself later for it when something bad does happen. It’s a lot easier to deal with setbacks and problems when you’ve laid down the groundwork beforehand rather than in the moment.
Why do you need vacation rental insurance?
Today’s sharing economy has sparked new types of insurance models. Traditional homeowner’s insurance won’t cover guest theft, damage, or anything associated with short-term rentals. When you’ve technically handed them the keys to your property and let them inside, it’s also hard to argue the claim.
Homeowner’s insurance is often considered personal liability, but once you make money off of your property by renting it out, it is considered a business. This is why hosts need specific insurance that is designed for vacation and short-term rentals, and one we’d recommend is Safely.
What is Safely?
There are several insurance innovators out there. As the short-term rental industry grows, more players are beginning to enter the space. Safely is a rental technology that offers hosts protection, in the form of insurance and guest verification. What are the benefits?
One of the reasons that hosts avoid getting the proper insurance for their vacation rental is that they feel they don’t rent it out often enough to justify the cost of a plan. What are your options?
What if you only rent out your vacation rental infrequently, maybe only a few times a month? For the occasional host, Safely is ideal. The insurance is priced per night and offers coverage up to $1,000,000 on property damage and personal injury. We’ve heard horror stories of fraudulent guests that book with stolen credit cards, rob properties and commit other malicious behavior. Another compelling Safely feature for hosts is their guest verification, which vets and verifies the identity of people that book with you.
As more people enter the vacation rental industry, it is important to know your options. Of course, BookingTeam.com is always here to help our hosts with issues and questions that they have with their vacation rental management. However, it is crucial to protect yourself, your property and your business by making sure that you have the right rental insurance.