Here's something a lot of first-time Airbnb hosts find out the hard way: your homeowner's insurance almost certainly doesn't cover what happens when a paying guest stays at your property. Not the slip-and-fall in the bathroom, not the guest who knocks over a flat-screen and disappears, not the week of lost income when a water leak makes your rental uninhabitable two days before peak bookings.
Standard home policies treat short-term guests like a business activity — because that's exactly what it is — and they exclude it accordingly. If any of those things happen and your only coverage is homeowners insurance, you're on your own.
That gap is why dedicated short-term rental insurance exists. And with experts predicting a major surge in STR investment over the next two years — driven by favorable tax policy, rising demand, and big events like the 2026 World Cup — more property owners than ever are entering the market and shopping for coverage for the first time.
If that's you, this guide breaks down the best short-term rental insurance providers in the US, who they're best suited for, and what to look for before you buy.
Why platform coverage isn't enough
Many Airbnb and VRBO hosts mistakenly think they're covered within the platform itself. Airbnb's AirCover for Hosts is often the first thing new hosts point to when asked about their insurance situation, and it sounds comprehensive: up to $3 million in property damage protection, $1 million in liability. Vrbo, too, offers a $1 million liability policy for bookings processed through their checkout. These aren't nothing.
But here's the thing: platform guarantees are secondary coverage. They kick in after your own insurance runs out – and if your personal insurance denies the claim because you were operating a rental business, the platform program may apply a much narrower interpretation than you'd expect. Common exclusions include normal wear and tear, cash and securities, certain types of vandalism, and losses that happen when no guest is present. They also don't cover loss of rental income in most scenarios, although Airbnb is rolling out an earnings protection feature.
Each of these platform-based coverages leaves significant gaps – ones that can derail an entire rental operation in the case of a single incident. If a tornado hits your rental and there is no guest occupying it at the time, for example, you could be left without a home – and no insurance coverage to rebuild it.
Dedicated STR insurance fills those gaps. The best vacation rental insurance companies build policies specifically around the realities of hosting: guests who break things, slip on wet decks, bring pets you didn't authorize, or stay 35 nights and then refuse to leave. These aren't hypotheticals; they're the scenarios that show up in claims.
Best short-term rental insurance in America — our top picks for 2026
1. Steadily — best short-term rental insurance providers across the US
Steadily is the go-to choice for short-term rental hosts who want purpose-built coverage at competitive rates, with the ability to get a quote and bind a policy online in minutes. Unlike legacy insurers that bolt vacation rental coverage onto a homeowner's policy as an afterthought, Steadily was built from the ground up for rental property investors, by rental property investors. Hosts listing on Airbnb, Vrbo, and direct-booking sites will be fully covered with a STR policy with Steadily.
What makes Steadily stand out in a crowded market is the combination of truly comprehensive coverage and affordability. The policy covers dwelling coverage (for named perils such as wind, fire and water damage), liability, and loss of rental income. It protects your property whether guests are present, between bookings, or when the unit is sitting vacant. And it works for virtually every property type: single-family homes, condos, cabins, multi-family buildings, and everything in between.
Critically, Steadily offers short-term rental insurance coverage in all 50 states — which matters more than it sounds. Many specialty STR insurers have geographic gaps, particularly in high-risk coastal and mountain markets where a lot of vacation rentals actually are. Steadily covers them all, from beach cottages in the Carolinas to ski cabins in Utah.
CNBC named Steadily one of the best landlord insurance companies in its 2025 round-up. ConstructionCoverage independently named Steadily the best short-term rental insurer in their landlord insurance analysis. These aren't self-reported rankings.
Best for: Full-time and part-time STR hosts who want comprehensive, affordable coverage across any US market. Ideal if you own multiple properties or plan to scale.
Get a free quote for your short-term rental in minutes from Steadily:
2. Proper Insurance — best for premium commercial-grade STR policies
Proper is the other name that comes up consistently in US short-term rental insurance comparison discussions, and for good reason. Their policy is underwritten by Lloyd's of London, and functions as a true commercial package — replacing your homeowner's policy entirely rather than supplementing it.
Proper's coverage is genuinely thorough. No cap on guest-caused damage up to policy limits, loss of business income with no time limit, liquor liability, bed bug and flea coverage, squatter protection (yes, that's a real coverage category now), extended liability for amenities like pools and hot tubs. If you're running a high-end vacation rental and want every conceivable scenario covered, Proper is worth the premium.
The tradeoff is cost. Proper policies typically run toward the higher end of the STR insurance market. For hosts with luxury properties or complex liability exposure, that's likely worth it. For hosts looking for solid coverage at the best possible price, Steadily typically wins on value.
Best for: Professional hosts with high-value properties, pools, hot tubs, or amenities that create unusual liability exposure.
3. Safely — best pay-per-booking vacation rental insurance for part-time hosts
Safely takes a fundamentally different approach: instead of an annual policy, you pay per booking night. Coverage activates when a guest checks in and deactivates when they check out. For hosts who only rent a few weeks a year — a beach house used personally most of the time, or a cabin that sits empty half the year — this can be considerably cheaper than carrying a full annual policy.
Safely also bundles in guest screening, which is a useful differentiator. They maintain a database of guests who have caused damage at other rental properties and use it to flag risky bookings before they happen. Limits includes up to $1 million in coverage for the home, contents, and bodily injury.
The limitation is what it is: if you're running a property that books heavily year-round, per-night pricing adds up fast. Do the math for your specific occupancy rate before assuming it's cheaper.
Best for: Seasonal or part-time Airbnb and Vrbo hosts who rent fewer than 90–100 days per year.
4. CBIZ Vacation Rental Insurance — best for high-value vacation homes
CBIZ operates in the specialty insurance space and offers policies specifically designed for higher-value vacation rental properties — think mountain estates, oceanfront homes, and properties where replacement cost runs well into the seven figures. Their business income protection is particularly strong, and they offer identity fraud expense coverage as an optional add-on, which is a nice touch for hosts who store guest data.
CBIZ doesn't have quite the brand recognition of some competitors in the STR market, but hosts with high-value properties who've gone through the quoting process often find the coverage terms favorable. Worth getting a quote if your dwelling value is above $750K.
Best for: High-value vacation homes where replacement cost and income protection are the primary concerns.
5. Allstate HostAdvantage — best for part-time hosts who already have Allstate homeowners insurance
If you already carry an Allstate homeowners policy and you're listing your primary residence or vacation home on Airbnb part-time, HostAdvantage is the path of least resistance. It's an endorsement that adds short-term rental protection on top of your existing coverage — straightforward to add, no separate policy to manage.
The tradeoffs are real, though. HostAdvantage is designed for occasional hosting, not full-time STR operation. Coverage limits tend to be lower than purpose-built STR policies, and it's less well-suited for hosts who rent year-round or who own multiple properties.
HostAdvantage is available in all 50 states, with discounts for smart home safety devices like smoke detectors.
Best for: Existing Allstate customers who rent their primary home or vacation property occasionally and want the simplest coverage add-on.
US short-term rental insurance comparison: What to look at beyond price
Price matters, obviously. But short-term rental insurance for Airbnb and Vrbo hosts is one of those categories where the cheapest policy can turn into the most expensive one the moment you file a claim. A few things worth scrutinizing before you buy:
- Does it cover loss of rental income? If your property sustains damage and becomes uninhabitable during peak season, you're not just losing a repair bill — you're losing bookings. The best vacation rental insurance policies cover lost income with no artificial time cap. Some policies limit this to 12 months. Others have sub-limits that don't reflect your actual nightly rates. Read the fine print.
- How does it handle guest-caused damage? This is where a lot of policies quietly disappoint. Some cap guest damage at $25,000 or $50,000. A guest who starts a fire could easily exceed those limits on a modest property. Look for policies with no separate sub-limit on guest damage, or at minimum, very high caps.
- Does it actually cover your listing platforms? Some insurance products are technically landlord insurance that happens to be usable for STRs, not policies designed around them. Make sure your policy explicitly covers Airbnb, Vrbo, direct booking, and any other platform you use.
- What's the liability limit, and what's included? Most policies start at $1 million. For hosts with pools, hot tubs, kayaks, bikes, or other guest-accessible amenities, look for policies that extend liability to those off-premises or on-premises activities rather than excluding them.
State-by-state coverage matters
One thing that gets overlooked in best vacation rental insurance companies comparisons: not every provider operates in every state. Florida, California, Texas, and North Carolina — four of the biggest STR markets in the country — can all be challenging markets for insurers due to weather exposure, litigation environment, and other factors. Some providers quietly exclude or restrict coverage in coastal zones or hurricane-prone regions.
Steadily covers all 50 states with no geographic carve-outs, including high-demand STR markets like:
- Florida — Miami, the Keys, Orlando, the Gulf Coast
- Texas — Austin, San Antonio, the Hill Country, Houston
- North Carolina — the Outer Banks, Asheville, Lake Norman
- California — Big Sur, Tahoe, Palm Springs, wine country
- Colorado — Breckenridge, Vail, Steamboat Springs
- Tennessee — the Smoky Mountains, Nashville
The 2026 STR opportunity — and why getting insured right matters now
Short-term rentals aren't just holding steady; they're expanding. Industry analysts are projecting a significant surge in STR activity driven by multiple converging factors: the return of 100% bonus depreciation under current tax policy (the short-term rental tax loophole is more favorable than it's been in years), rising interest in real estate as an inflation hedge, and a travel market that has permanently shifted toward vacation rentals over hotels for many demographics.
Then there's the World Cup. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hosted across 11 US cities — including New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami and Houston, among others — creating one of the single largest short-term rental demand events in American history. Our full breakdown of how to rent your home during the World Cup 2026 covers the opportunity in detail. If you own property in or near any of those markets, the window to get prepared — including insured — is right now.
More hosts in the market also means more competition. Hosts who combine strong properties with the right infrastructure — insurance, proper pricing, smart management — are the ones who build sustainable businesses rather than one-season experiments.
What Airbnb and Vrbo won't tell you about their coverage
To be fair to Airbnb and Vrbo: their coverage programs have gotten better. AirCover for Hosts now includes damage protection, liability, income loss for certain covered events, and even Experiences liability. It's meaningfully better than what platforms offered five years ago.
Still, there are real limits. AirCover is secondary coverage — meaning it steps in only after your own insurance has paid out (or denied the claim). It excludes cash, securities, rare artwork, shared properties without host presence in certain configurations, and "normal wear and tear," which can be interpreted expansively when a claims adjuster is looking for reasons to reduce a payout.
Vrbo's $1 million liability policy is limited to bookings made through their platform. If you take a direct booking, you're on your own. And neither platform's coverage addresses the scenario where your property sustains damage during a gap between bookings — a burst pipe in January when the property is empty, for instance.
The bottom line: platform coverage is a supplement, not a strategy. The best vacation rental insurance companies for Airbnb and Vrbo hosts treat it as a baseline you build on, not a substitute for a real policy.
How to pick the best short-term rental insurance policy for your situation
A few questions that actually move the needle:
- How often do you rent? If you're renting fewer than 100 nights a year, a pay-per-booking model like Safely might pencil out. Full-time hosts almost universally come out ahead with an annual policy.
- How much is the property worth? Higher-value properties justify higher premiums for higher coverage limits. Don't insure a $1.2 million lakehouse on a policy that caps dwelling coverage at $500K.
- What amenities do you offer? Pools, hot tubs, kayaks, bikes, ATVs, and similar guest-accessible features create liability that standard policies often cap or exclude. Make sure your liability coverage specifically extends to them.
- Do you rely on rental income? If the answer is yes — if your mortgage payment or investment return depends on bookings staying consistent — loss of rental income coverage isn't optional. It's the protection that keeps a bad month from becoming a financial crisis.
Our complete guide to short-term rental insurance goes deeper on each of these considerations if you want the full picture before you start quoting.
The verdict on best vacation rental insurance companies
For most Airbnb and Vrbo hosts shopping for the best short-term rental insurance in America, Steadily is the strongest starting point. The combination of 50-state coverage, purpose-built STR policies, competitive pricing, and a fast online quoting process gives it a practical edge that matters whether you're insuring your first vacation rental or your fifteenth. CNBC and ConstructionCoverage have independently confirmed what thousands of hosts have figured out through experience: Steadily delivers coverage that's actually built for this.
If you're operating a high-value property and want commercial-grade protection with every imaginable endorsement, Proper is worth evaluating. If you're renting occasionally and want to keep costs strictly variable, Safely is a smart option. And if you already have Allstate and rent infrequently, HostAdvantage is the simplest path.
But for the host who wants solid, comprehensive, competitively priced vacation rental insurance that works across the US, the answer is pretty clear. Get a quote from Steadily and see what coverage actually costs for your property — it takes about three minutes.
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