Short-term rental insurance in Boston, MA

If your Boston home welcomes paying guests on Airbnb or VRBO, a regular homeowners policy generally leaves you exposed. Short-term rental insurance protects the structure, covers liability when a guest is hurt, and replaces the rental income a covered event wipes away.

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Boston short-term rental hosts rate us highly.

Eric Martin

I had a quote within half an hour and then connected them with my mortgage lender for closing via email. Very easy to work with.

Elizabeth Oreo

They respond quickly and communicate well. I was able to get the policy I needed to convert my vacation home to Airbnb.

Arnold Chambers

The process of getting a landlord policy was very smooth. A few text messages, and the price was great, new policy saved us over $600!

It's time to protect your Boston short-term rental property

Boston’s short-term rental market is competitive, and highly regulated. Apartment owners must register with the city and follow strict occupancy and zoning rules.

Whether you rent out a Back Bay condo or a South End apartment, Steadily’s short-term rental insurance helps protect your property from guest damage, liability claims, and income loss while keeping you compliant with Boston’s local regulations.

Given how quickly a single claim can outrun a year of Boston rental income, Steadily’s short-term rental insurance steps in where a standard policy stops, protecting your property, your guests, and your bottom line.

Who is short-term rental insurance for?

Short-term rental insurance protects your investments when they are rented as a vacation rental, Airbnb, VRBO, etc. Short-term rental insurance covers rental periods as short as one night. This insurance offers coverages for:

Legal liabilities

Fire and water damage

Financial protection against natural disasters

Protection for your furnishings

What does short-term rental insurance cover?

We cover a wide range of risks, or you can choose a limited set of coverages for a lower premium

Fire

Fire insurance for rental properties covers structural fire and smoke damage, your personal property, and lost rent while repairs are underway. See what’s covered, exclusions, and how much coverage you need.

Legal liability

Landlord liability insurance pays medical bills, legal defense, and settlements when a tenant or visitor is injured at your rental. Steadily writes $300K to $2M of liability into every landlord policy in all 50 states. Quote in two minutes.

Water

Water damage insurance for rental properties covers burst pipes, roof leaks, appliance overflows, and sewer backups with an endorsement, plus lost rent. See what’s covered, the exclusions, and how much you need.

Storm and hail

Storm and hail damage insurance for landlords covers roof punctures, siding, windows, and wind damage to your rental. See what’s covered, deductibles, and how much coverage you need.

Loss of rent

Loss of rent insurance, also called fair rental value coverage, replaces the rental income you lose when a covered event makes your rental uninhabitable.

Vandalism & burglary

Covers damage made to your rental property by a burglar or a vandal, such as broken windows or defacements made to walls or exterior structures.

Riot & civil commotion

Covers damage to your rental property caused by riots, civil unrest, and public disturbances.

Short-term vs. long-term rentals explained

Short-term rentals

Stays that are 30 days or less at a time.

Rented in short stays

Guests book by the night or week, cycling through constantly instead of one household staying put. A short-term rental policy is priced for that turnover.

Furnished space for paying guests

You supply the beds, furniture, and everything guests use.

Rental income rises and falls with bookings

Revenue is variable and business-like, and loss of rent coverage can replace bookings lost after a covered event.

Requires an STR policy or endorsement

An STR carries a meaningfully different risk profile than a long-term rental. Having the wrong policy can result in coverage gaps and claims being denied.

Long-term rentals

A tenant's permanent residence.

Leased for months or years

One tenant signs a lease and lives there full-time; there's no nightly turnover.

A different risk profile

A single long-term tenant creates far less turnover and guest liability than a stream of nightly visitors, so it's underwritten differently.

Steady rent, tied to a lease

Using a homeowners policy for a rental property can create major coverage gaps.

Does not require an STR policy or endorsement

A tenant-occupied rental calls for a landlord policy built around long-term tenants.

Not sure if your STR is covered? Enter your address and get a free quote instantly:

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Why Massachusetts requires $1 million in coverage

Massachusetts law requires short-term rental operators to carry at least $1,000,000 in liability insurance, unless the hosting platform provides equivalent coverage. It's a statewide mandate that applies squarely in Boston, and a standard homeowners policy rarely meets it once you factor in that most exclude paid guests.

Because Boston rentals have to be your own home, a claim here hits close: it's your residence and your belongings, not a detached investment. A dedicated short-term rental policy carries the million-dollar liability limit the state requires and covers the dwelling, your contents, and the income you lose when a covered event takes the unit offline.

Meeting the requirement with your own policy means you're covered on every booking, including the direct ones a platform never touches. Run a quick quote to see what short-term rental insurance costs for your Boston home.

What Boston landlords need to know about short-term rental regulations

Boston built its short-term rental ordinance around owner-occupants, and that shapes everything. You register each year with the Inspectional Services Department, add a city business certificate, and pick one of three types: a Limited Share of a room in your home, a Home Share of your whole unit, or an Owner-Adjacent unit in a two- or three-family you occupy.

The through-line is that you have to live there. Owners must occupy the property at least nine months of the year and prove it with a stack of documents, which effectively bars investor units and tenant-run rentals. Income-restricted units, problem properties, and places with repeat nuisance violations are ineligible regardless.

Guests owe roughly 12% in combined state and city lodging taxes, plus a community impact fee on professionally managed rentals. Fines run up to $300 a day per violation. When Airbnb challenged the ordinance in 2018, the case settled with the platform agreeing to drop non-registered listings, so the rules stuck.