Short-term rental insurance in Houston, TX

In Houston, listing a home on Airbnb, VRBO, or another vacation rental usually voids a normal homeowners policy, since paying guests count as commercial use. 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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A go-to short-term rental insurer in Houston.

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!

Why you need insurance for your Houston short-term rental

Houston’s short-term rental market continues to grow, driven by business travel, conventions, and steady demand for vacation stays. While the city’s regulations are more relaxed than in other Texas metros, Airbnb hosts and apartment owners still face risks from guest damage, liability claims, and lost income.

Steadily’s short-term rental insurance helps Houston landlords protect their investments with comprehensive coverage that keeps them confident and compliant.

As demand for Houston short-term rentals keeps climbing, Steadily keeps you covered for damage, guest injuries, and lost bookings without the gaps a homeowners policy leaves behind.

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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What a Houston host should carry

Houston's ordinance doesn't spell out a required insurance amount, so the responsibility sits entirely with you. A standard Texas homeowners policy won't cover a rental operation, it's written for a home you live in, and the commercial-use exclusion is where hosts discover the gap at the worst possible moment.

The right policy is built around how the place is actually used. It covers the dwelling, liability when a guest is injured, your contents and furnishings, and the income you lose when a covered event takes the rental offline. That last piece matters on the Gulf Coast, where a storm can shut a property down for weeks.

Coverage that assumes paying guests is what keeps a claim from getting denied over a technicality. Run a quick quote to see what short-term rental insurance costs for your Houston property.

The short-term rental laws Houston hosts need to follow

Houston got its first real short-term rental ordinance recently, and it took effect on January 1, 2026. The city now requires an annual registration certificate for every rental, running about $275 a year, and your certificate number has to appear on every listing. Registration opened in the second half of 2025, and enforcement began with the new year.

The rules are registration-and-nuisance based rather than zoning based, which fits Houston, since the city famously has no traditional zoning. There's no primary-residence requirement and no district-by-district ban. What the ordinance does add is a 24-hour emergency contact, a human-trafficking-awareness training requirement, and a bar on advertising the place as an event venue.

Guests owe roughly 17% in combined hotel occupancy taxes, and the city's 7% share is on you to remit. Operating without a certificate runs $100 to $500 a day, and the platforms have to pull non-compliant listings once the city flags them. Keep in mind HOA and deed restrictions can still shut down a rental the city would otherwise allow.