Short-term rental insurance in San Diego, CA

If your San Diego home welcomes paying guests on Airbnb or VRBO, a regular homeowners policy generally leaves you exposed. That is where short-term rental insurance comes in, covering property damage, liability for an injured guest, and the nightly income a covered event takes away.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Top-rated short-term rental insurance in San Diego.

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!

Protect your San Diego short-term rental with the right insurance

San Diego’s short-term rental market is booming, but strict local regulations make compliance essential. Apartment and vacation rental owners must register their properties and follow city occupancy and licensing rules.

Steadily’s short-term rental insurance helps San Diego landlords stay protected, covering liability, property damage, and lost income.

Since guests, not long-term tenants, are the ones on the property in San Diego, coverage from Steadily keeps a covered loss from becoming an out-of-pocket disaster.

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:

Thank you! Your submission has been received!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Why San Diego hosts carry $1 million in coverage

San Diego requires STRO operators to keep at least $1,000,000 in liability insurance, or to rent through a platform that carries the equivalent. It's a high bar on purpose, and a standard California homeowners policy generally won't meet it, since most exclude the commercial activity of hosting.

Leaning entirely on a platform's coverage leaves predictable holes. It doesn't apply between bookings, it's limited on your own property, and it doesn't follow a booking you take directly. A dedicated short-term rental policy carries the million-dollar liability limit the city expects and covers the dwelling, your contents, and the income you lose when the place is offline after a covered event.

With a license this hard to earn, protecting the property behind it is just good business. Run a quick quote to see what short-term rental insurance costs for your San Diego home.

What San Diego landlords need to know about short-term rental regulations

San Diego sorts short-term rentals into four license tiers under its STRO ordinance, and which one you need depends on how you operate. Tier 1 is part-time hosting, up to 20 rented days a year. Tier 2 is home-sharing, where you live on-site at least 275 days. Tiers 3 and 4 cover whole-home rentals of a place that isn't your primary residence, and those are the hard ones to get.

Tier 3 is capped citywide at about 1% of the city's housing, roughly 5,400 licenses, handed out by lottery when demand runs past supply. Tier 4 covers Mission Beach specifically and is capped higher there. As of 2026 the Tier 3 pool is close to full, so a new whole-home license is far from guaranteed.

Guests owe the city's 10.5% Transient Occupancy Tax plus a tourism assessment. Let a capped-tier license lapse and you forfeit it, which in a near-full pool can mean losing your spot for good.