Short-term rental insurance in San Francisco, CA
Trusted by San Francisco short-term rental hosts.
Get the right insurance for your San Francisco short-term rental
San Francisco’s short-term rental market is one of the most regulated in the country, with Airbnb hosts and apartment owners required to register, carry insurance, and follow the city’s primary-residence rules. For property owners, failing to comply can lead to fines or costly gaps in coverage.
Steadily’s short-term rental insurance helps San Francisco landlords stay compliant and protected, covering damage, liability, and lost income in one of the nation’s toughest rental markets.
With more travelers booking San Francisco short-term rentals every year, 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:
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
Short-term vs. long-term rentals explained
Short-term rentals
Long-term rentals
Why San Francisco hosts need more than a homeowners policy
San Francisco writes insurance right into the rules: hosts have to carry at least $500,000 in liability coverage, or rely on a platform that provides the equivalent. Leaning on Airbnb's coverage works until you have a gap, an off-platform booking, a direct guest, a stretch between reservations, and suddenly there's nothing behind you.
A standard homeowners policy won't quietly cover the difference. Most exclude the commercial activity of hosting, so a guest injury or guest-caused damage can come back denied. A short-term rental policy is built for it: liability that meets the city's threshold, plus protection for the dwelling, your contents, and the income you lose if the unit goes offline.
Carrying your own policy also means you're never exposed on the nights a platform's coverage doesn't apply. Run a quick quote to see what short-term rental insurance costs for your San Francisco place.
Short-term rental rules every San Francisco host should know
San Francisco's short-term rental rules run through the Office of Short-Term Rentals, where you register for a certificate before you can host. There's a two-step catch: you need a Business Account Number from the Treasurer first, then the certificate itself, which ran $925 for a two-year term as of 2025.
This is a primary-residence city. You have to be a permanent San Francisco resident who's lived in the unit for at least 60 days before applying, and you're expected to occupy it at least 275 nights a year. Rent a room while you're living there and there's no annual limit; leave the place to guests while you're away and you're capped at 90 un-hosted nights a year.
Guests owe the city's 14% Transient Occupancy Tax on any stay under 30 days, which Airbnb typically collects on your behalf. Blow past the 90-night cap or operate without registering and the penalties stack up fast, along with a spot on the city's ineligible-host list that gets you delisted.
