A couple of questions for US Hosts

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A couple of questions here. I am a licensed real estate agent in the state of CO. I am going to be listing some properties for other clients. Because of my status there are some issues of liability. I will reach out to airbnb as well, but was wondering the following:

  1. How does AIrbnb treat injury of a tenant? How is that covered? Is it in the agreement that the guest sign?

  2. Does any one have a print copy of the rental agreement that airbnb has a guest sign (i have never rented so i don’t know if that exists).

  3. Is there a third part company that can aggregate income off the airbnb sight and make it really streamlined to report?

  4. I have never had to file a claim for damage in my unit. I know the experience is not a good one. What is the process for this? Thanks for all your help with these questions.

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Am I understanding that you currently are a host on Airbnb and will be acting as a co-host for multiple properties you don’t own?

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yes that is correct. Sorry if that was not clear.

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AirBnb is NOT a rental agency. You are. Air is nothing more or less than your advertising service and partial book-keeper: They host a website where you post your listing. They collect money from guests and dispersing to you (and occasionally a guest) while taking their cut of the action.

AirBnb is about SHORT TERM rentals – typically less than a week or two.

  1. The host had better have a homeowner’s insurance policy which specifically covers short term rental. Air doesn’t do a thing.
  2. There are NO written agreements with Air.
  3. Yes but best you start with one unit.
  4. Talk to Air Customer Service.

Sounds like you’re already in trouble if you’re asking about claiming for damages.

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Sounds like he’s at least got the foresight to seek out folks experience, before he goes through the process and realises it’s a minefield.

JF

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Thanks. I am not asking to claim damages, I am asking how the process works. The brokerage I work for wants a handle on how that process works. Since I have not had to deal with that, I did not know.

I have had upto 3 properties in the past. Currently only have one. For 2020 i will have grossed $138k on that one 2brdm/2bth at 900 Square Feet.

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Not a lot of good stories from hosts about using either of these. I highly recommend you google stories about it. You need dedicated short term rental insurance. You can’t depend on Airbnb to cover anything.

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Thanks, i have rental insurance on all my places. But didn’t know if there was something supplemental that Airbnb provided.

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No. Airbnb’s advertised “Host Protection Insurance” and “Host Guarantee” will, at best, cover some portion of property damage. Airbnb covers nothing related to injury or death, as far as I know. And what property damage they do cover is very minimal and very hard to get. Most hosts who report trying to get damage paid for report a lot of frustration and no good ending.

In the US, we need both short-term rental insurance (which is much different from homeowner insurance and often much more expensive) and an umbrella liability policy. I don’t know how that works in other countries.

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Thank you, that is very helpful.

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Good advice above. Airbnb try to use their ‘host guarantee’ as a marketing ploy but hosts soon learn that it doesn’t work.

Certainly there are hosts who have received minor compensation from Airbnb - but that’s after a long and stressful period that no one in business needs or can afford timewise.

All hosts should have their own dedicated STR insurance.

@KenH is correct when he says that Airbnb is nothing more than an advertising opportunity. It’s a great service and it’s the industry leader but don’t rely on any of the hype. Don’t see it as anything other than any other form of advertising.

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12

The “host guarantee” is NOT insurance, and is useless.

Regular landlord rental liability insurance may not cover STR (short term rentals less than 28 or 30 days depending on state). You need to be sure that short term guests are covered. Some home insurers have additional premiums for STR coverage but some will cancel coverage if they discover homeowner is doing Air.

AirBnB has NO written rental agreement, just the Terms of Service for Air membership. If you need a written agreement (and you do for stays that would be long enough that they become a tenant, 28 or 30 days depending on state law) you will have to do that yourself.

For any stay long enough to make them a tenant under state law, I would not rent through Air, in part because there is no real security deposit. I don’t allow stays longer than 7 days for that reason.

If I do a longer term rental, like hospital temps in the off season, I do it with the same rental agreement I used when my upstairs was a monthly rental.

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I would venture to say that most if not all basic rental insurance policies do NOT cover STR. Getting additional STR insurance is generally not cheap, relative to an LTR premium. Like @RebeccaF and probably many other hosts here, I have an additional umbrella policy as well, for peace of mind if nothing else.

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Hi, I have STR insurance. What’s the umbrella policy that keeps getting mentioned? Oh- never mind. Just Google it.

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Yes, google, but better yet just give your insurance company a call and they can give you all the details and a quote. Surprisingly, I ended up saving a couple bux (net) on my entire insurance bill when I got got mine. My USAA agent found discounts on other products I bundle, so it was really a no brainer. Good luck!

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