Do You Home-Share?
Know potential risks before renting out your home.
Home-sharing is when homeowners or renters use a home-sharing website such as
HomeAway, FlipKey or Airbnb to rent out their homes in exchange for income.
The popularity of home-sharing is increasing, but many are unaware of the potential risks involved with renting out their home.
Know Your Risk
Renting a home for income is considered a commercial endeavor typically not covered by homeowners’ insurance. Once a business exposure is created, the homeowners’ or renter’s carrier has the right to refuse coverage for a related claim or even to suspend coverage.
The potential liability could be extensive. Home-sharers should consider some of the possibilities: there could be a fire, guests could cause catastrophic damage, a guest could injure themselves or die while staying at the property. Anyone choosing to rent out their home through a home-sharing service must make sure they are properly covered.
What are the Coverage Options?
For clients regularly renting their homes, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners recommends purchasing a landlord policy to cover the home, structures on the property, property contents, legal fees and liability. However, a landlord policy can be expensive and is intended for those renting their property full time.
Insurance carriers have recently crafted coverage solutions, in the form of endorsements that can be added onto existing homeowners’ coverage.
If you are currently home-sharing or considering renting your home, please contact your Personal Lines Account Manager.
Through our trusted carrier relationships we will ensure you’re properly covered. Don’t put one of your most valuable assets at risk, contact us today.