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Airbnb insurance

Compare Airbnb and host insurance through our trusted partner Pikl

Get a quote

  • Compare quotes from specialist host insurance companies 

  • Get covered for a huge range of eventualities

  • Substantially more protection than other alternatives

Does my standard home insurance policy cover me as an Airbnb host?

No, home insurance doesn’t cover paying guests in your property.  Hosts that rent out their main home have 2 options when it comes to insurance:

  • Dedicated host insurance to cover them for paying guests
  • Or a specialist home insurance policy that provides both standard and guest-related home insurance cover

If you have a second home and your thinking of listing it on Airbnb, then you need a specialist policy. Your landlord insurance doesn't cover this.

If you don't have the right level of cover, you risk voiding your policy. This means your insurer might not pay out if there’s an accident or claim. 

What are my options for insuring my home for Airbnb use? 

If you want to find insurance for your home for Airbnb use, you can:

Use Pikl to compare providers.

They're a specialist hosting insurance company.

Rely on AirCover.

This is Airbnb’s host and guest protection that's included when you join Airbnb.

Can I rent out my house on Airbnb?

You can rent out your home on Airbnb if:

You own a leasehold property

And you have permission to sub-let. You can contact your management company to ask, or check your lease agreement.

You have a mortgage

And you have permission from your lender.

If you rent a property

And you have a spare room. You should check with your landlord first though.

What are the pros and cons of Pikl? 

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Pros

  • Regulated by the FCA: This gives you a right to appeal via the Insurance Ombudsman if something goes wrong, or you’re unhappy with a decision.
  • Straightforward claims process: Contact Pikl when you need to claim instead of resolving the dispute with the guest first.
  • Theft of contents is covered: Cover valuable possessions and high value items, even without forced entry.
  • Higher liability cover: Get up to £2 million in liability cover per claim, which is over double the amount offered by AirCover.
  • Legal expenses cover: Pays for representation and legal advice for issues such as court cases.
  • Loss of earnings: Cover yourself for up to £10,000 in lost income following a valid claim.
  • Loss of keys & replacement locks: Replace the locks in your home if your guest loses your keys.
  • Pest infestation: Infested properties can take some time to sort out while you’re losing out on guest income. Insure yourself against these issues with Pikl’s pest infestation cover.
  • Covers fire, explosion, smoke, and escape of water damage: Most policies can cover damage to your home for guest-related disasters like these.
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Cons

  • It’s an extra cost - on top of your standard home insurance
  • It might not be finacially viable for you, if you do a handful of rentals a year
  • You have to organise the cover separately, Aircover is included as standard

Compare Airbnb and host insurance through our trusted partner Pikl

Get a quote

What are the pros and cons of AirCover?

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Pros

  • Automatic cover: You don't need to set anything up, AirCover automatically covers your guests and property.
  • There's a contractual agreement: the cover ensures a contract of trust and protection between both parties.
  • It's free: You don't have to pay for this cover, it's included it's included in Airbnb's service.
  • Damage protection is inlcuded: Airbnb Host Damage Protection covers you for property-related damages. Airbnb says this gives you up to $3 million in cover.
  • Host liability insurance: Airbnb Host Liability Insurance covers you if your guest gets injured. It also covers damage or theft of your guests property. You can get up to $1 million if you’re found legally responsible for any of those things.
  • Market leading protection: Offers more protection than some other hosting platforms.
  • 24/7 customer care: There's always someone on hand to help and further support for super hosts.
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Cons

  • No legal cover - Host Liability Cover is not legal expenses cover which you would have to fund yourself if you had to go to court.
  • Uncomfortable and lengthy resolution process - Airbnb requires you to try and resolve any dispute with the guest first. The guest also be talks to Airbnb who act as a mediator. This can take much longer than a standard insurance claim.
  • Theft may not be covered: In a well reported case, a flat owner had an £8,000 Banksy print stolen and didn’t get any compensation or payout from AirCover.
  • Lower liability cover - $1 million (approx £780,000) per listing could be more than enough for the majority of claims. But serious life changing injuries that require leaving a career, care and other damages, even death, could easily exceed this.
  • Not regulated by the FCA - This means you can’t complain to the Insurance Ombudsman if you’re not happy with Airbnb or an outcome, their decision is final.
  • Your damages might not be covered - According to Airbnb's own statement ‘’Host Damage Protection is not an insurance policy. To the extent you desire protection beyond the Host Damage Protection, Airbnb strongly encourages you to purchase insurance that will cover you and your property for losses…’’
  • Not UK based - Your customer care agent could be from anywhere in the world, and respond at inconvenient times.
  • No dedicated agent or familiarity - If you have an ongoing lengthy issue, several agents may share and work on your case, and not always give instant responses as they go off shift.

What our home insurance expert says:

"AirCover might seem like all you need, but the cover isn't as comprehensive as some providers. And it might not be as straightforward if you need to claim. Our specialist partner Pikl’s cover can cover you and your property if things go wrong. 

Pikl compares insurance with specialist providers. Because you've got so much choice, you can find the right policy with different cover levels and prices. "

Matthew Harwood, Home & lifestyle insurance expert at Confused.com
Home & lifestyle insurance expert Confused.com logo

Who is our trusted host insurance partner Pikl? 

We’ve partnered with Pikl, a specialist host insurance company, to cover customers who are using:

  • Airbnb
  • Booking.com
  • Another holiday home or hosting platforms

Pikl provides dedicated host insurance that can cover you for a range of issues. Here’s how they can help you:

  • UK based head office and customer support
  • Rated as ‘Excellent’ and 4.8/5 on Trustpilot
  • Specialise in holiday, host, landlord and guest insurance
  • Fully regulated by the FCA
  • They compare a panel of market-leading UK insurers to get you the best deal

Types of home insurance

Home insurance

Protects your home and its contents from those unexpected accidents.

Buildings insurance

Protects the permanent fixtures and structure of your home.

Tenants insurance

Covers your belongings against loss, damage and theft while in your rental property.

Over 60s home insurance

Can offer specialist insurers to suit your personal circumstances.

Flood insurance

Can offer some protection for your home and belongings if you live in a flood risk area.

Over 50s home insurance

Can provide peace of mind your home and belongings are protected against loss, damage and theft.

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Which side of the fence is mine?

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Self-build insurance

If you're dabbling with your own grand design, it's best to be protected for all eventualities. When building your own home, self-build insurance covers your project from buying the land until completion of the property.

Pest control insurance

Pest control could be covered as an add-on to your home insurance policy, or under home emergency cover. See how home insurance might cover pest control.

Festival insurance

Are you planning to go to a festival this summer? Whether you're dancing in the mud at Glastonbury or soaking up the sun at Coachella, we've got you covered.

See all home insurance guides

Page last reviewed: 23/04/2024

Reviewed by: Matthew Harwood

Airbnb host insurance is administered by Pikl Insurance Services Limited who are a private limited company registered in England and Wales under company number 10449346. Registered office Suite B, 2nd Floor, The Atrium, St. Georges Street, Norwich, England, NR3 1AB. Pikl Insurance Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the FCA, firm number 773457.