1. Home
  2. Home insurance
  3. Airbnb insurance

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? 

Tick

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.
Cross

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?

Tick

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.
Cross

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.

Contents insurance

protects your household belongings against theft, loss and damage.

Landlord insurance

can protect you and your rental property against unexpected costs, like building or content damage, as well as any disputes.

Tenants insurance

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

Student home insurance

can protect your belongings while you're living away from home.

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.

Home insurance guides

100+ Private rental market statistics 2024

We’ve collated the latest private rental market statistics for 2024, covering topics including average price, rental affordability, and tenant satisfaction.

UK Home insurance statistics 2023

Our collection of UK home insurance statistics for 2023, such as average UK home insurance costs, UK home insurance market share and property insurance claim statistics.

When was my house built? Find your property's age

The age of your property could impact how much you pay for your home insurance. Here's how you find out how old your house is.

Flood Re - all you need to know

Living in a high-risk flood area can come with high insurance costs - that's why the Flood Re Scheme was created. Here's how you work out if you're eligible.

Smart home technology: Will it impact your home insurance?

Smart homes are on the rise, but will you be safer in a connected home? Here's how smart home technology might impact your home insurance.

Insurance for electric bikes explained

Electric bike insurance covers you against damage and theft of your ebike. You should be able to add it to your home insurance policy.

See all home insurance guides

Page last reviewed: 21/12/2023

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.