Airbnb Host Insurance Gap Calculator
See the dollar gaps between your homeowner's policy, Airbnb's AirCover, and a dedicated STR policy across four real claim scenarios.
Largest single gap in your protection
| Scenario | Exposure | Covered by | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guest damages the property during an Airbnb stay | $50,000 | AirCover damage protection (up to $3M) | covered |
| Guest injury lawsuit (on-platform stay) | $2,000,000 | AirCover host liability (up to $1M) | $1,000,000 |
| Damage during an off-platform booking | $50,000 | Nothing — AirCover doesn't apply off-platform | $50,000 |
| Lost rental income while repairs run | $7,500 | Nothing — AirCover doesn't pay hosts' lost income | $7,500 |
Worked gap · Guest injury lawsuit (on-platform stay)
- Your exposure
- $2,000,000
- Covered
- $1,000,000
= $2,000,000 − $1,000,000 AirCover liability limit
AirCover terms per Airbnb's published program — see data date below
What closes each gap
- Liability above $1M: higher liability limits via a dedicated STR policy or umbrella coverage.
- Off-platform bookings: an STR endorsement on your homeowner's policy, or a dedicated STR policy that covers stays from any source.
- Lost income during repairs: business-income coverage, typically part of dedicated STR policies.
How to use
- Set a realistic damage scenario for your property and enter your annual short-term-rental revenue.
- Pick your assumptions: how large a liability judgment to model, whether you take off-platform bookings, and what your homeowner's policy says about short-term rentals.
- Read the scenario ledger: exposure, what layer covers it, and the gap you'd pay out of pocket.
How it works
Every guide on host insurance explains the same three layers — your homeowner's policy, Airbnb's AirCover, and dedicated STR insurance — and then stops. None of them show you the number that matters: the size of the hole when a specific bad thing happens.
This tool runs four concrete scenarios against your numbers. The math is simple subtraction — exposure minus the layer that actually applies: gap = exposure − min(exposure, limit) — but the layer that applies changes per scenario, and that's where hosts get surprised: AirCover's $1M liability ceiling under a larger judgment, the off-platform booking nothing covers, and the repair months no one pays you for.
All calculation happens in your browser. Your numbers never leave your device.
Sources
- Airbnb — AirCover for Hosts (official program terms)
- Insurance Information Institute — Coverage for renting out your home
Data last verified: 2026-07-12
Frequently asked questions
Does homeowners insurance cover Airbnb hosting?
Usually not. Standard homeowner's policies exclude business activity, and paid short-term stays generally count as business activity. Some insurers sell a short-term-rental endorsement that adds it back — that's the distinction this calculator models with the homeowner-policy selector.
What does AirCover for Hosts actually cover?
Airbnb's published program includes host damage protection (up to $3M for guest damage to your place and belongings, with exclusions such as cash and certain valuables) and host liability insurance (up to $1M for guest injury claims). Amounts and terms are Airbnb's current published figures — see the data date on this page and Airbnb's official AirCover page in the sources.
Is AirCover the same as insurance?
No. Host damage protection is Airbnb's own protection program, not an insurance policy, and it applies only to stays booked on Airbnb. That difference matters when a claim gets contested — which is why dedicated STR insurance exists.
What happens if a guest books off-platform?
AirCover doesn't apply to stays booked outside Airbnb — direct bookings, other platforms, or repeat guests paying you directly. If your homeowner's policy also excludes rentals, an off-platform incident can be a 100% out-of-pocket event. That's scenario 3 in the ledger.
Does AirCover pay my lost income if the property is damaged?
AirCover's published program covers loss of booking income only in limited cases tied to a covered damage claim's cancellations — it is not business-income insurance. If repairs take months, the ongoing revenue loss is generally yours. Dedicated STR policies can include business-income coverage for exactly this.
What is a dedicated short-term-rental policy?
A commercial-style policy built for STR hosting (offered by specialist insurers) that combines property, liability, and often business-income coverage regardless of which platform the booking came from. Comparing one against your current stack is the standard fix for the gaps this tool surfaces.
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This is an educational model with simplified assumptions — it is not insurance advice. AirCover figures reflect Airbnb's published program as of the data date shown; program terms, exclusions, and your own policy language control in reality. Talk to a licensed agent before relying on any coverage decision.