Thanks Colleen. This is the type of feedback I need - from actual hosts who have been there, done that.
So far I've been delighted with how streamlined the process of using airbnb is, and I'm very happy. But I know things will arise and ideally they have a customer service line but clearly they don't have the resources for that, or it's just way too expensive.
My biggest question is regarding insurance. I know most hosts just have standard homeowners, which to my knowledge doesn't cover short term renter issues, and is why I got a policy for that (which was not only hard to find, but significantly more expensive). So my broader question is, is there a gap between the host airbnb coverage (assuming you make the claim within the permitted time frame) and a standard homeowners policy, where a host could be severely exposed?