@Kathleen1142
First, let me say I am so sorry about the losses experienced in your area; especially the loss of loved ones for some. Devastating.
@Helen3 has some great suggestions. Unfortunately, Aircover does not cover loss of revenue due to natural disasters. It only covers loss of revenue if a guest damages your place and you have to cancel bookings in order to complete repairs. If you had a short term rental insurance policy separate from Aircover, many of them offer loss of income (cancelled bookings), but not all. You would have to contact your insurer to find out the details. Even if your property sustained minimal damage, most guests will end up cancelling due to all the infrastructure damage in the area.
I always recommend new Hosts purchase their own short term rental insurance to cover situations such as what occurred with Helene. Many new Hosts are not aware that Aircover (Host damage protection) doesn't cover natural disasters. STR insurance is more expensive than typical homeowners insurance and some Hosts don't purchase it because of this. This is a risky idea; especially in these times of climate change. Additionally, many Hosts are not aware that typical homeowners insurance doesn't provide coverage if you operate a commecial activity (Airbnb). Even if your property sustained minimal damage, many guests will end up cancelling due to all the infrastructure damage in the area.
Also, if you have a home share situation on Airbnb (renting a room, basement suite, separate ADU on your property), your typical homeowner's insurance won't cover this and you need a separate STR policy or rider to cover this. If you don't have this and they find out about it, your coverage can be cancelled and any claims denied.
Please let us know how it goes...keeping you and all affected in mind and wishing you the best going forward.
