damages not covered in new policy

[Warren208]

I'm thinking of becoming an Airbnb host so  I just read the Host Damage Protection Terms - III. Limitations and Exclusions. (I'm a nerd so I like to read the fine print}.

It says in the long exclusion section paragraph "10. any losses or damages not recoverable from the Responsible Guest" are excluded.

Does this mean that if a (responsible?) guest trashes your place and refuses to pay for their damages then Airbnb will not pay?

It's a rare guest who would be willing to pay for their damages. 

This line, buried in the very long Host Damage Protection Terms, seems to nullify any damage protection for hosts.

Am I correct?

[Gillian166]

@Warren208  yes, you have it right. there's a lot of hoo-hah about Host Protection but if you search the forums you'll find many a tale of hosts being shafted. There are a few stories of hosts actually being paid out too, so it's not all doom and gloom, but you need to make sure you have as much documentation as possible. Highly recommend you read through some of the stories. and fwiw other hosting sites don't offer much better options. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Warren208 I am no lawyer but another reading could be that they will only pay if the amount is capable of being recovered (ie recoverable) rather than actually recoverable (ie recovered) fro the guest. As an example the house burns down due to internal wiring fault is not recoverable from the guest and so will not be paid.

I would never host without standalone insurance suitable for holiday lets on the fabric of the building as a minimum.

[Sean140]

@Warren208 I would not rely on the Host Protection offered thru Airbnb.  Airbnb is not in the insurance business and essentially wants to make sure you continue to rent your property.  You will need a new HO insurance policy that will allow for short term rentals.  I can help place coverage as I cover many hosts nationwide.  Please contact me if you are interested.  

Sean F Murphy Insurance Agency

[Warren208]

Is that farmers insurance?