Check your Australian home v's airbnb insurance

Sonia153
Level 2
Geelong, Australia

Check your Australian home v's airbnb insurance

Hi community.  Still grappling with the Australian insurance dilemna.  Our home insurers Citibank have just let us know that our current home and contents insurance is invalid if we make a claim while the room down stairs is on airbnb.  This is because the house is no longer residental, which is what we signed up for  when we took out the insurance before we started the airbnb (simple house and contents). 

In other words, if the house burnt down in a bush fire and was totally unrelated to any damage/fault etc by the airbnb guest downstairs, they will decline any claim!!! Yikes!  Even if there happens to be no-one in the airbnb when the the incident occured.  In fact, they said ANY CLAIM for ANYTHING we make while we advertise as airbnb is invalid!!n Double Yikes!! 

How on earth do we get around this.  That is, to make sure our home and contents insurance is honoured while we have Airbnb guests downstairs? To be specific, this is not about getting landlord insurance or similar for damage by Airbnb guests to the airbnb room (i know i can get cover for that space) or that might effect our home...  rather to ensure our home building and contents are insured if someone broke into our home upstairs, or if there was a fire, or a flood, NOT caused by the airbnb guest.  My understanding is that home insurance companies will only pay out if your home is only used as a home - not as accommodation. Does that make sense?  Any help here would be GREATLY appreciated.  🙂  cheers,

7 Replies 7
Gillian19
Level 10
St Leonards, Australia

@Sonia153 Hi Sonia, IAG do specific insurance to cover Airbnb so might be worth checking them out. Also check out sharecover as they will cover you for specific nights that you have guests (rather then you having to change your insurance company for the whole year). Cheers Gillian

David111
Level 2
Curlewis, Australia

@Sonia153 Did you find anyone to provide appropriate cover?

So what we ended up doing is having the house insured by RACV, but we made them note that we are using part of our house as an airbnb set up and that we were living in the house upstairs at the same time we had guests. We made them include that statement in writing, in our policy. They made us take out two policies. One for building and one for contents. With airbnb guest accom downstairs, this was the ONLY way we could proceed. Buggers - it was so much more expensive. No other insurance co would insure us for building/contents with airbnb guests. Racv building insurance covers us for usual events fire, theft etc, but not anything caused by the guests. Racv contents (seperate to building rather than the normal combines) covers us for usual theft/damage but not by guests. Sharecover covers us for damage caused by guest. ie if they break or damage something or if an accidental fire in the airbnb burns the whole house down. PHEW - expensive, but at least we're covered. Good luck.

Hi there Sonia,

Have you looked at Terri Scheer? They have a specific cover for Airbnb and short stays. They do building and contents that covers Airbnb

Sandra126
Level 10
Daylesford, Australia

I am with RACV too, my old insurers didn't want to do it. A good option for Australia, I think.

Annie634
Level 1
Matraville, Australia

I've just insured with St George. It's costing a little less than double my old landlord insurance. Has anyone found a better priced one? From what I've researched there's very little choice....

Dale626
Level 1
Gold Coast, Australia

Hi Everyone, We have just ensured with St George too. It was quick and easy and it was about the same price as our pre Airbnb home and contents insurance.