Several years ago, my daughters traveled to Vancouver (because reasons) and stayed in an AirBnB. What I most recall about the experience was that the hostess insisted upon "meeting" them on Skype and interviewing them to see if they'd be a 'fit.' Having stayed in numerous traditional Bed & Breakfasts myself, this struck me as both odd and sensible.
Apparently, not every such host goes that extra mile, and to their detriment. FoIB Tsrblke alerts us:
"An Airbnb host claims that a nightmare guest left $18,000 worth of damage in her home"
After some 300 people trashed their house (invited by her client, no less), the owner admits that there were some "red flags", but it appears that the "green dollars" overcame them.
Ooops.
The corporate folks at AirBnB HQ offer a cool million dollar "guarantee" for hosts, but so far this one's not seen a dime.
So why doesn't she just claim it on her homeowner's policy?
We reached out to our regular Guru of P&C, Bill M, who told us that:
"The use of your home for commercial purposes is typically excluded. Some companies are coming out with a business endorsement for “air b&b” type exposures.
The biggest thing is to communicate with your agent to discuss challenges and how best to solve them.
And by the way, traditional B&B's can have some of the same issues, especially if the owners/hosts live in the home."
As Tsrblke reminds us:
"Nobody in the "sharing economy" is taking basic steps to protect their assets. The company "guarantees" aren't insurance and shouldn't be treated as such."
Yup.
Apparently, not every such host goes that extra mile, and to their detriment. FoIB Tsrblke alerts us:
"An Airbnb host claims that a nightmare guest left $18,000 worth of damage in her home"
After some 300 people trashed their house (invited by her client, no less), the owner admits that there were some "red flags", but it appears that the "green dollars" overcame them.
Ooops.
The corporate folks at AirBnB HQ offer a cool million dollar "guarantee" for hosts, but so far this one's not seen a dime.
So why doesn't she just claim it on her homeowner's policy?
We reached out to our regular Guru of P&C, Bill M, who told us that:
"The use of your home for commercial purposes is typically excluded. Some companies are coming out with a business endorsement for “air b&b” type exposures.
The biggest thing is to communicate with your agent to discuss challenges and how best to solve them.
And by the way, traditional B&B's can have some of the same issues, especially if the owners/hosts live in the home."
As Tsrblke reminds us:
"Nobody in the "sharing economy" is taking basic steps to protect their assets. The company "guarantees" aren't insurance and shouldn't be treated as such."
Yup.