Is Airbnb Travel Insurance Worth It?

What Does Airbnb Travel Insurance Cover?

Travelers who live in the U.S. can buy Airbnb travel insurance offered through Generali, which covers you and up to nine other guests for:

• Trip cancellation: Receive a refund of up to 100% of the cost of your Airbnb reservation if you cancel for a covered reason, such as illness or weather-related flight cancellations.
• Trip delay: You may be reimbursed up to $750 per traveler to help cover meals, lodging and parking expenses if your trip is delayed by 24 hours or more for a covered reason.
• Trip interruption: Get reimbursed up to 150% of your Airbnb reservation cost for unused nights if your trip is delayed or cut short for a covered reason. It may also pay certain transportation expenses.
• Emergency medical transportation: You may be reimbursed up to $100,000 per policy for medical evacuation and related expenses if you become ill or are injured on your trip.
• Medical expenses: You could receive up to $50,000 per person in reimbursement for physician-ordered medical services including hospital service, ambulances, prescription medications and more.
• Medical coverage for preexisting conditions: Preexisting medical conditions are issues that first presented, worsened or needed treatment in the 180 days before buying Airbnb travel insurance. These conditions aren't covered by Airbnb travel insurance unless you purchase coverage within 15 days of booking your stay and are medically able to travel at that time.
• Baggage loss, theft, damage and delay: Coverage of up to $1,000 for lost, stolen or damaged luggage, personal items and travel documents. (Electronic devices like laptops and cellphones aren't covered.) Receive up to $250 per person reimbursement for clothing, toiletries and related expenses if your baggage is delayed for 24 hours or more.
• Sporting equipment loss, theft, damage and delay: Coverage of up to $1,000 per person for lost, stolen or damaged sporting equipment. Receive up to $1,000 per person reimbursement for replacement rentals and related expenses if your sporting equipment is delayed for 24 hours or more.
• Assistance services: Services such as a 24-hour emergency hotline, concierge services and roadside assistance are included in your Airbnb travel insurance.

Learn more: Should You Buy Travel Insurance?

Airbnb Travel Insurance vs. Airbnb AirCover

Airbnb AirCover covers problems with your rental property, while Airbnb travel insurance covers travel issues unrelated to the property.

AirCover isn't insurance. It's included free in your Airbnb booking and covers serious problems with your rental, such as:

• Your host cancels your booking before check-in.
• You can't get in touch with your host to resolve a major problem.
• The rental is significantly different from the listing—for example, it has two bedrooms instead of four, or was advertised with a pool and doesn't have one.

If the host doesn't resolve the issue, AirCover kicks in to help you book a comparable new rental. If Airbnb can't find a comparable property, or you aren't satisfied with their options, you can get a full or partial refund.

Airbnb travel insurance is an add-on purchase that protects against general travel risks AirCover doesn't cover. For example, Airbnb travel insurance can reimburse you if you break your leg the day before your trip and have to cancel your reservation, or if your flight is delayed and you miss the first night of your stay.

Airbnb travel insurance can also cover travel expenses unrelated to your Airbnb booking, such as lost or damaged luggage or emergency medical care if you're injured while traveling.

Tip: If a natural disaster, widespread utility outage or similar crisis strikes your rental's location, Airbnb's major disruptive events policy typically allows you to cancel your reservation and get a full refund, regardless of your host's cancellation policy.

How Much Does Airbnb Travel Insurance Cost?

The price of Airbnb travel insurance can vary but is based on a percentage of your total booking cost—generally between 4% and 8%. This is comparable to the average cost of third-party travel insurance.

You can see the price of Airbnb travel insurance before you buy a policy, so there are no surprises. To get the best coverage and value, it's a good idea to shop around and compare travel insurance from third-party providers too.

Learn more: Average Cost of Travel Insurance

Is Airbnb Travel Insurance Worth It?

Airbnb offers limited protections through AirCover; some hosts also have flexible cancellation policies that allow you to cancel as late as 24 hours before check-in for a full refund. However, Airbnb's protections only cover the rental property, not other issues that can affect your trip. With that in mind, here are some situations where Airbnb travel insurance may be worth the cost:

• You have an expensive, nonrefundable booking.
• You're traveling internationally and your health insurance doesn't cover medical care abroad.
• You're visiting a remote location or participating in a risky activity, such as mountain climbing, where you may need emergency medical transportation.
• Your Airbnb reservations are part of a complex trip where a lot of things could go wrong.

Before buying any type of travel insurance, consider other travel protections you may already have. For instance, many travel rewards credit cards include coverage for trip cancellations, interruptions and delays, baggage delays or even emergency medical evacuation. This coverage may reimburse you up to a certain amount for nonrefundable travel expenses that were booked with the card. Check your credit card benefits, terms and conditions to see what travel protections you have and their coverage limits.

Learn more: What Is Credit Card Travel Insurance?

How to Get Airbnb Travel Insurance

Buying Airbnb travel insurance is simple to do.

1. See if you're eligible. Eligible reservations will provide the option to purchase travel insurance on the checkout page.
2. Click "Add to your trip." If you decide to buy Airbnb travel insurance after you book, check your booking confirmation email or reservation details page and use the add to your trip button to purchase coverage.
3. Review the policy. Before you buy Airbnb travel insurance, you'll be able to review specifics about what is covered.
4. Receive confirmation. Once your purchase is complete, you'll get an email that confirms your coverage, contains your plan details and explains how to file a claim.

To ensure you get the coverage you need, shop around and compare Airbnb travel insurance coverage and costs with travel insurance available from other insurance providers. You can buy travel insurance directly from companies that offer it, such as AIG, Allianz or Travelex, or by using a travel insurance comparison site such as InsureMyTrip or TravelInsurance.com.

Third-party travel insurance plans typically offer similar coverage to Airbnb travel insurance, but they may have higher coverage limits and more comprehensive coverage. For example, they may offer specialized coverage for risky activities like skydiving, or cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage, which allows you to cancel your trip for any reason and recoup part of your nonrefundable prepaid expenses.

Tip: Don't wait too long to buy travel insurance. Coverage for preexisting medical conditions, trip cancellation and interruption or CFAR must typically be purchased within 14 to 21 days of making your first nonrefundable trip payment.

Learn more: What Does Travel Insurance Cover?

The Bottom Line

Airbnb's free AirCover protection policy offers limited coverage for problems specific to your rental. If you prefer the peace of mind that comes with coverage for your entire trip, you can purchase Airbnb travel insurance through Airbnb or buy travel insurance from another provider.

Depending on your travel plans, the protections offered by a travel rewards credit card might be enough to cover your trip. The best travel credit cards typically require a FICO^® Score^Θ of 670 or higher. You can check your FICO^® Score for free with Experian to see where you stand and whether you need to work on your score before applying.