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AirCover by Airbnb

airbnb.com

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Re: AirCover by Airbnb

#61

Post by sokoloff »

CaptainZapp wrote: post #35
Gigachad wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you check the airbnb hosts subreddit, there are endless stories of hosts being ghosted by support after a guest trashed the place.

Except, of course, when it blew up either on social media or in the press. Then suddenly "they made it right" and some spokesdrone trumpeted some bullshit like "In this exceptional case we didn't live up to our members / hosts high expectations". With rare exceptions I also don't see any more advantage compared to staying in a hotel. But to each his own, I suppose.

As a guest, I way prefer Airbnb (or VRBO or similar) to hotels. Having a kitchen, having area that’s both private to my group yet common is great.

We rent them for work offsites, family trips, and individual travel. 98% of the time everything goes smoothly.

Re: AirCover by Airbnb

#62

Post by gandutraveler »

gennarro wrote: post #2

Perhaps a dumb question but who was handling the insurance before this? Homeowners does not cover rentals, correct? So you needed rental insurance? I’ve always seen airbnb to be too risky to do with your primary residence, which seems to greatly diminish from the efficiency of the service (and of home ownership)

In Hawaii at least the home insurance companies have products for long term and short term rentals based on the homeownership. As a host I also have additional a liability and umbrella insurance. There is also some coverage from my property managers.

Re: AirCover by Airbnb

#63

Post by tiku »

Does it cover the costs of you guests illegally downloading stuff? I've ran into that one myself (in Germany the host can have it dismissed when you can prove it wasn't you).

Re: AirCover by Airbnb

#64

Post by ChrisMarshallNY »

otterley wrote: post #55
mindslight wrote: post #15

> These Host Damage Protection Terms contain an arbitration clause and class action waiver So this insurance policy isn't even worth the pixels it's rendered on. It's not a good sign when a company purporting to be entering into contract is already trying to wriggle out of it, and this goes doubly for insurance.

It’s not just Airbnb - every insurance policy written today is loaded with exceptions you could fit a Mack truck through. The textbook business model of insurance is to collect premiums and try as hard as possible not to pay claims.

I remember watching an old episode of The Beverly Hillbillies, where an insurance executive was talking to one of his employees, and said:

    "The job of an insurance company is to take in as much money as possible, then refuse to pay it back."

Re: AirCover by Airbnb

#65

Post by carlivar »

gennarro wrote: post #2

Perhaps a dumb question but who was handling the insurance before this? Homeowners does not cover rentals, correct? So you needed rental insurance? I’ve always seen airbnb to be too risky to do with your primary residence, which seems to greatly diminish from the efficiency of the service (and of home ownership)

I host an Airbnb and I have a policy specifically covering short term rentals.

Re: AirCover by Airbnb

#66

Post by petercooper »

tiku wrote: post #63

Does it cover the costs of you guests illegally downloading stuff? I've ran into that one myself (in Germany the host can have it dismissed when you can prove it wasn't you).

Wouldn't that be more a legal thing? A bit like you can't take out insurance against speeding tickets. I guess they could offer some sort of insurance for covering your legal fees to deal with such things, though.

Re: AirCover by Airbnb

#67

Post by csunbird »

sokoloff wrote: post #60
TheSpiceIsLife wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Uber drivers get progressively more economically inefficient the more they drive as the maintenance costs or driving a vehicle increase the more you drive it, up until it needs replacing either due to wear and tear or regulatory / contractual requirements.

The monthly decrease in value of the car gets less over time though. It loses the most value in the first month/year, less the next year, etc.

But, a car that is being used for Uber/Taxi service loses way more value over time, as a normal private car (in Europe for example) will make 10k to 15k kilometers per year, while Uber/Taxi cars will make double of that easily.

Re: AirCover by Airbnb

#68

Post by m-i-l »

gennarro wrote: post #2

Perhaps a dumb question but who was handling the insurance before this? Homeowners does not cover rentals, correct? So you needed rental insurance? I’ve always seen airbnb to be too risky to do with your primary residence, which seems to greatly diminish from the efficiency of the service (and of home ownership)

> who was handling the insurance before this?

In the UK, "homeowners insurance" definitely wouldn't cover you for Airbnb style scenarios, and most "landlords insurance" wouldn't either, e.g. because you needed formal tenancy agreements (e.g. Assured Shorthold Tenancy), no potential for long void periods etc. However, some specialist insurance companies would insure you for Airbnb style scenarios via "holiday let insurance". You'd still need that cover because AirCover only provides insurance for the period while guests are there, i.e. you would still need insurance for break-ins, water leaks, cleaners injuring themselves, etc. in-between guests.

So this supplements rather than replaces your existing insurance. Not sure why this is so prominent on the HN home page because it isn't really something "that good hackers would find interesting" or something "that gratifies one's intellectual curiosity".

Re: AirCover by Airbnb

#69

Post by dewey »

tiku wrote: post #63

Does it cover the costs of you guests illegally downloading stuff? I've ran into that one myself (in Germany the host can have it dismissed when you can prove it wasn't you).

If I was renting out an AirBnb in Germany I'd probably just set up a travel router that pipes everything through a VPN in a neighbouring country.

Re: AirCover by Airbnb

#70

Post by arp242 »

ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #64
otterley wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s not just Airbnb - every insurance policy written today is loaded with exceptions you could fit a Mack truck through. The textbook business model of insurance is to collect premiums and try as hard as possible not to pay claims.

I remember watching an old episode of The Beverly Hillbillies , where an insurance executive was talking to one of his employees, and said: "The job of an insurance company is to take in as much money as possible, then refuse to pay it back."

To be fair, fraud is a serious issue. If there were no checks at all then every innkeeper would be burning their tavern down right after getting an inn-sewer-ants polly-sea.
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