Host with confidence with our policies and protections

Many of you have told us how much you love sharing your space and connecting with people from all over the world. Of course, that would be impossible if you didn’t feel supported while you host.

We understand you need Airbnb to support you in the rare but unfortunate moments when things don’t go according to plan. To help you host with confidence, here are some of the tools, policies, and features we have in place.

At Airbnb, our comprehensive Host protections set us apart and help us keep our community safe.

• AirCover for Hosts: We include top-to-bottom protection for every Host on Airbnb. AirCover for Hosts provides pre-trip safeguards to help ensure booking guests are who they say they are with guest identity verification, and helps reduce the chance of disruptive parties and property damage with reservation screening technology. It also includes $1 million USD in Host liability insurance and $3 million USD in Host damage protection, with coverage for art, valuables, parked cars, boats, and other vehicles.
• Ground rules: Ground rules for guests are a set of enforceable standards that all guests must follow. Ground rules require guests to treat your space with respect, follow your house rules, communicate promptly if issues arise, and leave your home in a state that doesn’t require excessive cleaning.
• Host cancellations: You have the right to assess guest reviews and message threads, and cancel a reservation you reasonably believe will lead to a party. You’ll be asked to submit evidence to Community Support. All cancellations must be in line with our nondiscrimination policy.

Part of hosting is setting expectations to help prevent incidents from happening in the first place. Here are a few of the features we’ve created to help you attract guests who’ll be a good fit for your space:

• Calendar and booking settings: Starting with how many people can stay at your place, you let guests know what works for you. Choose how many nights guests can stay, how far in advance they can book, and how much time you need between stays. Learn more about choosing your booking settings
• Cancellation policies: The cancellation policy you choose will clearly state how much notice your guests must give if they want to cancel their reservation and receive a full refund. Learn more about choosing a cancellation policy
• House rules: Your standard house rules—like no smoking, vaping, or pets—are customizable and help guests understand your expectations so they can decide whether your space is a good fit. Your house rules are featured in four places: on your listing page, on the confirmation screen as guests book your space, and in the Pack Your Bags email and the Arrival Guide guests receive ahead of their trip. With ground rules for guests, anything you include in your standard house rules can be enforced.
• Response tools: If you’re uncomfortable with a trip request, you can choose to decline it as long as you’re adhering to our nondiscrimination policy.

Even with these standards and settings in place, there are rare cases where things don’t go as expected. In those moments, there are several ways for you to get support from Airbnb:

• Live chat: Airbnb online support is the fastest way to get the help you need for non-urgent issues like updating your calendar or adjusting your pricing. 
• Dedicated Superhost support: If you’re a Superhost, you’ll effortlessly connect with an expert customer service staff member whenever you ask for help.
• A local emergency line: We know that guests traveling in unfamiliar countries may not know how to contact local emergency services, so we’ve launched an in-app emergency call button. This button provides a direct line to local law enforcement and emergency services during an active reservation.
• An urgent support line: If you’re in the U.S. and you’re experiencing an urgent matter related to your security or safety during an active reservation, you can quickly connect to a specialist for help via our app.

It’s vital that we foster trust in order for the Airbnb community to thrive—and we hope these protections and features help us accomplish just that. As always, thank you for being a Host.

AirCover for Hosts’ Host damage protection, Host liability insurance, and Experiences liability insurance don’t cover Hosts who offer stays or Experiences in Japan, where the Japan Host Insurance and Japan Experience Protection Insurance apply, or Hosts who offer stays through Airbnb Travel LLC. For Hosts who offered stays or experiences in mainland China, the China Host Protection Plan applies. Host damage protection isn’t related to Host liability insurance. Keep in mind that there are other terms, conditions, and exclusions.

If you’re hosting stays in the U.K., the Host liability insurance policy is underwritten by Zurich Insurance PLC, and arranged and concluded at no additional cost for U.K. Hosts by Airbnb U.K. Services Limited, an appointed representative of Aon U.K. Limited, who are authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Aon’s FCA register number is 310451. You can check this by visiting the Financial Services Register or contacting the FCA at +44 0800-111-6768. Insurance products arranged by Airbnb U.K. Services Limited are regulated products. FPAFF407LC

Information contained in this article may have changed since publication.