Glossary

Home-sharing endorsement

An add-on that extends a homeowners policy to cover renting all or part of the home to short-stay guests through platforms such as Airbnb or Vrbo.

Also called: short-term rental endorsement, home-sharing coverage

A home-sharing endorsement lets an insurer cover the home while you rent all or part of it to paying guests for short stays. Without it, a standard homeowners policy is a poor fit. The ISO form tolerates occasional rental of the residence for residential use but treats regular rental as a business, and many insurers go further, excluding short-term rentals or limiting property and liability coverage while guests are present.

Endorsements are written in each insurer's own wording, so forms vary. They typically name what is rented (a room, the whole home, a guest cottage), limit the number of nights or guests, and set how liability and property coverage apply, including to your contents and to guests' injuries. Some exclude loss of rental income, restrict theft by guests, or require the home to be your primary residence. Host protection programs offered by booking platforms are separate, carry their own exclusions, and do not replace your own policy.

Say you rent a spare room 40 nights a year (hypothetical). Tell your agent before the first booking, because a claim tied to an undisclosed rental can be denied. Alternatives include a standalone rental policy. See the short-term rental guide and the home-sharing endorsements guide, and compare with the business pursuits exclusion.

Last reviewed October 10, 2026

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Related terms

Business pursuits exclusion A liability exclusion for injury or damage arising from your trade, profession or other paid activity, with narrow exceptions for small or volunteer work. Home business endorsement An add-on that gives a small office, studio, school or similar operation run from the house liability and business property coverage the base policy lacks. Endorsement A written change attached to a policy that adds, removes or alters coverage, limits or conditions, and controls over the base form wherever the two conflict. Personal liability (Coverage E) Coverage that defends you and pays damages if you are legally responsible for injuring someone or damaging their property, at home or away from it. Landlord policy Insurance for a home you own and rent to tenants, covering the building, lost rent and the owner's liability, but not the tenant's belongings. Exclusion A policy provision that removes coverage for a stated cause, type of loss, property or circumstance that the coverage would otherwise reach.

Related guides

Insuring an ADU or backyard cottage How a detached or attached accessory dwelling unit fits a homeowners policy, and what changes once family, a long-term tenant or a short-term guest lives in it. Home-sharing endorsements for occasional hosts Renting to paying guests can strip protection you assumed you had. How home-sharing endorsements work, what they buy back and where Airbnb's program fits. Renting out a room: what your homeowners policy covers Renting a spare room to one or two roomers usually fits a homeowners policy if your insurer knows. What the HO-3 covers, what it excludes, and when to call. Insuring an Airbnb or other short-term rental If you rent a home to short-stay guests regularly, a homeowners policy is the wrong fit. Compare short-term rental policies, endorsements and platform coverage.