More and more people are choosing to rent a house abroad rather than stay in a hotel.
As the number of landlords renting properties increases to meet demand, important steps need to be taken to ensure that the owner and tenant experience is as enjoyable as possible.
Unfortunately, there are reports of properties damaged by tenants, leaving hosts with exorbitant bills for cleaning and repairs as a result.
Here are five steps to avoid ending up with a massive bill and / or damaged goods:
1. Make sure your belongings and personal effects are covered
Clarify with your home and contents policy insurer if their coverage would be sufficient to cover loss of damaged or stolen property or personal effects.
Airbnb offers a “host guarantee,” promising to reimburse hosts for damage up to 600.00. However, Airbnb is adamant that hosts should not view this as a replacement for renters ‘or owners’ home insurance.
Hosts are not required to purchase specific owner insurance, but to ensure sufficient protection Hosts should contact a specialist broker or insurer.
2. Check that you are not violating the terms of your lease
Airbnb hosts may have unintentionally violated the terms of their leases, which could expose them to legal action and even loss of their rental.
A large part of rental and lease contracts are likely to state that the property can only be used as a private residence, thus preventing the tenant from renting or sharing their apartment / house for short periods.
Hosts are also advised to verify that they are not breaking their mortgage contract before renting their home, as some mortgage companies might not like homeowners offering short-term rentals of their property.
3. Safety first
Hosts should confirm that their home is reasonably safe for visitors. Fire escape routes should be marked and fire risk assessments carried out to determine if fire safety measures need to be improved.
4. Protect yourself against injury claims
If a visitor has been injured at the host’s premises, they may seek legal action for personal injury, particularly if their injury results from the host’s breach of their duty of care to the host. visitor.
There is no legal obligation to purchase liability insurance to host through Airbnb. That said, for guaranteed protection of yourself (the host) against a visitor’s injury claims, it is advisable to do so.
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