Most Airbnb hosts can't charge a security deposit. Here's how AirCover works, the 14-day deadline for claims, what's excluded and your other options.
Updated November 2026. Written by the STR Market team. Rules checked against Airbnb's help center on November 3, 2026. Airbnb's terms decide any claim, and this isn't legal or insurance advice.
Many hosts still assume they can set an Airbnb security deposit. For most of them, that option no longer exists. Instead, Airbnb points hosts to the Resolution Center and AirCover for Hosts when a guest causes damage.
That works, but it has deadlines and limits you need to know before something goes wrong. Here is what the rules say and how to protect yourself.
| Protection | Limit | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Host damage protection | Up to $3 million | Guest-caused damage to your home or belongings if the guest doesn't pay |
| Host liability insurance | $1 million | If you are found legally responsible for a guest's injury, or damage to or theft of their property |
| 24-hour safety line | n/a | Safety support during stays |
These are separate protections. Damage to your property runs through host damage protection, while liability insurance deals with harm to guests or others.
| Covered | Not covered |
|---|---|
| Damage to your home, furnishings, valuables or belongings by guests or their invitees | Normal wear and tear |
| Damage to parked cars, boats and other vehicles by guests or invitees | Loss of currency |
| Extra cleaning for stains, pet accidents, smoke odor or unapproved guests | Natural events such as earthquakes and hurricanes |
| Lost income from canceling confirmed bookings because of guest damage | Routine check-out cleaning, such as laundry, dishes or trash removal |
Remember that it only applies to Airbnb stays. Vrbo, Booking.com and direct bookings need their own plan.
If your next guest arrives the same day, take your photos before your cleaner starts. Ask your cleaner to send a report and photos at the start of each turnover so nothing gets missed. Our check-out instructions templates can help set expectations with guests too.
Stopping a bad booking beats filing a claim. Guest screening and verification tools can spot risky bookings before arrival, and some include damage protection across channels. See our guide to guest screening and damage protection tools, or look at Superhog, Autohost and Safely on STR Market.
AirCover isn't a substitute for your own policy. Airbnb itself says so, and a standard homeowners policy may exclude short-term rental activity. Read how much Airbnb insurance costs and compare options like Proper Insurance and Steadily.
Noise and occupancy monitors can warn you about parties while a stay is underway. See Minut and NoiseAware, and read how to prevent Airbnb party risks. Check Airbnb's current device rules before you install anything.
Good rules set expectations and help you back up a claim. Use our Airbnb house rules templates.
Airbnb's help center doesn't focus on the reason. What it does say is that most hosts cannot charge one, and that hosts should use the Resolution Center and AirCover to deal with damage.
Generally no. Airbnb says deposits aren't allowed off the platform except for the permitted hosts it describes, and those must be disclosed in the designated fee section.
Airbnb says to file in the Resolution Center within 14 days of the responsible guest's checkout. Don't wait until the end of that window, especially if the next guest arrives soon.
No. Normal wear and tear is excluded, along with routine check-out cleaning.
Not exactly. Host liability insurance is insurance, but Airbnb says host damage protection is not an insurance policy or a financial service. It also says AirCover isn't a substitute for personal insurance.
Sources: Airbnb security deposits, Airbnb host damage protection, AirCover for Hosts.
