The crazy world of vacation rental insurance claims

This post was contributed by Safely.com, the leading insurtech and guest screening solution for the vacation and short-term rental industry. Guesty partners with Safely.com to promote innovation and growth in the short-term rental industry.

The much-awaited summer vacation season is well and truly underway. That means property managers need to stay vigilant as guests get ready to let loose and go wild, with the pandemic-related travel restrictions slowly lifting.

So is your short-term rental really prepared for such guests this summer?

If the answer is ’no’ or ‘not sure’, then looking into an insurtech company, like Safely, is a great place to start. As the leading insurtech and guest screening solution for the vacation and short-term rental market, we’ve seen some unbelievable insurance claims and covered over $50 billion in homeowner liability. Some of the reported claims to us are “too-wacky-to-be-true” claims, but while they are in fact true, rest assured, these are the exceptions, not the norm!

“They did what?!”: 7 unthinkable insurance stories we’ve heard

Since our launch in 2015, we’ve supported owners, property managers, and guests alike in all matters relating to vacation rental insurance. And, over the years, we’ve come across our fair share of funny but true claim stories.

 To help you find humor in unpredictable real-life events, here’s a collection of the funniest and craziest insurance anecdotes ever:

1. A shocking party

Guests hosted a party at a vacation rental. One of them decided that it would be a good idea (not!) to ski off the roof. In doing so, they hit and disconnected a power line and blew out the power to four homes in the neighborhood. Thankfully, and amazingly, the guest was not injured.

2. Taking the “bear” necessities

While vacationing at a home in the California Mountains, a guest failed to lock a bear guard, which prevents bears from entering the property. It’s easy to imagine where the story goes from here. A bear wandered onto the property and entered the home, where it helped itself to food from the fridge. While the bear did not sleep in any beds, it did damage some furniture. Fortunately, it was long gone from the property by the time the guest returned. 

3. A washed-out vacation!

While enjoying a dip in the pool, a guest ripped the liner of a pool, causing all the water to drain-out, which washed away half of the backyard. Not only did the pool need to be repaired, but truckloads of dirt had to be brought in to rebuild the yard. What a wash-out vacation!

4. Dracula, that pain in the neck

While vacationing in Montana, a guest left the front door of the rental open one evening. That night, a bat flew in and bit two of the guests, who were then rushed to the emergency room for rabies shots.

5. A little drip hydration

Guests at a vacation rental had a wild party. Vomit and trash were scattered throughout the home. However, the most interesting photo we received was that of an IV hanging in the closet!

6. A “latte” carpet problems

A guest was walking up the stairs of a very expensive home when he tripped and spilled coffee on a very expensive carpet (at over $400 per square foot!). He attempted to clean the carpet himself but severely damaged the carpet fibers. Ultimately, that entire carpet section had to be replaced.

7. Kryptonite in the brain

A guest with a Superman complex decided to jump off the back of a very nice couch. The next thing he knew, the couch’s frame was completely broken, as was the table next to it. Both pieces of furniture had to be completely replaced.

Better Safely, than sorry

The moral of these stories is: be prepared. Make sure you’ve got the right tools in place to protect your vacation rental home (and business) in the eventuality that something does go wrong.

Of course, things rarely mess up at this scale, but being prepared for the unexpected will make all the difference. This is where an insurtech solution like Safely.com can help. We provide peace of mind to homeowners and property managers through a combination of guest screening and tailored insurance to addresses owner anxiety over ‘who is staying in my house?’ and ‘what happens if something goes wrong?’. Because things do go wrong, and when it does, we have you covered.

To learn more about Safely.com, contact us now for a quick online quote.