Proper’s Industry-First Bed Bug Insurance & Flea Coverage
Guests check in—but sometimes, so do uninvited pests. Bed bugs and fleas are more than a nuisance for short-term rental owners and Airbnb hosts—they’re a serious threat to your property, your bookings, and your hosting reputation.
Most Homeowners and Landlord policies exclude coverage for extermination, liability claims, and business income loss tied to infestations at STRs. Proper Insurance doesn’t.
What is Bed Bug and Flea Coverage?
Bed Bug & Flea Coverage from Proper Insurance is an exclusive enhancement designed for short-term rental hosts facing the growing risk of infestations. Whether a guest unknowingly introduces bed bugs or persistent flea issues caused by wildlife or pets leads to canceled bookings, the financial toll can escalate fast.
This enhancement is built to help you recover, not just from extermination costs, but also from coverage for liability and business revenue lost during infestation treatment.
With Proper, you’re protected from the hidden risks traditional insurance ignores with our first-to-market bed bug coverage and first-of-its-kind flea insurance.
What Does Proper’s Bed Bug & Flea Policy Include?
Unlike traditional policies, Proper Insurance provides flea and bed bug insurance for short-term rentals. Our comprehensive Bed Bug and Flea Coverage for Airbnb hosts can help ensure:
Extermination Cost Covered*
Reimbursement for licensed, professional bed bug extermination services* with no deductible.
Guest Liability Protection
Covers legal fees & medical bills up to $1 million if a guest sues over bed bug or flea bites.
Lost Rental Income Protection*
Get paid for up to 7 days of lost business revenue after you first detect or are notified of bed bugs or fleas. (*The combined maximum coverage limit of extermination cost plus loss of business revenue is $20,000).
Personalized Claims Process
Unlike Airbnb’s Pest Policy (which only requires hosts to keep clean premises and does not mention bed bug or flea coverage), Proper Insurance ensures customer-centric claims processing.
The Financial Impact of a Flea Infestation
Fleas are more than just pesky parasites; they can cause a serious financial burden for short-term rental property owners. Here’s a breakdown of some of the financial impact you might face if you have a flea infestation at your vacation rental:
Reputation: Furthermore, a flea infestation can damage your rental’s reputation. Reviews mentioning fleas can deter potential guests, impacting your booking rates and overall revenue.
Extermination fees: The financial impact of a flea infestation can be significant. The cost of professional flea extermination can range from $75 to $400 per treatment, according to Angi, and severe infestations may require multiple treatments.
Booking disruption: In addition to extermination costs, you may also face lost income if you need to block out dates for flea treatment and cleaning. This can be especially impactful if the infestation occurs during peak rental season.
Liability: An additional cost you may absorb from a flea infestation is the potential liability if a guest gets bitten while staying at your property. Fleas can cause discomfort and health issues such as allergic reactions, itchiness, and, in severe cases, diseases like typhus and plague.
Reviews of Proper’s Bed Bug & Flea Insurance
“Really good choice if you’re a short-term rental owner. [Proper was] recommended to me by our realtor, and they definitely have the most coverage out of every company I looked at. They cover bed bugs and a lot of other special scenarios that are great, specifically for short-term rentals. I’m glad we went with them!”
– Lauren G.
“By far the easiest and most straightforward claims process I’ve ever experienced. We had to file a claim when a guest brought bed bugs into our Airbnb rental (ugh), and Proper was SO easy to deal with. You always talk to actual humans, the process is super straightforward, the whole thing was very quick and painless.”
– Ren
Real Bed Bug & Flea Claims
Proper Insurance’s first-to-market Bed Bug and Flea Coverage has benefited short-term rental owners across the country. Read below for just a few examples of real pest or infestation claims experienced by real STR owners:
Guests Noticed Fleas in Airbnb: A $2.6k Claim Saved by Proper Insurance
Despite the host providing quarterly flea treatments, vacationers at a Fort Worth, Texas, short-term rental reported noticeable fleas in the home. The host contacted an exterminator for remediation and confirmed 7 calendar nights of lost bookings due to the infestation. After submitting a claim to Proper, this host was reimbursed $350 for flea extermination and more than $2,000 for lost revenue from cancelled bookings, totaling $2,625 in coverage.
Bed Bugs in Virginia Airbnb to Blame for $3k in Losses
As a group of guests checked out of their four-night stay at a Fairfax, Virginia Airbnb, they reported the presence of bed bugs at their Airbnb property. The host brought in a pest control company to confirm the infestation, refunded the entire stay, and was forced to cancel the next reservation to complete professional extermination. After filing a claim with Proper Insurance, they received $3,183.57 in coverage to reimburse the cost of extermination and the income lost from the canceled bookings.
Frequently Asked Questions: Bed Bug & Flea Insurance + Airbnb Pest Control
Unfortunately, standard Homeowners and Landlord policies typically exclude infestations like bed bugs and fleas. Costs for extermination, canceled bookings, and liability claims become the property owner’s full responsibility. Proper Insurance addresses these coverage gaps directly, ensuring your vacation rental remains protected, profitable, and reputable in the event of a bed bug or flea claim.
Does short-term rental insurance cover flea infestations?
Standard Homeowners and Landlord insurance policies typically do not cover expenses related to flea infestations. However, Proper Insurance provides comprehensive coverage for such scenarios, encompassing extermination costs, lost rental income, and guest liability protection. Our comprehensive insurance for Airbnb hosts covering bed bug and flea pest-related damages can include guest liability claims for flea bites in vacation rentals, loss of rental income due to infestations in Airbnb properties, and extermination costs to help safeguard your property and peace of mind.
Does Homeowners insurance cover bed bugs?
Cohosts, vacation rental owners, and Vrbo hosts ask: “Does Homeowners insurance cover pest control?” For most traditional policies, the answer is “no.” Most Landlord and Homeowners insurance policies exclude pests including common yet unavoidable short-term rental pests like bed bugs and fleas. That means costs for exterminators, refunded and canceled bookings, and potential legal fees, are solely up to you in the case of a bed bug infestation in your Airbnb.
While bed bugs don’t always indicate uncleanliness, having bed bugs in your short-term rental can quickly become out of control, costing you bookings and potential income.
The good news? Proper Insurance’s robust and comprehensive policy includes coverage for bed bugs and fleas, to help protect you, your property, your liability, and your pocketbook.
Does AirCover help with bed bugs or pests?
Unfortunately, no. Airbnb’s AirCover policy explicitly excludes infestations from pests like bed bugs and fleas. Costs for extermination, guest refunds, and lost rental income, remain solely your responsibility—unless you have specialized short-term rental insurance from Proper Insurance.
If a guest complains, or worse, sues, you may be on your own regarding coverage for lawsuits along with payment for exterminators and cleanings. Proper Insurance is the only short-term rental insurance that covers both bed bug and flea-related losses.
Can you sue an Airbnb host for bed bugs?
Absolutely, Airbnb hosts can be sued for bed bugs. Guests regularly take legal action against hosts for bed bug bites or infestations. Settlements often involve significant medical expenses and legal fees. Proper Insurance includes comprehensive guest liability protection up to your policy limit (starting at $1 million) to protect your financial well-being if you face a lawsuit related to bed bugs or fleas.
What do you do when a guest brings bed bugs?
Whether you’ve performed preventative maintenance or have just been crossing your fingers, suddenly, you’re faced with one of hosts’ biggest fears: guests reported bed bugs in your Airbnb. The first step is to contact a licensed exterminator to confirm the presence of these pesky pests and eliminate them. Keep documentation to provide your specialized short-term rental insurance when you file your bed bug protection claim, especially if you’ve had cancelled bookings due to bed bugs from an Airbnb guest. With a policy from Proper, you can be shielded from liability, lost business revenue, and extermination costs with our first-of-its-kind bed bug and flea insurance enhancement.
What if a guest brings fleas in my STR?
Discovering that a guest has brought fleas into your short-term rental can be frustrating and costly—not to mention that this risk is even more apparent for pet-friendly vacation rentals. If you note the presence of fleas, possibly tracked from guests’ furry friends, it’s important to take swift action to prevent an even more costly infestation.
The first step is to contact a licensed exterminator to confirm the infestation and eliminate the pests. Be sure to keep all receipts and documentation related to the extermination process. If the infestation leads to canceled bookings or additional cleaning fees, it’s crucial to keep records of these costs as well.
With Proper Insurance’s flea insurance for short-term rentals, our comprehensive coverage is designed to provide insurance for Airbnb flea infestations and offer hosts peace of mind with protection from personal liability, extermination costs, and lost rental revenue.
Protect Your Rental Property Today
Don’t let a bed bug or flea infestation destroy your peace of mind. Proper Insurance offers the most comprehensive short-term rental insurance, covering extermination costs, lost bookings, and guest liability.
Protect your investment by contacting Proper Insurance today—the comprehensive short-term rental insurance provider that offers coverage for pest infestations. Don’t risk your reputation or your rental income—act now before pests do.
Latest
Resources
Airbnb Services and Insurance: What Hosts Should Know About Increased Liability and Property Risks
Waterfront Vacation Rental Safety Concerns Every Host Should Know
A $130k Mistake: A Real Short-Term Rental Insurance Claim
