Proper Insurance’s Specialized Pet & Animal Liability Coverage
An Airbnb guest’s dog bites a passerby, your neighbor’s pet bolts out the front door and heads straight for the guests unpacking their car on your property, an unexpected raccoon visit—animal-related liability is one of the most overlooked risks in short-term rentals.
While welcoming pets may increase bookings and guest satisfaction, it also increases your exposure to lawsuits and property damage. Even if your property has a strict “no pets” policy, guests don’t always follow the rules—and unfortunately, most Homeowners and Landlord policies exclude or limit coverage for any damage or injury involving animals at vacation rental properties.
Proper’s Pet & Animal Liability Coverage is built specifically for short-term rental owners, filling a dangerous and expensive gap left by standard insurance policies. Whether the animal is a pet, a neighbor’s “friendly” dog, or a curious critter from the nearby woods, Proper’s robust short-term rental insurance policy protects your property, your liability, and your business.
What is Pet and Animal Liability Coverage?
From friendly dogs to unexpected wildlife encounters, animal-related incidents are more common than many hosts realize. And when something goes wrong—a guest is bitten, a neighbor files a lawsuit — the financial fallout can be significant. Standard Homeowners and Landlord policies typically exclude or severely limit animal-related claims—whether from domestic pets or wildlife incidents—leaving hosts financially vulnerable to out-of-pocket expenses.
Proper Insurance is the nation’s leading short-term rental insurance provider, offering specialized Pet & Animal Liability Coverage designed to address common and uncommon hosting risks head-on. This specific policy enhancement includes liability protection for injuries caused by animals (yes, even undisclosed guest pets).
Proper Insurance’s specialized Pet & Animal Liability Coverage closes crucial coverage gaps, safeguarding short-term rental owners from financial losses due to dog bites and wildlife-related liability incidents, even off-premises.
Why Is Animal Liability Coverage Important?
The nature of short-term rentals—frequent turnover and diverse guests—means that animal-related risks can appear without warning. Whether a guest brings a dog without disclosing it, or your peaceful lakeside rental attracts wild animals, the liability falls on the property owner and manager.
A single incident can lead to lawsuits for injuries or medical bills. Standard Homeowners and Landlord policies often exclude or limit liability coverage for pets and animals. That’s why Proper’s enhanced protection is so critical—it’s insurance designed for the real risks of short-term rental ownership.
What’s Included in Proper’s Pet & Animal Liability Insurance?
Unlike traditional insurance products, Proper Insurance provides comprehensive protection explicitly tailored for Airbnb hosts, property managers, and short-term rental owners:
Dog Bite & Pet Injury Liability Coverage
Protection up to your policy limit ($1 million+) in addition to coverage for legal expenses resulting from dog bites, pet-related injuries, or lawsuits involving animals and your short-term rental guests during their stay at your property. Unlike other insurers that carve out a sublimit (often just a few thousand dollars), with Proper’s responsive liability insurance, every covered expense—medical, settlement, or damage—draws from your full $1 million liability bucket.
Coverage Extends Off-Premises
Your liability as a host doesn’t stop at the end of property, but with a standard Landlord or Homeowner’s policy, your coverage does. If a guest’s dog bites a neighbor on the sidewalk or a guest gets injured by a neighbor’s pet on a trail, you could still be held responsible. Standard Landlord policies limit liability to your property lines, and HO policies exclude business activity like STRs. Proper’s commercial liability coverage follows your guests (and their pets) off-premises for protection beyond your door.
Wildlife Incident Coverage
Comprehensive liability protection if guests are injured by wildlife during their stay at your property, such as raccoons, bears, snakes, alligators, etc. Proper Insurance protects you if you are found liable for guest injuries, medical expenses, and liability claims resulting from wildlife incidents.
No Breed/Animal Exclusions
Unlike standard policies, Proper Insurance has no exclusions for dog breeds—including commonly excluded breeds—and provides inclusive protection during wildlife incidents typically omitted from standard policies.
Flea Insurance for STRs
Reimbursement for professional extermination costs and up to one week of lost rental revenue*, along with legal and liability defense included within your $1 million liability protection.
In-House Claims Processing
Animal/pet liability claims will be handled by Proper’s in-house claims department, so you can expect top-notch claims service and unmatched customer service from the start.
Unmatched Coverage Strengthened by Expert Claims Handling
“I had an exceptional experience with my insurance claims adjuster, Chelsey. Their professionalism and prompt communication made the process stress-free. They were empathetic, thorough, and kept me informed every step of the way. I couldn’t have asked for better support during a challenging time!”
– Vinny C.
“You literally took my fear away of working on the claim. I felt valued and appreciated as a client and a person dealing with an awful and traumatizing experience… Thank you for being what insurance used to be: there to help when needed. I would recommend them to anyone in the short-term rental business.”
– Darlena M.
Real Wildlife Incidents & Pet Liability Claims
Proper Insurance’s Pet & Animal Liability Coverage has proven its value to short-term rental owners throughout the nation. The following are just a few examples of real animal-related claims experienced by STR owners and property managers:
Guests with a Pet Caused Nearly $10k in Damages
Sometimes, the risk of renting comes from the unexpected, like the damage caused by a pet’s accident. This particular claim was filed by a property manager who was subleasing an Airbnb rental. After vacating the property, the host didn’t receive their security deposit, and upon inquiry, the landlord revealed the unfortunate discovery of pet urine damage.
The damage was clearly well beyond normal wear and tear. In this case, coverage was afforded for the floors as well as costs to clean, replace, and repair multiple areas of the property. After submitting quotes from professional cleaners and a full breakdown of the damages, Proper Insurance came through with a $9,119.96 payout to cover the costs. Whether it’s accidental or a guest’s furry friend leaving their mark, Proper Insurance has your back, covering the damage and lost revenue caused by unexpected pet-related incidents.
Squirrel to Blame for $16,000 Insurance Claim
Not all damage comes from guests. In this wild claim, a squirrel decided to invade a Tennessee short-term rental property, causing significant damage to window trim, blinds, and the surrounding wood. The property manager discovered the damage after spotting the squirrel, but it escaped, leaving no trace of where it had gone.
Despite multiple inspections and attempts to capture the animal, the squirrel’s havoc left $16k in damages to five windows and blinds. With Proper, the host received the full reimbursement for the wild animal-related damage, getting them a $16,901.89 payout and back to business faster than they thought was possible.
How to Activate Your Animal Liability Coverage
When an animal-related incident occurs at your short-term rental—whether it’s a guest’s dog biting a neighbor, a rogue scratch from a bat requiring rabies treatment, or an animal causing unexpected property damage—Proper Insurance makes it easy to activate your coverage.
Proper’s Process for Airbnb Animal Claims:
- Ensure Safety and Document the Incident
If an Airbnb guest is injured by an animal, seek medical help or animal control assistance right away. Then, document the situation thoroughly—photos, videos, and written accounts are key, especially if there are injuries or property damage. - Collect Contact Information of Relevant Parties
Record the guest’s contact details and the animal’s information, if available. If a third party is involved, like a neighbor or local authority, include that information as well. - Promptly Notify Proper’s Claims Department
Reach out to our claims team as soon as possible. Provide a full account of what happened, along with supporting documentation. The sooner we have the details, the faster we can help. - Track Expenses and Related Losses
Keep a record of all medical bills, property repairs, or other costs resulting from the incident. - Continue to Keep Updated Files as the Situation is Resolved
Update your claim with any final documentation or invoices as needed or requested.
Proper’s unique policy includes animal liability coverage, even for incidents involving neighboring pets that harm your guests, and even wildlife injuries and encounters. By following these steps and submitting detailed records, you’ll set the stage for a smooth claims process—and get back to hosting with peace of mind.
Animal Liability Claims Can Cost Airbnb Hosts Thousands—Are You Covered?
Without dedicated animal liability coverage, even minor pet-related incidents can quickly escalate financially. Dog bites and injury claims exceed $1 billion in settlement claims annually (2023). With consideration to unforeseen events and coverage-denial-eager companies striking down claims, it’s important to protect your property from the real risks of owning a vacation rental.
Proper Insurance’s specialized pet liability coverage ensures your short-term rental business remains protected against a range of pet and animal related incidents.
Frequently Asked Questions: Pet & Animal Liability Coverage from Proper Insurance
Whether you allow pets at your rental or not, animal-related risks are part of the hosting experience. From policy confusion to unexpected exclusions, we’ve rounded up the most common questions short-term rental owners ask about pet and animal liability coverage—and how Proper Insurance responds when it matters most.
Does homeowners insurance cover pet damage or dog bites at my Airbnb?
Usually, no. Standard Homeowners policies frequently exclude or strictly limit coverage for short-term rentals through a “business activity exclusion”. That includes pet damage, dog bites, wildlife incidents, and pet liability incidents at short-term rentals. If your policy does not cover off-premises liability and/or excludes pet and animal liability, property owners could be left financially responsible for the remaining costs.
Proper Insurance addresses these gaps, providing Commerical-grade liability insurance specifically designed for short-term rental hosts, up to $1 million in protection.
Does Airbnb AirCover protect against pet-related incidents?
Unfortunately, Airbnb’s AirCover is illusive more than anything when it comes to what they will and will not cover. Not only is there no public release of all AirCover’s exclusions, since your name is not on the AirCover policy itself, you have no policy rights meaning your at the complete and total will of Airbnb on if, what, and how much they decide to cover. Without specialized coverage, hosts may shoulder all expenses related to short-term rental incidents, potentially costing thousands in legal fees, repairs, and refunded bookings. Proper Insurance provides dedicated Airbnb host insurance covering animal-related liability protection and guest-caused damage, even by their pets.
*Airbnb policies and Airbnb exclusions are subject to frequent change. Check Airbnb’s current policies for the most recent updates.
Can Airbnb hosts be sued over dog bites or wildlife injuries to guests?
Yes—hosts face regular lawsuits from guests over pet and animal-related injuries. The average dog bite claim in the United States costs nearly $70k in medical expenses, legal fees, and settlements. Proper’s Airbnb host insurance includes comprehensive liability insurance covering you for up to $1 million if a guest sues and you are found liable due to an animal-related incident related to your short-term rental business.
Does Proper Insurance cover Pit Bulls and aggressive dog breeds?
Absolutely. Proper Insurance’s Airbnb insurance does not have breed restrictions. So, if you are found liable for an instance involving an aggressive breed, our comprehensive short-term rental insurance would protect you regardless of whether it was a pit bull, Doberman, Rottweiler, or other breeds traditionally excluded by standard policies.
Secure Your Short-Term Rental Investment with Proper’s Pet Liability Coverage Today
Don’t wait for an animal-related incident to happen at your Airbnb to confirm if you have coverage in place. Proper Insurance’s comprehensive coverage protects you during guest-related accidents and injury, damage to your property or contents, and your bottom line with unique revenue coverage—helping ensure worry-free hosting for properties that welcome pets or often encounter wildlife.
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