Are You Overlooking the One Thing That Could Sink Your STR Business?

When it comes to short-term rentals, most hosts are laser-focused on booking calendars, five-star reviews, and boosting nightly rates. But what about insurance?

In this episode of Thanks for Visiting, Darren Nix, founder of landlord insurance company Steadily, joins us to explain why so many hosts are underinsured—and what to do about it.

Steadily – Landlord insurance built for real estate investors.

Darren shares his own hard-earned story: a rental property fire that led to $250,000 in damages and a frustrating, confusing claims process that dragged on for nearly a year. That experience set him on a mission to build an insurance company built around real estate investors—people who understand that rental properties are small businesses, not just homes.

So what do most hosts get wrong? Here are some highlights:

• Fires, water damage, and wind—not guests—are the biggest insurance risks.
  Think less about party damage and more about burst pipes or trees crashing through your roof.
• A 30-day vacancy can void your coverage.
  Yep, that’s real. And most hosts don’t find out until it’s too late. If your property sits vacant for too long—even unintentionally—you may not be covered for certain claims.
• Aircover is not a full insurance policy.
  It only covers guest-caused damage during the stay. If anything else happens (fire, storm, vandalism), it won’t protect you.
• You might be underinsured and not know it.
  Many hosts have coverage limits that haven’t kept pace with the rising cost of materials and labor. If you haven’t reviewed your policy since buying the property, now’s the time.
• Waivers and legalese won’t always hold up.
  That pool or hot tub waiver? It may not protect you from a lawsuit. That’s why proper coverage is critical—no matter how careful your setup is.

Darren offers practical advice for evaluating your current policy, asking better questions, and even using tools like ChatGPT to understand your policy language (with a smart caveat: don’t trust the summary, trust the source citation).

The takeaway? Don’t wait for a disaster to find out what your insurance doesn’t cover. Take action now to protect your properties—and your peace of mind.

Download a transcript of this episode.

Resources:

• Steadily – Landlord insurance built for real estate investors.
• STRShare.com – Submit your property for a chance to be featured.
• #STRShareSunday: @thelaurelloft
• Submit your property for our next #STRShareSunday at strshare.com

#STRShareSunday

@thelaurelloft

With a design-forward aesthetic and a cohesive, intentional Instagram feed to match, this short-term rental is a masterclass in branding meets hospitality. Every detail feels elevated yet approachable, from the thoughtfully curated interiors to the clean, calming visuals that carry across their social media and booking site. One standout move? Their annual “year in reviews” reel. It’s a brilliant way to showcase consistency, build trust, and highlight the guest experience over time. Bonus points for making it part of their content strategy year after year—an easy-to-execute idea worth borrowing.

And yes—guests can book direct at thelaurelloft.com, making it that much easier to return again and again. For hosts looking to level up their visual storytelling and guest communication, The Laurel Loft is one to watch.

We would love to feature YOU! Submit your property for our next #STRShareSunday at strshare.com.