AirCover vs Hospitable Protect vs Truvi Shootout: Which Damage Protection Wins?
Guest damage protection is a promise that someone other than you pays when a guest breaks something. AirCover, Hospitable Protect, and Truvi all make that promise, but they keep it in 3 different ways. Airbnb guarantees it, Hospitable sells it as insurance, and Truvi pays it at its own discretion.
For bookings made on or after November 20, Airbnb says hosts may not impose fines or other penalties on guests, and it points hosts to AirCover for damage. That makes your damage protection the plan for the next stained sofa. If you haven’t rewritten your rules yet, start with our House Rules Rewrite Sheet.
This Shootout is for 1 type of host. It’s a US host with 1 to 5 homes who takes bookings on Airbnb and at least 1 other channel, such as Vrbo, Booking.com, or direct.
The 3 Protections Side by Side
| Category | AirCover | Hospitable Protect | Truvi |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Airbnb’s guarantee, plus liability insurance | InWhat Each Protection Is AirCover is Airbnb’s built-in protection, and it comes with every Airbnb booking at no cost. Host damage protection reimburses you up to $3M per stay when a guest breaks something and doesn’t pay. Airbnb’s own pages say it isn’t an insurance policy, and its terms make the guest your first stop. You ask them to pay, and Airbnb steps in only if they don’t. The $1M of host liability insurance is real insurance, underwritten by third-party insurers, and both apply to Airbnb bookings only. Hospitable Protect launched in November 2026 as a place inside Hospitable to buy Guest Damage Insurance for each stay. It’s a policy from Plateau Casualty Insurance Co., sold through Tint, and you pay a fee for each protected reservation. You pick a contents limit of $1,500, $3,000, $5,000, $10,000, or $25,000, and the liability and property cover come with every tier. It’s available to US hosts with US properties, and it needs a Hospitable subscription. Truvi is guest screening plus damage protection. Truvi screens every booking, and protection applies only to bookings that pass. Truvi says it isn’t insurance but has an underwriting agreement with an insurer behind it. It works through property management software, and when you report damage, it handles the conversation with the guest. What Each Protection Costs AirCover costs nothing extra. Hospitable Protect charges $26 for a stay of up to 5 nights at the $1,500 contents tier, up to $53 at the $25,000 tier. For stays of 6 nights or more, it’s $5.20 to $10.60 a night, and that rate applies to the whole stay. The fee shows up on your monthly Hospitable invoice after checkout, and a booking canceled before check-in costs nothing. Truvi’s published prices a are $18.40, $20.10, or $28.75 per booking, depending on the protection range, and they include screening. You’re charged only for bookings that get a “Protected” status. Here’s what 100 stays a year of 5 nights or less cost:
Hospitable doesn’t screen guests, so the fair comparison for Truvi’s price is a protection fee plus a screening tool. For the other costs hiding in a year of hosting, read The Real Costs of Running an Airbnb That No One Talks About. Questions Hosts AskIs Any of This Real Insurance?Only Hospitable Protect is insurance. It’s a policy issued by Plateau Casualty Insurance Co. AirCover’s damage protection and Truvi’s payments are not insurance, by their own terms. AirCover’s liability cover is insurance. Do They Pay Replacement Cost or Depreciated Value?Hospitable’s policy settles accidental damage at replacement cost “without deduction for depreciation.” AirCover pays the lesser of the item’s cash value after depreciation, the repair cost, or the replacement cost. Truvi’s terms say payouts can reflect “depreciation based on the expected lifetime” of the item, and its claims guide says a sofa that lasts 15 years at home typically lasts 5 to 7 in a rental. What Happens If a Guest Throws a Party?Hospitable’s policy excludes losses from parties, weddings, reunions, and similar gatherings. Truvi covers an unauthorized party, but not a party you agreed to. AirCover covers damage caused by guests and their invitees, and it pays extra cleaning when unauthorized invitees are in the home. Do Pets Count?AirCover covers pet damage. Hospitable’s policy covers pet-related guest property damage, though Hospitable says damage to flooring may fall under real property cover and its $2,500 deductible. Truvi excludes pet damage, except from service animals. What About Smoking?Hospitable’s policy pays $250, $500, or $750 per stay, depending on bedroom count, and pays nothing in a unit that allows smoking. AirCover reimburses smoke odor cleaning above your cleaning fee when a guest broke your house rules. Truvi covers smoke damage in non-smoking properties. Do I Have to Chase the Guest First?AirCover requires it. You ask the guest to pay through the Resolution Center within 14 days of checkout. The guest gets 24 hours to respond, and Airbnb pays only if they don’t. With Hospitable, you file the claim, and for contents damage the claims team doesn’t contact the guest or the booking channel. With Truvi, you report the damage and Truvi handles the guest. How Long Do I Have to File?AirCover’s terms give you 30 days after checkout to file with Airbnb once you’ve asked the guest. But Airbnb’s help article says to submit within 14 days, so treat 14 as your deadline. Hospitable says there’s no fixed post-checkout deadline, though the policy requires prompt notice. Truvi requires a report within 30 days of checkout. How Fast Do I Get Paid?Hospitable’s policy pays 30 days after you and the insurer agree on the loss, once your proof of loss is in. Truvi’s terms promise first contact within 3 business days and a resolution within 30 business days, counted in English business days. Its claims guide says simple claims get an offer in 48 hours and payment within 5 business days of acceptance. Airbnb gives no fixed time and says it depends on the amount, the evidence, and its queue. Does Any of Them Cover a Guest Who Gets Hurt?AirCover includes $1M of host liability insurance on Airbnb stays. Hospitable’s policy has $1M of general liability with a $2,500 deductible, legal defense, and $10,000 of no-fault medical payments. Truvi covers neither liability nor bodily injury. Does Hospitable Protect Need a Signed Rental Agreement?The policy covers damage a guest becomes “legally liable” for under a rental agreement, and it defines that as a written agreement, on paper or electronic. Hospitable says Airbnb allows rental agreements on bookings made on or after November 20 when your insurer requires a rental agreement. Ask Hospitable how this works on each channel before you rely on it. Can I Stack Them?You can stack them. Airbnb’s terms say it reduces what it pays by what you’ve already collected from other sources, including insurance and security deposits. Truvi does the same with anything you recover from the guest. On an Airbnb stay, AirCover is already there, so the question is what you add on top. Where Each Protection Falls Short AirCover covers 1 channel. It’s a guarantee that pays after the guest doesn’t, and it reduces payouts by depreciation, by any security deposit, and by your cleaning fee. Airbnb can also deny a request if repeated claims for the same type of loss suggest you didn’t take reasonable care. Hospitable Protect needs a Hospitable subscription and is US only. It excludes parties, caps smoking, and pays 1 bed bug occurrence per property every 12 months, and only after a licensed pest professional confirms it. The $1M property cover applies to listed causes: Fire, smoke, explosion, falling objects, riot, and certain water leaks. Other accidental damage is paid up to the contents limit you choose. Truvi describes its payouts in its terms as “ex gratia,” a legal phrase for a payment made as a favor, and the decision to pay is its alone. It requires completed screening, excludes pets, hot tub and pool maintenance, and infestations, and doesn’t pay for single items worth more than about $3,500. A claim needs timestamped before-and-after photos, third-party invoices, and the guest’s consent to Truvi’s agreement, and English law governs the terms. The Verdict: Hospitable Protect WinsFor a US host with 1 to 5 homes on Airbnb plus another channel, Hospitable Protect wins. It’s the only option of the 3 that’s real insurance, so a claim runs on a policy and not on anyone’s discretion. It pays replacement cost with no deductible on contents. It covers Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, and direct bookings under 1 policy, and you file inside the tool you already use to run those bookings. AirCover covers 1 channel and pays only after you’ve chased the guest. Truvi pays after depreciation, at its own call. The price is a Hospitable subscription, $26 to $53 a stay, and no cover for a party. Keep AirCover on for your Airbnb stays, because it costs nothing. If you run bookings in another system, ask whether it offers a Tint program: Tint says Guesty, OwnerRez, and Escapia embed theirs. BOOK YOUR COMPLIMENTARY STRATEGY CALL HERE → 0 Comments Active Here: 0 Login or Register to join the conversation. Be the first to leave a comment.   Loading No Name Set This is the actual comment. It's can be long or short. And must contain only text information. (Edited) Your comment will appear once approved by a moderator. 0 0   CREATE A |