Putting your property on short-term rental in Annecy also means accepting that strangers will stay there — and so asking the question of damage. The good news: there are several layers of protection, and combined well, they cover the essentials. The bad reflex: believing a single insurance policy is enough. Here is how to find your way through it, without the jargon.
The different layers of protection
- Non-occupying owner home insurance (in France, “PNO”): the baseline — it covers the building and certain risks even when the home is rented out. Check with your insurer, telling them about the short-term rental use.
- Platform guarantees: Airbnb, Booking and the others offer their own host protection / damage mediation schemes. The scope, limits and conditions vary from one platform to another — you have to read them.
- The security deposit: requested from the guest, it covers minor damage without triggering a heavy procedure.
- Short-term-rental-specific insurance: some insurers offer dedicated policies (furnished tourist rental cover) that complement the baseline owner insurance.
What really makes the difference: responsiveness
In practice, what limits costly damage is less the “miracle policy” than the chain: a condition check at every turnover, photos, a quick report, a claim filed on time with the platform and/or the insurer, and follow-up. A problem spotted and documented the same day gets resolved; the same problem discovered three weeks later, much less so.
The role of a concierge service
A local concierge service such as Yes Conciergerie doesn’t replace your insurance, but it makes that chain work: checking the condition of the property at every departure, documenting any damage, handling the security deposit and platform-side mediation, coordinating repairs. That is what makes the protection… actually effective. See our full concierge service in Annecy and our dedicated Airbnb management.
This article is informational and does not constitute insurance advice: always check the exact terms of your policies and the platforms’ guarantees with the relevant providers.
