Airbnb now lets guests insure their stays against rain. The company’s new Weather Protection add-on, underwritten by insurer Chubb, pays between 50 and 1,000 euros for each day of a stay that gets soaked, Skift reported Monday. The catch is that only residents of 10 European Union countries can buy it.
Airbnb launched the coverage Oct. 8 for guests who live in Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden. It covers trips at home or abroad. Travelers in the U.S. and everywhere else can’t buy it yet, and Airbnb hasn’t said whether that will change.
With the launch, Airbnb joins Vrbo, JetBlue Vacations and Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy, which already offer rain protection at checkout through a startup called WeatherPromise.
How Airbnb weather protection works
Weather Protection is an optional insurance policy. Guests can add it at checkout or after booking, as long as it’s at least seven days before check-in, according to Airbnb’s help center. Airbnb hasn’t made the price public.
A day qualifies when at least 1.5 millimeters of rain falls per hour, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. local time at the rental’s location, for a minimum number of hours listed on the guest’s certificate of insurance. That minimum and the daily payout vary by country and policy, so one passing shower won’t necessarily pay out.
Guests don’t file a claim. Chubb’s weather service provider tracks rainfall using independent data, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, forecasts from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, NASA satellite data and national radar. When a day meets the threshold, the guest gets an email or Airbnb notification with a secure link to Chubb’s payment portal to collect.
The policy covers rain only. Snow, hail, sleet, ice and wind don’t count.
“Rain can cast a shadow over a trip guests have been looking forward to, but it shouldn’t define it,” said Justin Brouse, Airbnb’s director of strategic partnerships, AirCover and insurance.
How it compares with Vrbo’s WeatherPromise
WeatherPromise works differently. It’s a guarantee, not an insurance policy, and it can refund up to the full cost of a stay. Instead of paying per rainy day, it sets a rain threshold for each trip. On Vrbo, for example, a guest might qualify if there are more than two days with at least two hours of rain, WeatherPromise co-founder and CEO Daniel Price told Skift in February. The add-on costs 3% to 8% of the trip on Vrbo, depending on the destination, dates and length of stay, and it’s offered to U.S. travelers.
Price told Skift this week that his user research shows offering a weather guarantee signals to guests that the weather will likely be good, which he said can help partners close more bookings.
Neither Airbnb nor WeatherPromise disclosed the financial terms of their deals with travel partners.
What travelers should check before booking
Neither product covers extreme heat, even though heat waves disrupted tourism across Europe this summer. Skift noted one competitor, Sensible Weather, which is offered through the SynXis Booking Engine and covers snow, wind and heat as well as rain.
If you live in one of the 10 eligible countries and want Airbnb’s coverage, buy it at least a week before check-in and read your certificate for the minimum number of rainy hours. Also keep in mind that Weather Protection doesn’t change your booking. Airbnb’s Major Disruptive Events policy excludes weather that’s common enough to be foreseeable, so a rainy week won’t get you a refund on the stay itself.
If you’re booking through Vrbo, JetBlue Vacations or Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy, check the WeatherPromise terms shown at checkout. The rain threshold and price are set for your specific trip.
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