VRBO, similar to other vacation rental platforms, offers its own version of travel insurance. This insurance is designed to provide financial safeguards if your trip faces disruptions due to unforeseen delays, cancellations, interruptions, or medical emergencies. Let’s delve into the specifics to understand if VRBO travel insurance is the right fit for you.
Understanding VRBO Trip Insurance Coverage
When booking a vacation rental through VRBO, travelers have the option to purchase coverage either during the initial booking process or at a later time.
VRBO Travel Insurance Offers Financial Protection
VRBO offers two primary types of protection:
- Travel Protection: This encompasses a range of benefits, including trip cancellation, trip interruption, and travel delay coverage.
- Damage Protection: This covers potential damage to the rental property during your stay.
You can opt for either plan individually or combine them for comprehensive protection.
VRBO Travel Protection: What’s Included?
VRBO’s Travel Protection plan provides coverage for:
- Trip Cancellation: Reimbursement for non-refundable trip costs if you must cancel for a covered reason.
- Trip Interruption: Compensation for unexpected events that cut your trip short.
- Travel Delay: Coverage for expenses incurred due to significant travel delays.
- Baggage Loss/Delay: Reimbursement for lost, damaged, or delayed baggage.
- Emergency Medical & Dental Expenses: Coverage for medical emergencies that arise during your trip.
The Travel Protection plan also extends to services that can be invaluable during your vacation, such as telemedicine consultations with doctors and assistance with identity theft.
VRBO Damage Protection Plan: Safeguarding the Property
VRBO’s Damage Protection Plan provides coverage for accidental damage to the vacation rental property. Specifically, it covers up to $1,500 in repair costs for damage to the real property (e.g., the land and anything permanently attached) or personal property (e.g., furniture, appliances) within the rental.
What VRBO Travel Insurance Doesn’t Cover
Like all insurance policies, VRBO’s Travel Protection and Damage Protection plans have exclusions and coverage limits.
The Travel Protection plan will not cover:
- Cancellations for reasons not listed as covered in the policy.
- Delays shorter than 12 hours.
- Loss, theft, or damage to luggage that falls under the policy’s exclusions.
The Damage Protection Plan will not cover damage caused by:
- Natural disasters or severe weather events.
- Intentional or negligent actions.
- Normal wear and tear.
- Actions that violate the rental agreement.
- Damage caused by someone other than you or your traveling companions.
Does VRBO Offer Trip Cancellation Insurance?
Yes, trip cancellation coverage is included within VRBO’s Travel Protection plan. This provides reimbursement for prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses if you must cancel your vacation due to a covered event, such as:
- Illness or injury of yourself or a traveling companion
- A natural disaster prompting a mandatory evacuation
- A strike that results in transportation cancellations
- Military duty for you, your spouse, your travel companion, or their spouse
Note that the covered event must typically occur before your trip and while the policy is active to trigger coverage.
Is VRBO Rental Insurance Worth It?
VRBO insurance boasts several advantages. It’s backed by CNA and underwritten by Generali, both reputable and financially stable insurance providers. Furthermore, obtaining coverage is convenient during the rental booking process.
However, to determine if VRBO trip insurance aligns with your specific needs, comparing it to alternative options is essential. Examining the policy details allows you to assess whether the coverage offers adequate protection for your vacation.
Consider these factors when evaluating VRBO insurance:
- Cost: Compare the price of VRBO’s insurance with other travel insurance policies.
- Coverage Limits: Evaluate the maximum payout amounts for each type of coverage.
- Exclusions: Carefully review the policy’s exclusions to understand what is not covered.
- Your Risk Tolerance: Assess your comfort level with potential financial losses if something goes wrong during your trip.
