Does a regular homeowners policy cover a Pinellas short-term rental? Not once you rent it out often. A standard policy is written for a home you live in. Most limit or exclude "business" use. Citizens, the state-created insurer many Pinellas owners use, is making that explicit. State regulators approved its new homeowners forms, and they take effect for new and renewal policies on December 1, 2026. The forms treat renting a home to guests more than three times a year for short stays as business. They drop liability coverage for it.
I'm a broker and an Airbnb Superhost, and I own and manage short-term and furnished rentals. I live in downtown St. Petersburg. I'm not an insurance agent, so use this as a checklist for the talk with yours.
What this covers
- What is changing at Citizens on December 1, 2026?
- Does a regular homeowners policy cover Airbnb guests?
- Can Citizens insure a short-term rental at all?
- What does Airbnb's AirCover cover, and what does it skip?
- Does a short-term rental need flood insurance?
- How do hurricane deductibles work on a rental?
- What does a condo owner insure in a rental unit?
- What should a buyer ask before closing?
What is changing at Citizens on December 1, 2026?
On October 1, 2026, Citizens Property Insurance Corporation told its agents that the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation approved new personal lines forms. They apply to new and renewal business as of December 1, 2026. Four changes matter for a rental owner:
- Business now includes short stays. This applies to the homeowners, renters, condo unit and older-home forms (HO-3, HO-4, HO-6 and HO-8). "Business" now includes renting the home to guests more than three times in a calendar year. The test counts stays of less than 30 days or one calendar month, whichever is less. It also covers a home held out to the public as a place regularly rented to guests.
- No liability coverage for that business. The same forms say the business exclusion removes coverage when the home is rented that way.
- Dwelling policies too. The personal liability form for DP-1 and DP-3 policies excludes injuries tied to "home-sharing host activities." It also excludes liability when the home is rented, or held for rent, through a home-sharing platform. Medical payments to others no longer cover injury to a home-sharing occupant.
- Required flood coverage can affect a wind claim. The same bulletin adds a flood-insurance condition on personal lines forms other than HO-4, HO-6, HW-4 and HW-6. If Citizens confirmed required flood coverage when the policy was issued or renewed, and that flood insurance is not in force at the level Florida law requires on the date of a wind loss, the policy may not cover the wind loss. If Citizens asks for a signed authorization to release flood-policy documents, it must be returned within 30 days. Failure to return it may also block wind coverage. The policyholder flood-insurance affirmation form now says the requirement continues at renewal. Ask your agent whether your policy must carry flood coverage, and keep that policy in force.
If your Citizens policy renews on or after December 1 and you list the home on Airbnb or Vrbo, read the renewal packet for the 12-26 form editions. Then call your agent before the renewal date, not after a claim.
Does a regular homeowners policy cover Airbnb guests?
Often not. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners is the group of state insurance regulators. It says homeowners and dwelling policies are generally not designed to cover accidents from short-term rentals, except "occasional" ones. If a policy has a home-sharing or rental exclusion, the insurer may deny the claim.
The gap shows up in two places. The first is liability: a paying guest slips on the pool deck or a stair. The second is the house itself, if the policy treats your rentals as a business it never agreed to cover. Every private insurer writes its own forms, so the only reliable answer is the policy language for that house. Tell your agent the property is a short-term rental, how many stays a year you expect and which platforms you use. Ask for the answer in writing.
The usual options are a policy written for short-term rentals, or a dwelling policy for rental homes with liability added. Ask whether the policy covers lost rental income after a covered loss, the furniture and supplies you own, and liability for guests and their belongings.
Can Citizens insure a short-term rental at all?
Not on its regular homeowners product. Citizens' own answer page lists two tests. A property is not eligible for Personal Residential Multiperil coverage if it is rented to guests more than three times in a calendar year for less than 30 days or one calendar month, whichever is less. The same goes if it is advertised as a place regularly rented to guests.
Citizens offers one narrow option. If the property sits in a wind-only eligible area, it may qualify for a Personal Residential Wind-Only policy. That covers wind, not liability, and you would still need the rest of the coverage from another insurer.
Condo buildings face their own limits at Citizens:
- Wind-only for the building. Section 627.351 of the Florida Statutes sets this one. A residential condo is not eligible for commercial wind-only coverage if 50% or more of its units are rented more than eight times a year for less than 30 days.
- Multiperil for the building. Citizens' commercial rules exclude condo, apartment, co-op and HOA buildings with transient lodging. The exception is a building where 25% or less of the units are used for transient stays.
That is the association's policy, not yours, but it affects you. Ask the association who insures the building and whether rental levels have ever been an issue with the carrier. My condo-hotels guide covers buildings run like hotels.
If you can't find coverage, the Florida Department of Financial Services points owners to the Florida Market Assistance Plan. It is a free service that helps find coverage for a home, rental or vacation property.
What does Airbnb's AirCover cover, and what does it skip?
AirCover for hosts includes host liability insurance. Airbnb's help page says it provides $1 million in coverage if you are found legally responsible for a guest getting hurt. It also covers a guest's belongings that are damaged or stolen during a stay. Co-hosts and cleaners are included.
Read the limits. Airbnb says host liability insurance doesn't cover intentional damage or injury. It doesn't cover damage a guest does to your place or your belongings either. That falls under a separate program, host damage protection. Airbnb's help page says host damage protection is not insurance or a financial service. The program terms say it is not an insurance contract, not an offer to insure, and does not take the place of insurance you buy. Airbnb also says other exclusions apply. Host liability insurance and host damage protection only apply to Airbnb stays. A Vrbo booking or a direct booking needs its own coverage.
AirCover works as a backstop to a policy in your own name. It does not replace one.
Does a short-term rental need flood insurance?
Plan on it near the water. FloodSmart, the federal flood insurance site, says most homeowners and renters insurance does not cover flood damage. It also says National Flood Insurance Program policies take 30 days to go into effect. Buy flood coverage before closing, not the week a storm is named.
Whether a lender requires it depends on the flood zone. My Pinellas flood zone guide covers the zones, the lender rule and the 50% rule for repairs, so I won't repeat it here.
How do hurricane deductibles work on a rental?
The hurricane deductible is often a percentage, not a flat dollar amount. Section 627.701 of the Florida Statutes sets the choices. Before an insurer issues a home policy, it must offer hurricane deductibles of $500, 2%, 5% and 10% of the dwelling limit (unless the percentage comes to less than $500). The hurricane deductible applies once per calendar year to all covered hurricane losses with the same insurer or group.
On a $500,000 dwelling limit, a 2% deductible is $10,000 and a 10% deductible is $50,000. Keep that much cash in reserve. Roof age and a wind mitigation report also change what you pay. My deferred maintenance guide explains both.
What does a condo owner insure in a rental unit?
More than most buyers expect. Section 718.111(11) of the Florida Statutes says the association's policy must exclude these items when they sit inside the unit and serve only that unit:
- Personal property, such as furniture and supplies
- Floor, wall and ceiling coverings
- Electrical fixtures, appliances and water heaters
- Built-in cabinets and countertops
- Window treatments, such as curtains, drapes and blinds
The statute says that property, and insurance for it, is the unit owner's responsibility. A furnished rental has more of it than most units.
Section 627.714 adds one more piece. A unit owner's policy must include at least $2,000 of loss assessment coverage, with a deductible of no more than $250. It pays toward your share of an association assessment after a covered loss. Ask your agent whether a higher limit makes sense for your building. My downtown St. Pete condo guide covers who pays for insurance increases and special assessments.
What should a buyer ask before closing?
Get quotes during the inspection period, before you are bound to close. Ask these questions:
- Will this policy cover the home as a short-term rental, at the number of stays I expect?
- Does it cover liability for guests, and at what limit?
- Does it cover my furniture, supplies and lost rental income after a covered loss?
- What are the hurricane deductible and any roof deductible, in dollars?
- Is flood coverage separate, and when does it start?
- For a condo: who insures the building, and has the association had trouble finding coverage?
If the seller has been renting the home, ask for the current policy's declarations page. If the seller rents it out on a homeowners policy that excludes rentals, treat that as a warning sign. My guide to buying an operating Airbnb covers what else transfers at closing. The cost-to-own guide shows where insurance fits in a yearly budget. The local rules come first, so check the address on the Pinellas short-term rental map.
Sources
- Citizens Property Insurance Corporation: Personal Lines: 2026 Form Changes (Oct. 1, 2026), Does Citizens provide coverage for short-term rentals?, Commercial Lines Updates, transient occupancy eligibility
- Florida Statutes, 2026: 627.351, 627.701, 627.714, 718.111
- Florida Department of Financial Services: Shopping for homeowners insurance
- National Association of Insurance Commissioners: Insurance Implications of Home-Sharing
- FloodSmart (FEMA): What you need to know about buying flood insurance
- Airbnb: Host liability insurance, Host damage protection (Airbnb states this program is not insurance)
General real estate education only, not insurance or legal advice. Policy forms differ by insurer and change at renewal. Read your own policy and ask a licensed Florida insurance agent. Checked November 15, 2026.
Cover photo: St Pete Beach FL Pass-a-Grille HD05 by Ebyabe, under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license. We cropped and resized it.