Read first
The property manager's liability reality
When you take on a property you inherit its history, its problems, and its documentation gaps. A host who self-managed with no baseline photos, expired insurance, or an unchecked maintenance issue will present all of that as normal. It becomes your risk the moment you sign the agreement, unless you document, photograph, and fix it before the first guest.
Dollar impact
One hour of insurance verification at intake costs nothing. Discovering after a $12,000 water claim that the owner's policy excluded short-term rentals costs the relationship, the payout, and possibly the agency.
Week 1, day 1 to 2 · legal and insurance
Verify coverage before anything else
Owner's insurance:
- Request the current homeowner's or landlord's insurance policy document
- Confirm short-term rental use is EXPLICITLY covered. Many policies exclude it. Ask the question directly.
- Write down the coverage limit
- Write down the policy renewal date
- If the policy excludes STR: discuss a rider or an STR-specific policy before listing
- STR-specific insurers to recommend: Proper Insurance, Steadily, Safely, CBIZ
Platform coverage:
- Airbnb: AirCover applies automatically to listings, no sign-up needed
- VRBO: review the $1M liability terms. There is NO AirCover-equivalent damage protection.
- Booking.com: no platform damage protection at all. The owner's insurance is the only layer.
- Write down which platforms will be active
Do not skip this
VRBO does not provide AirCover-equivalent damage protection. If the owner expects VRBO to cover damage claims, correct that expectation in writing before the listing goes live.
Management agreement:
- Signed management agreement on file
- The agreement names who is responsible for damage claims: owner or PM
- The agreement names who is authorized to file claims
- The agreement sets the repair amount the PM can authorize without owner approval
- The agreement defines how insurance payouts are distributed
Locked in the full checklist
Week 1, day 3 to 5 · full assessment
Walk every system with the owner present
Week 1, day 5 to 7 · baseline
Baseline documentation, co-signed
Week 2 · setup and configuration
Access, listing, and communication setup
Before the first guest · final clearance
Final clearance and sign-off
Unlock all 6 phases, plus 3 more checklists
The pack includes every checklist on this site: claim filing, pre-stay documentation, damage first-response, and property onboarding. $9.99 once. No subscription.
Already bought the pack? Open the full checklist