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Frequently asked questions

General questions

What is Partner Liability Insurance?

Partner Liability Insurance is a programme that protects you against third-party lawsuits or liability claims for bodily injury or property damage incurred during the dates of a reservation made through Booking.com. For example, if your guest slips in the bath and breaks their leg during their stay, this accident may be eligible for a claim.

How does the programme work?

The Partner Liability Insurance provides Booking.com partners (both owners and property managers) with US$1,000,000 in primary liability coverage for all stays booked through our platform at no additional cost to you. This means that if you don’t already have a liability policy, this policy responds first if someone makes a claim against you. If you already have a liability policy for your property, then consider this to be additional coverage on top of what you have.

This policy applies to all stayed nights booked through Booking.com that occur on or after 1 Oct 2023. As long as you remain opted in to the coverage during the stay dates, the time at which the booking was made is irrelevant.

What does primary insurance mean?

If you don’t have liability insurance for your home-like property, this programme will work alongside your current provider in the event that your primary policy responds first. You will be given up to US$1,000,000 in protection for all stays booked through the Booking.com platform.

Is the coverage/policy provided by Booking.com?

No, Booking.com is not the insurer. We have partnered with Zurich Insurance Company Ltd, a major global insurance company to provide you with a liability insurance solution that protects you against the unexpected.

How much do I pay for it?

Your eligible properties are automatically enrolled at no cost. All of your Booking.com stays will be covered unless you explicitly opt-out of the programme.

Are there any additional charges?

No, there are no additional charges and your commission fees will not go up because of the programme.

What if I already have a homeowners policy?

Your existing homeowners policy may not cover accidents during rental periods. Neither we nor Zurich Insurance Company Ltd can advise you on the suitability or coverage provided by your homeowners policy. We ask that you check your existing policy and contact your homeowner insurance policy provider for confirmation of whether or not the rental of your property is covered. If you don’t need the property liability insurance provided by Zurich Insurance Company Ltd, you can opt-out of the programme.

After being enrolled, what is the waiting time before the property is covered?

Your property is covered as soon as it is listed on Booking.com. All Booking.com stays taking place after 1 Oct 2023 will be covered, regardless of when the reservation was made.

If I no longer want to be in the programme, how do I opt out?

If you no longer want to be in the Partner Liability Insurance programme, you can opt-out at any time. To do so, simply visit the ‘General info’ page under the ‘Property’ tab in the extranet and click the opt-out button. You are free to opt-in again at any time on the same page.

Coverage

Does the Partner Liability Insurance policy provide coverage for bookings made through other sites?

No, the Partner Liability Insurance provides protection only for bookings made via the Booking.com platform.

What is covered?

Full detail of the terms and conditions of the Partner Liability Insurance policy can be obtained via Marsh. Please enquire at the following email address: BookingPolicySummary@marsh.com.

What are the home-like property types?

The following property types are considered home-like property types: Aparthotel, Apartment, Bed and Breakfast, Camping, Country House, Chalet, Condo, Cottage, Farm Stay, Gite, Guest House, Holiday Home, Holiday Park, Homestay, Riad, Ryokan, Stationary Houseboat, Tented Camp, Villa.

Is my property covered?

The Partner Liability Insurance is available for every stay booked through Booking.com for home-like properties in most of the locations in which Booking.com operates. See the Policy Summary (Appendix A) for a list of all countries covered by the Partner Liability Insurance programme. Zurich Insurance Company Ltd retains the right to withdraw coverage and indemnity subject to regulatory requirements, such as changes and updates to sanctioned territories.

What is the coverage period of the programme, when does it begin and end?

The Partner Liability Insurance programme commences on 1 Oct 2023, and ends on 31 Dec 2024 and provides coverage for reservations made on Booking.com for stays that occur on or after 1 Oct 2023. If your guest’s booking was made before the start date, but the stay date falls within this time frame, the stay is still covered.

What if a booking was made months ago for a stay date after 1 Oct 2023, is that covered?

Yes, as long as your property is eligible for the programme and the reservation is made on Booking.com, it will be covered.

Where can I see a policy summary?

My Booking.com guest left the tap on and water leaked into my neighbour’s apartment. Is the cost of this damage eligible for a Partner Liability Insurance programme claim?

This may be covered by the Partner Liability Insurance programme, as long as it is a Booking.com reservation. For further information please contact Zurich Insurance Company Ltd.

Does Partner Liability Insurance cover the partner or the guest?

The partner is the beneficiary of the Partner Liability Insurance Policy. It covers partners against third-party liability claims. Please keep in mind that it does not cover the partner’s personal liabilities such as your own personal bodily injuries (e.g. you break your arm tripping over a step at the property) or damage that the property owner or management company or employees or agents acting on their behalf may cause.

My guest made a booking through Booking.com and broke their leg in the bathroom during their stay and has asked me to cover medical costs. Is this incident eligible for a Partner Liability Insurance policy claim?

This may be covered by the Partner Liability Insurance programme, as long as it is a Booking.com reservation. For further information please contact Zurich Insurance Company Ltd.

Are all of my future reservations covered?

Yes, all Booking.com reservations after 1 Oct 2023 are covered for stays during the coverage period of the programme.

Does the Partner Liability Insurance provide coverage for bookings made through other sites?

No, the Partner Liability Insurance provides protection only for bookings made via the Booking.com platform.

Is the Partner Liability Insurance a life insurance policy?

No, the coverage is on a third-party liability basis. It indemnifies the partner towards the third parties. Please check the policy summary for further details of this coverage.

My guest broke the TV during a stay – is it covered?

No, the Partner Liability Insurance doesn’t cover damage to the partner’s own property and/or contents

The policy summary is in English, but that’s not my native language. Is the policy summary available in different languages?

Translated versions of the Policy Summary are available in any one of the 43 languages supported on our platform.

Claims

Where can I submit a claim?

In case of a liability claim relating to a stay made through a Booking.com reservation, you can submit your claim through the form. Any claims that are submitted will be handled by Zurich Insurance Company Ltd, not Booking.com.

What information do I need to provide to submit a claim?

A representative from the global claims administration provider, Crawford, will ask you for all the necessary information during your claim submission. Please keep in mind that you may be asked to provide proof and documentation about the claim.

How long does it take the claims handler to evaluate a claim?

You will receive a confirmation receipt from Crawford within 48 hours of your claim being submitted. After you provide the information requested by the claims administrator, they will evaluate your claim and will make a decision on whether or not to accept it or they may require further information from you before they can determine the outcome of the same. The Claims Administrator will communicate with you via email.

Can I make a claim in my own language?

Claims can be submitted in any of their supported languages: Afrikaans, Arabic, Bulgarian, Cantonese, Croatian, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, Flemish, French, German, Georgian, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Icelandic, isiZulu, Italian, Japanese, Malay, Malayalam, Mandarin, Ndebele, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Putonghua, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Sotho, Spanish, Swati, Swedish, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Tsonga, Tswana, Turkish, Ukrainian, Venda, Xhosa.

What happens if my claim is rejected?

Crawford will provide you with a written explanation as to why a claim was rejected. If you disagree, a complaints procedure can be followed. Details of this complaints procedure can be found in Complaints section of the policy summary.

How can I check my claim status?

Once you submit your claim, please reach out to Crawford at Booking.comHelp@crawford.com for an update about the status of your claim. Please do not send any claims related information to Crawford by email.

Contact

Who should I contact in case I have further questions about the insurance programme (e.g. coverage question)?

Booking.com cannot provide you with advice or recommendations in respect of the Liability Insurance Policy, claims or complaints matters. Please contact Crawford by email at Booking.comHelp@crawford.com. Their supported languages are Afrikaans, Arabic, Bulgarian, Cantonese, Croatian, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, Flemish, French, German, Georgian, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Icelandic, isiZulu, Italian, Japanese, Malay, Malayalam, Mandarin, Ndebele, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Putonghua, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Sotho, Spanish, Swati, Swedish, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Tsonga, Tswana, Turkish, Ukrainian, Venda, Xhosa.