Making the Most of Vacation Rental Damage Protection

Since 2008, we’ve been offering Vacation Rental Damage Protection to help cover your rental properties and your guests if they cause accidental damages. We’re proud to have offered this valuable protection for over a decade—our damage protection plans have even become an essential tool for some of our partners as they look for new ways to generate revenue, market their listings and deal with damages that can negatively impact guest satisfaction.

But is your Vacation Rental Damage Protection plan working at its best? Here are a few tips that we’ve acquired over the years that can help property management companies and their managers make the most out of their Vacation Rental Damage Protection offering.

Encourage Guests to Report Damages

Guests who pay traditional security deposits may be less inclined to bring accidental damages to your attention, but if they purchase Vacation Rental Damage Protection guests can rent with fewer worries—that’s why they purchased the insurance. We recommend encouraging your guests to immediately notify your rental office of any accidental damage that takes place during their stay. In some cases, we may need to follow up with guests if more information is needed, but guests can rest assured they will not be penalized because a claim is filed.

Document Damages at Check-out/Check-in

Knowing when damages took place will help us resolve your claim more quickly and efficiently so we recommend checking the property for damages after each reservation. Some of our partners ask their guests to quickly scan the property for damages at check-in and document their findings in order to help inform their rental office of any damages and when they took place.

Take Photographs and File Claims Promptly

Providing thorough documentation and filing claims promptly helps our claims department process cases in a timely manner and minimizes the need for your assigned representative to follow-up with you or your guest for more information. Photographs are always highly desired and other documentation, such as receipts or repair invoices, may also be required to finalize your claim.

Offer the Program with Every Listing

Managers renting units with antique or particularly expensive furnishings may feel more comfortable requiring traditional security deposits from their guests as Vacation Rental Damage protection plans are unable to cover all damages, such as those that are intentional or malicious. Yet, even guests who are paying traditional deposits may still benefit from purchasing Vacation Rental Damage protection—if they cause accidental damage, they can file a claim and seek reimbursement for amounts that your office withholds from their deposit to repair or replace the damages—you can also ask the guest to assign their insurance benefits to your rental office, rather than withholding any of their security deposit. Plus, your office earns a commission on each plan sold.

Generali Global Assistance is dedicated to continuing to help our partners succeed by adding revenue to your bottom line and improving the guest experience with our Vacation Rental Damage Protection products. Following these suggestions can help your office make the most out of your offering and your dedicated account management team is always available to discuss ways to improve program performance at your agency. To learn more or to set up a customized training, contact your account manager.

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