Insurance Requirements: El Cerrito vs Martinez

Does unincorporated Contra Costa County require STR hosts to carry liability insurance?

No. Chapter 88-32 and the county's published STR application materials do not set a minimum host liability insurance amount as a condition of issuance. Some California cities require $500,000 or $1,000,000 minimums, but the Contra Costa County unincorporated rule does not.

Does Airbnb or Vrbo coverage substitute for a county requirement?

There is no county requirement to substitute for. Airbnb AirCover for Hosts and Vrbo Liability Insurance both provide $1 million in host liability coverage at the platform level, authorized in California by Insurance Code Section 1758.9. These are platform-level, not county-mandated, programs.

Could my homeowners policy or HOA still require STR coverage?

Yes. Standard homeowners and dwelling fire policies often exclude or limit coverage for paid short-term rental activity, and HOA CC&Rs or lender covenants may require a named-insured endorsement or commercial general liability coverage independent of the county ordinance. Check your policy and CC&Rs before listing.

Does Martinez require a short-term rental host to carry liability insurance?

No. Martinez has not adopted a short-term rental ordinance and does not impose a minimum liability-insurance amount, certificate-of-insurance filing, or additional-insured requirement on STR operators. Any insurance condition would only arise case-by-case through a bed-and-breakfast or conditional use approval under Section 22.04.051.

Does California state law require STR insurance?

No. California does not have a statewide minimum liability-insurance requirement for short-term rentals. AB 2873 (2022) is unrelated - it addresses affordable-housing tax credit allocation and supplier diversity, not STR insurance. Any STR insurance minimum comes from the local city or county, and Martinez has not adopted one.

Will my homeowner's policy cover Airbnb or Vrbo guests?

Usually not. A standard homeowner's policy typically treats paid short-term lodging as a business use and may deny claims tied to a paying guest. Most hosts purchase a dedicated short-term rental policy or commercial landlord policy, often with $1 million per-occurrence liability. Platform programs like Airbnb's AirCover supplement rather than replace a host's own primary coverage.