Insurance Requirements: Martinez vs Richmond

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.

Does Richmond, CA require a specific liability insurance amount for STRs?

No dollar minimum is specified in the published STR program. Operators must still hold a business license, pay 10% TOT, and pass a safety inspection.

Will my homeowners policy cover short-term rentals in Richmond?

Usually no. Standard homeowners policies exclude commercial rental activity; most carriers require a short-term rental endorsement or a dedicated STR policy.

What licensing does Richmond require before I can list?

A Class E business license per property, a Transient Occupancy Tax registration certificate, Home Occupation Authorization, and a passing property safety inspection.