Reading PA does not require short-term rental hosts to carry a specific insurance policy or post a liability minimum, and Pennsylvania has no statewide STR insurance mandate. However, hosts using Airbnb or VRBO rely on platform-provided host protection (AirCover up to $1M, VRBO Liability Insurance up to $1M), and a personal homeowner's policy almost always excludes commercial transient rental.
Neither the Reading City Code nor the Berks County hotel-tax ordinance imposes an insurance requirement on STR operators. Pennsylvania has not legislated a statewide STR insurance floor, so coverage is governed entirely by contract: the host's homeowner's or landlord policy, the rental platform's host-protection program, and any condo or HOA master policy. The major risk for hosts is that a standard Pennsylvania HO-3 homeowner's policy contains a 'business pursuits' exclusion that voids coverage for property damage and liability arising out of a rental for compensation - including a single Airbnb booking. Hosts should either (1) endorse a 'home-sharing' or short-term-rental rider onto the HO-3, (2) move to a commercial Landlord Dwelling policy (DP-3) plus a Hosted Lodging endorsement, or (3) purchase a dedicated STR policy from a specialist carrier (Proper, Slice, CBIZ). Platform protection programs are secondary, not a substitute: Airbnb AirCover provides up to $1,000,000 liability and $3,000,000 host damage but only for losses caused by the verified booking guest and only when filed through Airbnb; VRBO's Liability Insurance is similar. Reading's Landlord Business Privilege License application does not require proof of insurance, but the City's Risk Management department recommends a $1M general-liability minimum, and Berks County mortgage and condo associations often impose insurance requirements via private contract.
Operating without adequate insurance is not a code violation in Reading, but a guest injury without coverage can result in personal liability up to the host's full net worth. A homeowner's policy that excludes business pursuits will deny the claim, and Pennsylvania's bad-faith statute (42 Pa.C.S. Β§8371) does not help if the exclusion is clearly drafted.
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