Wichita, KS Short-Term Rentals: Insurance Requirements (2026)

Wichita Municipal Code Sec. 050(c) sets a minimum liability insurance floor of $250,000 per Short-Term Rental Unit, and the coverage must protect against damage the owner or responsible party causes to guests as well as damage guests or the owner cause to third parties such as neighbors or invited guests. A separate policy, or proof of coverage, is required for each dwelling unit or structure operated as a short-term rental; owners running multiple units cannot rely on one blanket figure covering the whole portfolio without confirming per-unit adequacy.

The city accepts liability insurance supplied through a third party, including an online booking platform's host-protection coverage, as valid proof, so a host does not need a separate standalone policy if the platform's coverage meets the $250,000 threshold. Proof of this insurance is a mandatory application item under Sec. 080(l), meaning the Licensing Department will not issue a license without it, and Sec. 40's requirements. Once licensed, a lapse matters just as much as never having coverage: Sec. 150(c) makes failure to maintain required liability or short-term rental insurance an independent, standalone ground for the City Council to revoke the license on the Zoning Administrator's recommendation, separate from any other violation. 40, so insurance lapses discovered during a complaint-driven inspection can trigger both a compliance notice and a revocation referral.