GUARDHOG Review: STR Insurance & Damage Protection (2026)
Overview
GUARDHOG offers insurance and damage protection built specifically for short-term rental hosts, addressing the coverage gaps that standard homeowner and landlord policies leave. It covers property damage caused by guests, liability for guest injuries, and loss of rental income due to covered events.
- For hosts who want STR-specific coverage without the complexity of commercial insurance, GUARDHOG provides a focused alternative to providers like Proper and Safely.
At a glance
- STR-specific coverage fills gaps left by standard homeowner policies.
- Focused on the short-term rental use case.
- Property managers and teams
- Extreme budget hunters
Pros & Cons
Highlights and considerations for GUARDHOG.
- STR-specific coverage fills gaps left by standard homeowner policies.
- Focused on the short-term rental use case.
- Custom pricing with no public rates makes comparison shopping difficult.
- Smaller provider with less brand recognition than Proper or Safely.
- Limited integrations with PMS and booking platforms.
Scores
Strong in support and ease of use; weaker in claims process for STR insurance.
Hands-on Review Notes
Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Base includes |
|---|---|---|
| Custom quote | Contact for pricing | Property damage, liability, rental income loss, guest-caused damage |
Integrations
Common integrations supported by GUARDHOG.
Trial Guide: What to Test
During your trial or demo, focus on claims process and confirm daily workflows.
- Get a quote and compare coverage limits against your current policy
- Check what’s excluded (e.g. hot tubs, pets, specific perils)
- Review the claims submission process and required documentation
- Verify per-booking vs. annual pricing and calculate total annual cost
Alternatives
If you need stronger claims process, consider these alternatives to GUARDHOG.
FAQ
Answers to common questions about setup, pricing, and deployment.
Community experiences
Real-world notes from hosts who have used GUARDHOG.
Share your experience
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Sources
Documentation and references used in this review.
More STR Insurance reviews
- Slice
Slice pioneered on‑demand homeshare insurance for Airbnb/VRBO hosts, selling commercial policies only for the nights a property is rented, with $2,000,000 liability and full replacement cost on the home and contents, typically $4–$7 per night and zero deductible. In 2024, however, Slice stopped offering new short‑term rental policies, pivoting to powering white‑label on‑demand products (e.g., Duuo in Canada) via its Slice Labs platform. Existing homeshare customers may still be serviced, but new STR hosts generally cannot buy Slice‑branded coverage today and should look at alternatives like Safely, InsuraGuest, Duuo or Proper.
- Safely
Safely is a U.S. short‑term rental protection product that bundles guest screening with primary per‑booking insurance, typically added as a per‑night fee to each reservation. Policies cover on‑site property damage, contents, liability, and guest injury, with coverage up to around $1,000,000 per stay and about $10,000 in contents/theft coverage, including intentional and accidental damage. You only pay when you have bookings, and it integrates with PMSs like OwnerRez, Lodgify, and Guesty to auto‑issue policies and run screening, making it a strong fit for managers who want to standardize protection across a portfolio without large annual policies.
- Proper Insurance
Proper Insurance is a specialty carrier for US vacation rentals that completely replaces your homeowner or landlord policy with a commercial STR policy custom‑penned with Lloyd’s of London and Concert Specialty. It combines homeowners, landlord and business insurance in one contract, covering the building, contents, business income, and commercial liability whether the property is rented, vacant or owner‑occupied. Coverage includes theft and damage by guests, bed bugs (with lost income), liquor/pet/pool/hot‑tub liability, ordinance or law, and actual loss sustained business income with no time limit. Premiums are quote‑based but typically fall in the ~$1,000–$3,000/year range for most single‑family STRs, depending on value, location and risk factors.
- InsuraGuest
InsuraGuest is subscription-based guest insurance for STRs covering accidental medical ($10k-$25k), property damage ($10k-$25k/$100 deduct), theft ($2.5k/$500 deduct), death ($5k). $60-$90/month per property (or $3/night via PMS); 72hr claims. Integrates PMS (Guesty, Hostaway, iGMS, Lightmaker); no-fault primary. Protects vs lawsuits/deposits; claims fast but some accuracy concerns.