Our Massachusetts Airbnb Injury Lawyers Advocate for You
Short-term rentals can make excellent accommodations while you’re away on vacation or traveling for work, but they also come with some risks. Falls and other injuries can happen when a property isn’t safe, and liability may fall on either the property owner or someone else. Here’s what to know and how our Massachusetts Airbnb injury lawyers can help.
Your Rights as an Airbnb Guest
You Have the Right to Be Safe
When you pay to stay at a hotel or short-term rental, the owner of the property has a duty of care to ensure their property is reasonably safe for guests and visitors. This means they are legally responsible for any hazards they knew about or should have known about, as well as any subsequent injuries that occur as a result of those hazards.
You May Have the Right to Collect Compensation for Injuries
If a property owner is negligent and you are hurt, you have the right to file a civil suit against them for any damages you incurred. This includes any hospital bills, lost wages, and other expenses related to the incident. You may also be able to sue for pain and suffering if the injury caused you to become disabled or otherwise impacted your quality of life.
Common Causes of Airbnb Injuries
- Poor lighting
- Mold or pests
- Broken furniture
- Inadequate locks
- Faulty appliances
- Unsecured decks or balconies
- Broken steps or uneven flooring
- Poorly secured or maintained pools
- Missing smoke detectors, carbon monoxide alarms
What to Do After an Airbnb Injury
If an injury occurs at an Airbnb, you should do the following:
- Contact emergency services for serious injuries or see a doctor for minor ones
- Report the injury to the Airbnb host and Airbnb through the platform
- Take photographs of the injury and what caused it
- Save all messages between you, the host, and Airbnb
- Keep copies of medical records and receipts
- Do not give a recorded statement to Airbnb or an insurance company without talking to a lawyer first
Understanding Airbnb Host Protection Insurance
Airbnb’s AirCover for Hosts includes Host Liability Insurance, which may cover a host’s legal liability for bodily injury or property damage arising from an accident during an Airbnb stay. Subject to the policy’s terms, conditions, and exclusions, the program provides a total liability limit of up to $1 million per Airbnb stay.
Effective March 1, 2025, if a host has six or more active Airbnb listings at the time of the loss, the program may seek contribution from other applicable insurance or may apply as excess coverage, depending on the terms of that other insurance.
Who Can Be Held Liable for an Injury at a Short-Term Rental House?
The Host or Property Owner
In many cases, the host or property owner may be one of the first parties reviewed because they are typically responsible for maintaining the property and warning guests about known hazards.
They are also responsible for conducting regular assessments of their premises to ensure that no hazards exist. Failure to do so could be considered negligence if there was an injury caused by something that would have been revealed upon a routine inspection.
Airbnb
Rarely, Airbnb itself may be liable for an injury, but this doesn’t happen often. With Airbnb acting only as a broker to connect hosts with guests, they almost never have to take accountability for an injury. That said, this may be the case if the platform knew about a hazard and did not communicate it to guests when given the opportunity.
A Property Management Company
Some hosts hire property management companies to oversee their short-term rentals. These companies may be responsible for welcoming guests and maintaining the premises. If an injury was caused by something the property management company failed to do, they may be named as a defendant in a claim.
Third-Party Service Providers
In some situations, housekeepers or service providers like landscapers or electricians might be responsible for an injury. Examples of this might be if the host hired an electrician to fix a dangerous problem with the home’s wiring and the electrician did not do the job correctly, resulting in an injury. Or, if a pool maintenance professional leaves a gate open after cleaning the pool and a child drowns, their company may be liable.
When to Call a Massachusetts Airbnb Injury Lawyer
Getting hurt while you’re staying at an Airbnb is the last thing you expect to have happen, so when it does, you might feel unprepared and unsure of what to do next. Our experienced Massachusetts Airbnb injury lawyers have represented thousands of accident and injury victims and are here to help you make sense of the incident and your legal rights. Not sure who may be responsible? We can help you understand what happened, what evidence matters, and whether you may have a case.
Contact us now by calling (978) 904-2844 or toll-free at (855) 546-2117 to schedule a free case evaluation. Or, reach out to us online, and we’ll respond to your message as soon as possible.
