Does your home insurance cover Airbnb rentals during 2026 World Cup Soccer?

World Cup Soccer is finally coming to Canada in June and July, with an influx of visitors to Toronto and Vancouver. Expected foot traffic could create new insurance considerations for those renting out their homes to FIFA World Cup 2026 soccer fans.

Held once every four years, matches of the global soccer tournament are scheduled between June 12–July 7 in two major Canadian cities. Toronto is expecting at least 300,000 visitors while Vancouver could get up to 350,000, according to each municipality.

Guests visiting each city have a few different options for where to stay. Visitors can choose between hotels, hostels, and Airbnb rentals of either a whole home or a room in a host home.

What insurance should you have if hosting on Airbnb?

If you are renting a room in your home on Airbnb, or your entire home, you need to be aware of specific insurance variables. Airbnb offers its own insurance called AirCover for its hosts which includes:

• Damage Protection: up to USD$3 million 
  Covers you if your guest damages your property or belongings during their stay. 
   
• Host Liability Insurance: USD$1 million 
  Protects you from being legally responsible if your guest is injured during their stay at your property.

But AirCover is not a replacement for your home insurance. While it can provide support in some situations, AirCover's drawbacks include:

• It is typically secondary to your home insurance
• Claims must go through Airbnb’s process and approval
• Some types of damage or losses may not be covered

However, you still need to make sure your existing home insurance allows for renting on Airbnb, according to Mitch Insurance Broker Josh Hansen. He told Rates.ca that existing home coverage depends on a few different factors, including whether you are renting your own home or if you have a standalone rental property. Insurers also consider other characteristics of your home, such as its age.

Hansen recommends speaking to your insurance broker or insurance company to check if you are covered for short-term rentals. Wording of your policy should also specify that your coverage includes rentals. You can search for terms such as 'rent', 'vacant', 'guest', 'liability', 'short-term rental', 'Airbnb', and 'sharing economy'.

Other short-term vacation rental platforms such as Vrbo offer optional insurance such as Property Damage Protection and Accidental Damage Protection for guests to purchase. This tiered coverage helps provide protection against accidental damage guests may cause to your property during their stay.

Get quotes: Check for Airbnb insurance rates

Do I need short-term rental insurance to host World Cup visitors?

Some insurance companies do not allow short-term rentals, according to Hansen, while other carriers permit them with additional requirements. However, if you are renting out your primary residence, you will need to add an endorsement to your policy, usually called a short-term rental endorsement. That will extend your home insurance coverage to allow for an Airbnb rental. 

“Without those endorsements, the client would not be allowed to rent on Airbnb,” Hansen said. “If they don’t have an endorsement or the insurer is not aware they're renting short-term, and a loss occurs while a stay is being completed, the claim would be denied and likely the policy canceled.”

How much does it cost to add a short-term rental endorsement?

Costs for adding a short-term rental endorsement on your existing policy can depend on your house under the insurance and the number of nights you are renting to visitors. There are providers that offer 31-90 days of insurance for $75 (which would cover the length of the World Cup in Canada). 

Adding a short-term rental endorsement to your policy could also cost up to $800 a year depending on the carrier, according to Hansen. Some insurers have either a 90- or 180-day limit available for the number of days a whole property can be rented, but renting a single room doesn’t count toward that limit, Hansen said.

How to add a short-term rental endorsement to an existing policy

An endorsement can be added to your policy the same day as long as the client has all of their documentation in order, Hansen said, but it is wise to notify your insurer well up to four weeks ahead of the World Cup if you plan to host visitors.

The endorsement is needed if there is damage to the home, such as a sewer backup during the guest’s stay, which is not covered under Airbnb’s policy, Hansen said.

Endorsements are still valid during a large event such as the World Cup, and the coverage is the same regardless of whether you are renting a room or your whole home. 

Are there short-term rental endorsement limitations?

One caveat with short-term rental endorsements is that if you have a stand-alone rental property that you do not live in, then it will need to be insured through a specialty carrier, Hansen said. 

Hansen cautioned that there are more restrictions and limitations with specialty companies, such as:

• Inability to secure guaranteed building replacement costs 
• Co-insurance clauses in the policy 
• Limited coverage form wording that likely won’t offer comprehensive protection but a broad form or a named perils form insurance
• Lower limits for sewer backup 
• Likely no coverage for overland water
• Most carriers won’t insure older town homes built before 1985

Hansen recommends specialty coverage for older homes constructed prior to 1985.