Building and contents
The property, furnishings and guest room contents.
Business Insurance
Bed and breakfast insurance for guest houses.
A B&B is a home and a business in the same building. Neither a homeowners policy nor a standard commercial policy fits it on its own.
Bed and breakfast operations need a policy that recognises both halves of the property. Homeowners policies exclude business use, and a commercial hospitality policy is written for premises nobody lives in. The right form covers the dwelling, the guest exposure and the food service together.
Guest liability and food service
Paying guests create a liability exposure that a homeowners policy specifically excludes. Stairs, bathrooms, pools and outdoor areas generate the majority of claims, and guest property is a further exposure most owners have not considered.
Serving breakfast brings a food safety exposure with it. Where a licence permits alcohol, the liquor exclusion applies just as it does in any restaurant, and liquor liability needs arranging separately.
What it covers
The parts of a bed and breakfast insurance policy
Guest liability
Injury to paying guests, excluded from a homeowners policy.
Food service
Illness claims arising from breakfast and any catering provided.
Loss of income
Bookings lost while the property cannot receive guests.
Working with us
What we do differently
We are an independent agency, so we place your bed and breakfast insurance across several carriers rather than fitting you to one company's product. That means a genuine comparison, and someone to call who is not a call centre.
- Disclose the business use — a homeowners policy will not respond to guest claims
- Arrange liquor liability separately if alcohol is served at all
- Include loss of income if bookings fund the mortgage
Common questions
Bed and Breakfast Insurance, answered
Can I run a B&B on my homeowners policy?
No. Taking paying guests is business use, which homeowners policies exclude. Continuing without disclosing it risks the whole policy, not just the guest claim.
Is breakfast a food liability exposure?
Yes. Serving food to paying guests creates a products liability exposure, and it is included within a properly written B&B policy.
Do I need liquor liability?
If alcohol is served or included in the room rate, yes. The liquor exclusion in general liability applies to guest houses exactly as it does to restaurants.
Related cover
Often arranged alongside this
Short-Term Rental Insurance
Platform host protection is not insurance, and your homeowners policy excludes business use. Short-term letting sits in the gap between them.
Read moreRestaurant Insurance
Kitchen fire, a walk-in that fails overnight, a slip in the dining room, and a licence to serve alcohol. A restaurant carries four different businesses worth of risk.
Read moreLandlord Insurance
A homeowners policy will not cover a house you rent to someone else. Once tenants move in, the policy has to change with it.
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