Great for
Seasonal or part-time hosts renting fewer than ~100 nights/year who want insurance and guest screening bundled without an annual commitment — the pay-per-booking model keeps costs proportional to actual occupancy.
Best for Small Hosts
Last updated 2026-04-19Safely review: is it worth it?
Our independent take on Safely from an STR operator lens. No sponsored placements. From $8/listing • No free trial.
Our verdict
Best pay-per-booking insurance for low-to-mid occupancy hosts
What Safely actually is
Safely is a pay-per-booking vacation rental insurance provider that bundles property damage protection (up to $1M primary commercial coverage, $10K contents) with guest screening powered by SafelyScore — a proprietary database of guests who have caused damage at other vacation rentals. Coverage activates at check-in and deactivates at check-out, so operators pay nothing during vacancy. Costs can be passed through to guests as a fee built into the nightly rate.
What we like
Proprietary SafelyScore database screens guests against actual vacation rental damage history
No other platform has a comparable industry-specific damage database. Screening also covers criminal databases, sex offender registries, and Interpol/Europol watchlists.
98% of claims paid in 4.5 days with sub-$1K claims within 24 hours
Operators document damage with photos and receipts — no guest confrontation required. Homeowners have up to 60 days to file.
Zero cost during vacancy with insurance fees passable to guests
Coverage activates at check-in and deactivates at check-out, eliminating traditional damage deposit friction. Operators build the fee into the nightly rate so guests effectively cover the insurance.
Where it falls short
Per-night pricing compounds quickly at high occupancy
At 200+ nights/year the per-night model can exceed annual policy costs from competitors like Proper Insurance ($1,500–$2,500/year). Operators must calculate their breakeven.
Does not replace homeowners insurance and has meaningful coverage exclusions
Excludes weather damage, non-guest-caused damage, fine art and collectibles. Contents theft/damage caps at $10,000 and there is a 90-day maximum consecutive rental period.
Limited public reviews and relatively new market presence
Compared to established insurers like Proper Insurance or CBIZ, Safely has fewer independent user reviews, making real-world claims experience harder to assess at scale.
Is Safely right for you?
OK for
Mid-size property managers (10–30 units) who want to pass insurance cost through to guests and value the fast claims process (98% paid in 4.5 days), but should run the math against annual policies at higher occupancy rates.
Skip if
You run high-occupancy properties at 250+ nights/year — per-night pricing will exceed annual policy alternatives, and coverage caps ($10K contents, no weather damage) may be insufficient for premium properties.
Pricing in one line
From $8/listing • No free trial
Pay-per-night model starting at $8/night; no monthly or annual commitment. Guest screening standalone is $5/check, dropping to $0.50/night when bundled with the Safely Protection Policy. Estimated annual cost $800–$1,200 per property depending on occupancy. Actual rates require a custom quote based on property count, location, and deductible choice.
See full pricing breakdown →Ready to try Safely?
There's no free trial, so ask the sales team for a walkthrough before committing.