A market guide for independent insurance agents. Last reviewed: June 2026.
Pennsylvania STR placement — Poconos cabins, Philadelphia rowhomes, small-town properties — comes down to matching the host profile to the right product tier: occasional hosting on a primary residence (endorsement), a dedicated full-time STR (commercial package), or an investor portfolio (program business).
The trap: standard homeowners and landlord forms exclude business use, and hosts discover it at claim time. Airbnb's AirCover is secondary coverage with its own exclusions — it is not a substitute for a policy.
Markets identified through editorial research (June 2026) and agent placement discussions. Items marked "verify" carry details we could not confirm at the primary source.
| Market / Program | Type | How Agents Access It | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proper Insurance | E&S MGA (Lloyd's/Concert paper) | Direct + formal independent agent program | The STR flagship: commercial package replacing the homeowners policy — $1M/$2M CGL, building, business income. 200K+ policies, all 50 states, PA-specific product page. |
| Steadily | Digital MGA (admitted + E&S) | Direct + partner channels | Landlord and STR policies in PA; fast digital quoting. |
| CBIZ Vacation Rental Program | Program (A-rated paper) | Program administrator | Relaunched nationally June 2025; SFR/condo/duplex; appetite for pools, hot tubs, docks. |
| Obie | Digital MGA (Accelerant, Hadron, American National Lloyds) | Direct + agent/API channel (INVO) | Investor-focused 1-4 unit, condo, STR, vacant, renovation; typical premiums $800-$3,000/yr; some non-admitted paper. |
| Foremost (Farmers) | Admitted specialty | Independent agents | Landlord packages friendly to short-term use; also vacant and seasonal. |
| American Modern | Admitted specialty | Appointed agents | Covers rental occupancy incl. short-term/vacation use without requiring the primary residence. |
| Erie Insurance | Admitted regional (PA HQ) | Erie agents | Home Sharing endorsement on ErieSecure policies — the fit for occasional hosts, not full-time STRs. |
| Berkshire Hathaway GUARD | Admitted (Wilkes-Barre, PA) | Appointed agents | Landlord/personal lines with home-sharing availability. Verify product specifics. |
Real placement discussions from independent agents about airbnb & short-term rental insurance.
A commercial STR package (Proper, CBIZ, Obie, Steadily) with $1M/$2M liability, building coverage, and business income — not a homeowners policy with an endorsement.
Yes — Erie's Home Sharing endorsement (Erie is headquartered in PA) and similar endorsements handle occasional hosting on a primary residence. Once hosting becomes a business, move to a commercial product.
No. AirCover is secondary, has exclusions, and runs through Airbnb's claims process. Standard homeowners forms exclude business use, so a host with only AirCover has a serious gap.