Mixed occupancy
Personal residence and paid lodging may be treated differently by a policy.
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Bed And Breakfast Insurance
Your original staircase, antiques, and guest-room furnishings may cost differently to restore or replace. Lodging property values need to fit what is actually there, alongside protection for the breakfasts and any drinks you serve.
Describe the rooms and space you use personally, guest meals and drinks, and the valuation of original features.
Industry overview
You may share your home with paying guests while providing rooms and breakfast. A staircase injury or kitchen fire can therefore affect both personal and lodging interests, with room income and historic furnishings requiring attention beyond ordinary home use.
The Southern Agency can review your commercial use of the property to help you select appropriate insurance. We can discuss coverage for historic features, guest meals and lost room income even if only a few rooms are rented.
Risks worth discussing
Guest movement
Stairs, porches, and gardens can lead to injury allegations.
Breakfast service
Preparing food introduces illness and cooking-fire interests.
Older property
Original features and antiques require supportable valuation.
Small-business systems
Reservations, payments, and any hired help add data and employee concerns.
Coverage worth discussing
Policies to ask about. Which ones fit depends on your operations, your contracts, and the carrier’s forms.
- Commercial Property InsuranceProperty needs to permit the lodging use and cover the intended building and furnishing interests.
- General Liability InsuranceLiability may address covered guest injury or meal-related allegations within described operations.
- Business Owners PolicyA BOP may suit an eligible lodging business with defined income terms.
- Cyber Liability InsuranceCyber may help with qualifying reservation or payment-data incidents.
- Liquor Liability InsuranceLiquor wording depends on actual wine or drink service, including complimentary offerings.
- Workers Compensation InsuranceWorkers compensation concerns qualifying employee housekeeping or kitchen injuries, not automatically the owner.
Situations to think through
These hypothetical examples are not agency claim results. Whether a loss is covered depends on the facts, policy terms, and applicable exclusions.
Hypothetical: Guest falls on stairs
Suppose a paying guest alleges that an unsafe handrail caused a stairway injury. Review the actual condition and the lodging activities accepted under the liability policy. Personal occupancy in the same building does not establish that a homeowners form includes the business allegation.
Hypothetical: Cooking fire closes rooms
Suppose a kitchen fire damages guest rooms and original woodwork. Covered property terms determine eligible repairs and the valuation of historic features. Purchased income terms address qualifying room-revenue loss during restoration, not every guest refund or improvement you choose to make.
Hypothetical: Reservation records exposed
Suppose an intruder accesses reservation records through a booking account. Cyber terms may address a covered event and eligible investigation or notification duties. Identify your records and the platform's responsibilities; use of an outside card processor does not remove every data duty or establish every vendor loss is insured.
Before you talk to an agent
Questions to raise
- Coordinate personal and lodging interests rather than simply canceling one policy.
- Value antiques and original fixtures separately where needed.
- Describe meals and drinks actually served.
Contract terms to check
- Booking terms and any meal or wine arrangements should match the insured operation. A guest agreement does not amend a homeowners exclusion.
What the agent conversation looks like
Start with the work you do and the questions your current policies leave unanswered. Carrier options depend on your location, risk, and underwriting. Explore our approach.
- ListenReview your operations, current coverage, and past claims.
- AssessIdentify potential hazards and discuss ways to reduce risk.
- BuildDiscuss policy and carrier options, premium costs, and audits.
- SupportReview changes and help you plan ahead as your needs develop.
Questions owners ask
Can my homeowners policy cover my bed and breakfast?
Review the actual homeowners form and business-use restrictions; suitability cannot be assumed.
Do I need liability coverage for just a few rooms?
Even a few paying rooms create guest liability distinct from the owner's personal occupancy.
Is my homemade breakfast a real insurance concern?
Prepared breakfast can generate food allegations; disclose what is served.
What if a fire makes my rooms unrentable?
Lost income needs a qualifying covered cause and applicable room-repair period.
How are antiques and historic features insured?
Historic features and antiques need a stated valuation basis, not an assumed ordinary replacement price.
Do I need cyber coverage for online reservations?
Reservation-data duties remain relevant even when a third party handles card processing.
Talk through your bed and breakfast coverage
Bring your questions, current policies, and relevant contracts. An agent can review coverage terms, exclusions, and the information carriers ask for, then explain the options available to you.