Rental Guardian

What Rental Guardian does

RentalGuardian is an API-first insurance distribution and claims management platform purpose-built for the vacation rental industry. Operating as a brand under Inhabit IQ (formed in 2019 alongside other vacation rental software companies), the company distributes travel protection, accidental damage protection, and cancellation revenue protection products to property managers, software developers, and travelers globally. Its core technology is a real-time API integrated with hundreds of property management software (PMS) platforms, complemented by the Policy Manager web-based dashboard, custom co-branded microsites, a multi-underwriter platform spanning US Fire, AmTrust, Nationwide, Berkshire Hathaway, Lloyd's of London, and Markel, and Project Second Look for automated re-marketing to travelers who initially decline coverage. Products include Travel Guardian, Travel Guardian+ (with Cancel For Any Reason), Home Guardian, Home Guardian+ (with $1M liability), Booking Guardian (launched 2025), and Play Travel Protection.

RentalGuardian monetizes through transaction-based referral and commission fees on every coverage issued, with property managers and software partners earning shared admin/referral fees. Travel Guardian retails at 7.0% of trip cost (10.8% with CFAR), Home Guardian uses tiered unit pricing ($500-$5,000 coverage levels), and Home Guardian+ bundles $1M liability, $25,000 contents, and $15,000 bed bug coverage. Distribution is B2B2C: white-label and private-label PMS integrations push offerings into the booking checkout flow, while reservation agents and microsites enable direct and second-chance purchases. InsureStays, a 50-state licensed insurance agency (dba of Sandhills Insurance Group LLC), acts as broker and reseller and is fully owned by RentalGuardian Holdings.

The company serves thousands of property managers (ranging from small operators to multi-national resort enterprises) and integrates with PMS platforms including Streamline VRS (exclusive Booking Guardian partner), Ciirus, Kigo, Evolve, Barefoot, Bookerville, Skyrun, RMS, and OwnerReervations. Headquartered in Mason, Ohio with operational presence in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, RentalGuardian reports serving 1M+ property owners, thousands of property managers, and hundreds of software partners. The company has received investments from Greater Sum Ventures (2018) and Goldman Sachs (2020, via parent Inhabit IQ), and appointed Shama Dadhania (formerly of AIG and Chubb) as General Manager in September 2024 to lead the next growth phase.

Name

Rental Guardian

Legal name

RentalGuardian

Website

https://rentalguardian.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

RentalGuardian is an API-first insurance distribution platform serving the vacation rental industry, offering travel protection, accidental damage, and cancellation revenue products to property managers, PMS software developers, and travelers through a multi-underwriter network and hundreds of integrated property management software partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance Distribution and Claims Management Software

NAICS

Rental and Leasing Services (532)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Vacation & Short-Term Rental Management (BPAJAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Full-Service Vacation Rental Property Management (BPAJAIAA), Renters Insurance (FSAJACAB)

Keywords

• Vacation rental insurance
• Travel protection platform
• Damage protection software
• Property management API
• InsurTech platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Pawleys Island

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Insurance Distribution/Commission: RentalGuardian earns referral fees and commissions on every coverage issued through their platform. Property managers and software partners earn administrative fees/referral fees when they offer protection products to travelers and homeowners.
2. Per-Transaction Coverage Fees: Property managers earn revenue per policy issued. Travel protection retail cost is 7.0% of trip cost (standard) or 10.8% with CFAR. Home Guardian coverage levels range from $500 to $5,000 with varying premiums.
3. Software/Platform Fees: Developers and integration partners can earn system admin fees on every coverage purchased through their integrated system. Property managers use white-label/private label website solutions.
4. Microsite Revenue: Property managers can earn additional revenue via microsite and built-in drip campaigns. Microsites enable travel protection sales beyond direct booking guests, including OTA bookers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

RentalGuardian is an API-first insurance distribution and claims management platform that enables vacation rental property managers, software developers, and integration partners to offer travel protection, accidental damage protection, liability coverage, and cancellation revenue protection products to travelers and homeowners. The platform integrates directly with property management software systems to automate policy issuance, claims processing, and reporting at the point of booking, supported by a multi-underwriter network including US Fire, AmTrust, Nationwide, Berkshire Hathaway, Lloyd's of London, and Markel.

Product overview

RentalGuardian is a travel and damage protection platform serving the vacation rental industry through a multi-product portfolio. The core platform (RentalGuardian) is complemented by partner insurance agency InsureStays (dba of Sandhills Insurance Group LLC) and offers travel protection products (Travel Guardian, Travel Guardian + with CFAR), property damage protection (Home Guardian, Home Guardian +), and cancellation revenue protection (Booking Guardian). Key platform tools include Policy Manager for claims management and microsites for branded customer-facing portals. Project Second Look provides automated re-marketing for declined coverage. The platform integrates via API with property management software and white-label options are available. Underwritten by US Fire, AmTrust, Nationwide, Markel, Lloyds of London, and Berkshire Hathaway.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Booking Guardian: Flexible cancellation insurance that protects property managers and owners when guests cancel close to their stay, with protection for cancellations 60 to 3 days before arrival.
• Home Guardian
• Home Guardian +
• Travel Guardian
• Travel Guardian +
• Project Second Look
• Play Travel Protection

Products and services

• Travel Guardian Travel protection product for vacation rental travelers covering 30+ cancellation/interruption reasons including hurricanes, natural disasters, death in family, sickness, injury, and medical coverage. Reimburses up to 100% of non-refundable costs. Retail cost is 7.0% of trip cost. Insured party is the traveler.
• Travel Guardian + Comprehensive travel protection with Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) benefit reimbursing up to 60% of non-refundable costs for any reason not listed in the standard policy. Covers 30+ cancellation reasons plus CFAR. Retail cost is 10.8% of trip cost.
• Home Guardian Accidental damage protection covering property against damages by guests during booked stays. Uses replacement cost value (not depreciated). Coverage levels from $500 to $5,000. Protects property manager/homeowner and can serve as supplement or replacement for security deposits.
• Home Guardian + Comprehensive damage and liability protection offering $1 million in damage and personal injury lawsuit coverage, $25,000 in contents protection, $15,000 in bed bug protection, and real property protection. Designed for property managers and homeowners in the vacation rental industry.
• Booking Guardian Flexible cancellation insurance that protects property managers and owners when guests cancel between 60-3 days before arrival. Protects against lost revenue with a 20% deductible waived if the unit is rebooked for 50%+ of original value. Currently available exclusively for Streamline VRS users.
• Policy Manager Platform Web-based claims dashboard and insurance distribution platform enabling property managers to open, modify, and cancel coverages, file damage claims, pay invoices, pull reports, and manage travelers and properties. Includes 4-step claims wizard and custom enterprise-level claims portals.
• Play Travel Protection Travel protection program for US residents traveling to US and international destinations. Benefits include Trip Cancellation (100% up to $100K), Trip Interruption, Trip Delay, Baggage/Personal Effects, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Emergency Medical, and Sports Equipment Rental. Underwritten by US Fire and AmTrust.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10-20% higher conversion rates with OPT CHOICE offering both standard and CFAR coverage vs. single-option approach
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• InsureStayscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2012InsureStays is the partner insurance agency (dba of Sandhills Insurance Group LLC) that acts as a licensed broker and reseller for products on the RentalGuardian platform. Both companies are fully owned by RentalGuardian Holdings (division of Inhabit IQ). InsureStays holds 50-state licensed agency status and provides the insurance distribution infrastructure for RentalGuardian's products.
• Streamline VRScoreTechnology or IntegrationStreamline is a leading vacation rental property management software platform. Real-time API integration with RentalGuardian enables automatic travel and damage protection offering. Streamline is the exclusive platform partner for Booking Guardian product.
• CiiruscoreTechnology or IntegrationProperty management software platform integrated with RentalGuardian API for automatic coverage distribution to property managers and travelers.
• KigocoreTechnology or IntegrationVacation rental property management software platform with API integration to RentalGuardian for coverage distribution.
• EvolvecoreTechnology or IntegrationVacation rental property management company with integrated RentalGuardian coverage offerings through API connection.
• US Fire InsurancecoreOthersUS Fire is an exclusive underwriter for RentalGuardian's travel protection products. Partners with RentalGuardian to provide custom protection products for the vacation rentals market.
• AmTrustcoreOthersExclusive underwriter providing coverage for RentalGuardian's vacation rental protection products including Play Travel Protection Program.
• NationwidecoreOthersNationwide signed travel protection distribution deal with RentalGuardian in 2016. Provides underwriting for Travel Guardian products serving US and Canada residents.
• Lloyd's of LondoncoreOthersLloyd's of London underwrites Home Guardian + protection programs, providing coverage for damage and liability exposures from vacation rental activities.
• Markel InsurancecoreOthersMarkel Insurance (Glen Allen, Virginia) underwrites Home Guardian + programs, providing real property damage protection and liability coverage for vacation rentals.
• Berkshire HathawaycoreOthersWorld-class exclusive provider through RentalGuardian's multi-underwriter platform, providing prestige and financial strength to the protection products offered.
• Inhabit IQcoreOthersInhabit IQ is the parent company of RentalGuardian, providing strategic direction and investment. Inhabit IQ is a global PropTech software company serving residential and vacation property management industries with SaaS solutions for accounting, CRM, marketing, and insurance.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Vacasa: Vacasa is both an enterprise customer of RentalGuardian's Home Guardian+ and a major vacation rental operator; as a vertically integrated PM it represents an adjacent, scale player whose own protection offering could one day compete with RentalGuardian.

Direct peers

• Superhog: Superhog provides guest verification and a damage waiver / trust bond product for vacation rentals, directly overlapping RentalGuardian's Home Guardian accidental damage offering and PMS partner GTM motion.
• Safely: Safely offers guest screening and accidental damage protection for vacation and short-term rentals, targeting the same property manager and PMS channel with a comparable B2B2C insurance distribution model.
• InsuraGuest: InsuraGuest distributes hospitality and rental guest damage protection products via integrations, competing head-to-head with RentalGuardian's Home Guardian / Home Guardian+ on pricing, API coverage and PMS partnerships.

Emerging players

• Cover Genius: Cover Genius is an embedded insurance API platform that enables partners to launch and distribute protection products, serving a similar B2B2C tech-enabled insurance distribution role as RentalGuardian but across broader verticals.
• RoamRight: RoamRight is a digitally focused travel insurance brand offering trip cancellation and CFAR products, overlapping with Travel Guardian in features and distribution through travel and rental partners.

Broad incumbents

• Generali Global Assistance: Generali offers travel insurance products (including CFAR) sold through partners, competing with Travel Guardian in the trip-protection category and capable of moving into vacation-rental distribution.
• AIG Travel: AIG Travel is a leading commercial travel insurer; incoming GM Shama Dadhania previously led insurance scaling at AIG, making it both a credible talent source and a potential partner/competitor for travel protection distribution.
• Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection: Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection is an established travel insurance carrier already underwriting on RentalGuardian's platform, but its branded products compete in the same end-buyer consideration set as Travel Guardian.
• Allianz Travel: Allianz Travel is a major incumbent travel insurance provider whose CFAR and trip-cancellation products overlap directly with Travel Guardian and Travel Guardian+, and that could expand or partner into the short-term rental channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rental_guardian
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rentalguardian-com

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rental Guardian