Last updated: 01/01/2026

Terms and conditions of the HomeExchange Host Member Property Damage Indemnity 

1. General Information

HomeExchange offers, on a commercial basis and at its sole discretion, Host Members who have subscribed to Membership an indemnity (the “Indemnity) in the event of damage, theft, or other loss caused by a Guest Member during their stay, under the conditions and within the limits described below. 

This Indemnity does not constitute an insurance policy and is not intended to replace the coverage provided by insurance policies that Members must imperatively take out pursuant to the Terms and immediately invoke by notifying the insurer and/or filing the relevant claim, in the event of damage.

In the event of payment of the Indemnity by HomeExchange under Indemnity Terms, HomeExchange will be subrogated to the Member's rights to recover the amount paid from the person or persons responsible for the damage, theft, or other loss or from any person financially liable for such amount. 

No payment made by HomeExchange under this these terms and conditions (the “Indemnity Terms”) shall constitute an exemption, reduction, or cancellation of a Member's liability for any damage or injury caused by that Member or any other person, or for which a Member is responsible.

Notwithstanding the Indemnity offered by HomeExchange, the Host Member remains responsible for taking reasonable measures to secure their Accommodation and Belongings during an Exchange (e.g. placing valuable Belongings in a locked and inaccessible safe, periodically changing the locks or codes of the Accommodation, etc.). 

THE INDEMNITY UNDER THESE INDEMNITY TERMS SHALL IN NO EVENT EXCEED THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT.

2. Definitions 

(a) The following definitions apply to these Indemnity Terms:

“Belongings” means household items, works of art, antiques, collectibles, jewelry, precious stones, watches, furs, firearms, clothing, and other personal property typically used in a home and owned by a Host Member in a Accomodation (but, in the case of jewelry, precious stones, watches, furs, and firearms, only those that are properly stored in a locked safe inaccessible to Guest Members or occupants), but does not include cash, banknotes and currency, cheques, credit cards, postal orders, traveler’s cheques, bank drafts, crossed bank drafts, ordinary postage stamps, national savings stamps and certificates, national insurance stamps, gift vouchers, exchange vouchers, travel vouchers, meal vouchers and food or drink, animals, plants, trees, hedges, vehicles of any kind, boats and buildings.

“Covered Damage” means: (i) Damage to the Accommodation and (ii) Damage to Belongings.

“Damage to Belongings” means damage caused to, or theft or loss of any Belongings in the Host Member's Accommodation by the accidental or malicious actions or inactions of a Guest Member or any other guest occupying of the Accommodation during an Exchange.

 “Damage to the Accommodation” means damage caused to any permanent structure, including fixtures and fittings, in the Host Member's Accommodation by the accidental or malicious actions or inactions of a Guest Member or or any other guest occupying of the Accommodation during an Exchange.

“Force Majeure Event” means any event or circumstance beyond the reasonable control of the affected party which prevents or delays the performance of its obligations under these Terms, and which: (a) was not reasonably foreseeable at the date when it occurred and (b) could not have been avoided or overcome by the affected party acting reasonably. Without prejudice to the generality of clause this definition, Force Majeure Events include (but are not limited to): (a) acts of God, flood, drought, earthquake, storm, lightning, fire or explosion; (b) epidemic, pandemic or other widespread outbreak of infectious disease; (c) war, threat of war, armed conflict, invasion, terrorism, civil war, civil commotion or riots; (d) nuclear, chemical or biological contamination; (e) acts of any governmental or other competent authority, including but not limited to imposition of export or import restrictions, embargoes, sanctions, expropriation or nationalisation; (f) general labour disputes affecting the industry as a whole (but excluding strikes or other industrial action specific to the affected party or its direct contractors).

The “Maximum Amount” is:

• €1,000,000 for the Damage to the Accommodation of Members with an active annual Membership and benefiting from the HomeExchange Services, and €2,000,000 for Collection Members with an active annual Collection Membership and benefiting from the HomeExchange Collection Services.
• €100,000 for Damage to Belongings of the Members, whether they have subscribed to the HomeExchange Services or the HomeExchange Collection Services.

All other defined terms used in these Indemnity Terms have the meaning given to them in the Terms, which you can view here.

“Property” refers to both the Accommodation and the Host Member’s Belongings present in an Accomodation.

3. Conditions for implementing the Indemnity

To benefit from the Indemnity, at HomeExchange discretion, the Host Member needs to send to HomeExchange, via this link, within ten (10) days of the Guest Member's departure and no later than the arrival of the next Guest Member, a signed and certified statement describing the Covered Damage, its nature, its cause, and its estimated cost, accompanied by the following items:

• Photos of the Covered Damage;
• Original invoices, if possible, or other documents attesting to the actual value of the damaged Property;
• Proof of ownership by the Host Member or legal responsibility (e.g., a lease) for the damaged Property;
• Quotations or estimates for replacement/repair of the damaged Property; 
• Copy of the complaint and/or police report when the Covered Damage is due to theft or a violation of the law; and
• Presentation of the Host Member's relevant insurance for damages exceeding $5,000.
• Claim form submitted to the Host Member’s insurer; 
• Where applicable, paid invoices for the replacement of stolen Property.

If the Host Member does not have all the required supporting documents within ten (10) days (for example, if they are waiting for a repair estimate), they must request an extension from HomeExchange, which may not exceed thirty (30) days from the last day of the Guest Member's stay. Any notification of damage, theft or loss, or the presentation of any supporting evidence, provided after this thirty-day period will be refused.

The Host Member also undertakes to declare and send to HomeExchange any proof of compensation for a Covered Damage obtained by any other means (e.g. compensation from an insurance policy, direct payment from the person responsible for the damage and/or the Guest Member, etc.)

The Indemnity may only be paid to the Host Member, at HomeExchange’s sole discretion, after receipt by HomeExchange of satisfactory proof of the applicable limit of the Host Member’s applicable insurance policy.

4. Purpose, amount and limitations of compensation

4.1. Damage to the Accommodation

With regard to Damage to the Accommodation, HomeExchange shall pay, at its sole discretion:

(a) the cost of rebuilding or repairing the Accommodation to a condition equal to new, but neither better nor more extensive;

(b) the following necessary and reasonable costs and expenses incurred for reconstruction or repair as a result of a Damage to the Accommodation:

• the cost of removing debris from the Accommodation from the premises or the immediately adjacent area;
• the cost of dismantling, demolishing, etc. up any part of the Accommodation;
• the cost of complying with any legal or local authority requirements relating to the damaged part of the Accommodation, unless notification of such requirements was given prior to the Damage to the Accommodation by a Guest Member or their guests and provided that the Accommodation was originally constructed in accordance with all government and local authority regulations in force at that time;
• the fees of architects, surveyors or consulting engineers; and
• the fees and expenses of experts.

All of the foregoing shall apply only up to the lesser of the amount covered by the Host Member’s applicable insurance for the Accommodation and the Maximum Amount.

If the Host Member's Accommodation is rendered uninhabitable by a Damage to the Accommodation, we will make every effort to rehouse the Host Members by finding one or more alternative Accommodations. If an alternative Accommodation cannot be arranged, we will contribute to the Host Member’s accommodation costs, at our sole discretion, up to a maximum of $120 per night (or $275 per night for Collection Members). The reimbursement amount shall be subject to the presentation of valid supporting documents for a maximum period of six (6) months. 

Indemnity for Damage to the Accommodation does not include:

• alternative Accommodation for the Guest Member or any other authorized occupant; or
• any loss of use of the Property by a Guest Member or other authorized occupant.

4.2. Damage to Belongings

In the event of Damage to Belongings, HomeExchange shall pay the Host Member, at its sole discretion, the cost of replacing or repairing the Belongings, or compensate them for the lost or damaged Belongings, after taking into account the depreciation of the Belongings and their actual value, up to the lesser of the amount of the Host Member's applicable insurance on the Belongings and the Maximum Amount. 

In any event, the Maximum Amount in the event of Damage to the Belongings may not exceed the value of the Belongings declared under the Host Member's applicable insurance.

The Indemnity may only be paid to the Host Member, at HomeExchange’s sole discretion, after receipt by HomeExchange of satisfactory proof of the applicable limit of the Host Member’s applicable insurance policy.

5. Excess

The amount of the Security Deposit payable by the Guest Member will be deducted from the Indemnity.

If the costs for the Covered Damage exceeds the amount of the Security Deposit, the Security Deposit will be debited in full and the Guest Member will remain liable to HomeExchange for the balance of the relevant Indemnity amount.

6. Subrogation

In the event of payment of the Indemnity by HomeExchange under Indemnity Terms, HomeExchange will be subrogated to the Member's rights to recover the amount paid from the person or persons responsible for the damage, theft, or other loss or from any person financially liable for such amount. 

The compensated Host Member undertakes to cooperate with HomeExchange to enable it to take the necessary actions to recover the paid Indemnity (e.g. provision of any requested documents, possible testimony in court, etc.).

7. General exclusions

HomeExchange shall not make any payment under these Indemnity Terms in respect of: 

(a) loss or damage occurring before the Accommodation was the subject of the Exchange during which the Covered Damage occurred;

(b) loss or damage caused after the expiry of the duration of an Exchange;

(c) loss or damage not caused by the Guest Member’s use and their accompanying guest’s use of the Accomodation; 

(d) loss, damage, liability, cost or expense of any kind caused directly or indirectly by ionizing radiation or radioactive contamination from any nuclear fuel or waste resulting from the combustion of nuclear fuel, or by the radioactive, toxic, explosive or other hazardous properties of nuclear machinery, or any part thereof;

(e) losses, damages, liabilities, costs or expenses of any kind caused directly or indirectly by war, invasion, revolution, or Force Majeure Events;

(f) losses, damages, liabilities, costs or expenses of any kind caused directly or indirectly by aircraft pressure waves;

(g) loss, damage, liability, cost or expense of any kind directly or indirectly caused by, resulting from or in connection with any act of terrorism. For the purposes of this exclusion, “terrorism” means the use or threat of use of force or biological, chemical and/or nuclear contamination by any person, whether acting alone or on behalf of or in connection with any organization or government, for political, religious, ideological or similar purposes, including the intention to cause loss, damage, liability, cost or expense to any person, organization or government, to influence any government or to cause fear among any section of the public;

(h) any loss, damage, liability, cost or expense of any kind caused directly or indirectly by or resulting from wear and tear, viruses, disease, corrosion, rust, damp, insects, vermin, fungus, condensation, discoloration, frost or anything that occurs gradually, the process of cleaning, dyeing, repair, alteration, renovation or restoration, or natural disasters;

(i) loss, damage, liability, cost or expense of any kind caused by or resulting from poor or defective design, manufacture, or materials;

(j) loss or damage caused by the Host Member's use of the Accommodation for illegal activities;

(k) any claims or expenses of any kind directly or indirectly caused by or arising from any pollution or contamination;

(l) any loss, damage, liability, cost or expense of any kind caused by rot;

(m) accidental death, illness or accidental physical injury to a Host Member, Guest Member or any of their guests (unless caused directly by the negligence or culpable conduct of HomeExchange);

(n) damage caused by a Guest Member or any of their guests to adjacent third-party properties;

(o) loss or damage to equipment caused by its inability to correctly recognize data representing a date in such a way as to hinder or prevent its operation, or by computer viruses.

(p) legal costs, legal benefits and/or liability arising directly or indirectly from the inability of equipment to correctly recognize data representing a date in a manner that impedes or prevents its operation, or from computer viruses. For the avoidance of doubt, no claim for legal costs/legal benefits seeking compensation for personal injury is excluded.

For the purposes of points (n) and (o) above:

• Equipment includes computers and anything that contains a microchip.
• Computers include hardware, software, data, electronic data processing equipment and other computer and electronic equipment related to a computer.
• Microchips include integrated circuits and microcontrollers.
• Computer viruses include any program or software that hinders or prevents the operation of any operating system, computer program or software.

HomeExchange will not make any payment under this Indemnity Terms offer if the payment of Indemnity:

• would violate economic, financial or trade sanctions imposed by the law of the country in which the Indemnity would be applied; 
• would violate economic, financial or trade sanctions imposed by Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom or the United States of America.

8. Geographic area not covered

Any Accommodation published on the Platform is eligible for the Indemnity under these Indemnity Terms, unless it is located in a country that a government or government department advises against travelling to in its communications (e.g. the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs www.diplomatie.gouv.fr, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office of the United Kingdom www.gov.uk, etc.).