I must disagree with the characterization of the CSA insurance as a scam.  By all indications, it is and does what it says it is and does.  The problem is that people do not understand what it is and does because they either do not read, or do not understand, the coverage.  To see the coverage, look at http://www.propertydamageprotection.com/pdf/100HADoc.pdf.

Some important points to understand:

Under definitions, notice that no where  is the owner of the property included in the definition of an insured.  This protection is for the benefit of the traveler, not the owner.

INSURED means the person named on the application form, for whom the required premium payment is received and a Trip is scheduled and any eligible Traveling Companions who share the same Accommodation with the person enrolled and for whom the required premium payment is received.

So how can HA say "CSA Property Damage Protection helps owners and property managers protect their vacation rentals from accidental damage without requiring a damage deposit" with a straight face?  Here is the pertinent portion:

VACATION RENTAL DAMAGE COVERAGE

If you occupy an Accommodation and you damage the real or personal property assigned to that Accommodation during the Trip, we will reimburse you the lesser of the cost of repairs or the Actual Cash Value of the property, up to the amount shown in the Schedule. Coverage is provided to you and all travelers under the Accommodation reservation during the Trip provided you are listed on the lease agreement.

 

Coverage is not provided for loss due to:

  a. inclement weather or natural disaster;

  b. your intentional acts or gross negligence;

  c. normal wear and tear of the real or personal property assigned to the Accommodation;

  d. any damage that occurs if you are in violation of the lease agreement;

  e. loss, theft or damage to any personal effects owned by you or brought on the covered Trip by you;

  f. loss, theft or damage caused by any person other than you or your traveling companions with whom you share the Accommodation reservation unless substantiated by a police report.

As that shows, the coverage does not protect the owner from damage by the traveler, rather it protects the traveler from certain claims by the owner.  When it comes to damage to the property, notice that there is no coverage for "intentional acts or gross negligence; . . . normal wear and tear."  So what does that leave?  Do you see coverage for any damage except that resulting from simple negligence?  I don't know about you, but I never would consider charging a guest for normal wear and tear, and events constituting simple negligence I am likely to overlook--say a guest drops a couple wine glasses and they break.  It is the cost to replair damage from intentional acts or what would constitute gross negligence--something like horseplay by the guests that knocks the dining table through a window--that I am likely to want to recover from a guest, and that is excluded from coverage.

The CSA coverage may be worthwhile for travelers--the vacation rental damage coverage is only a very small part of the policy.  But for owners?

Part of the problem I see with this is that by offering the CSA insurance to travelers an owner may lead the traveler to understand that by purchasing this insurance the traveler will be off the hook for any damage claims.  So if my guests do smash the dining table while wrestling, I may be barred from billing them for that damage unless I can show that in the contract they agreed to pay for all damage regardless of the CSA coverage.  I do not say that owners should not use this, just that owners need to understand the coverage and limits.

It's a very restrictive policy. I am in the insurance business and I won't use this policy and here's why:

1.they pay ACTUAL CASH VALUE- meaning if your guest ruins your $4,000 leather sofa, but the sofa is 5 years old, they will despirciate the value and give you much less than it's worth,

2.Under the general exclusions-

you or your Traveling Companion being under the

influence of drugs or intoxicants, (so if our drunk guests ruin your dining room table by dancing on it....not covered)

3.Coverage is not provided for the following:

a. inclement weather or natural disaster;

b. your intentional acts or gross negligence;

c. normal wear and tear of the real or personal

property assigned to the Accommodation;

d. any damage that occurs if you are in violation of

the lease agreement; This is a big one! If our guests smoke, or overcrowd our home and do damage...not covered.

e. loss, theft or damage to any personal effects

owned by you or brought on the covered Trip by

you;

f. loss, theft or damage caused by any person other

than you or your traveling companions with whom

you share the Accommodation reservation unless

substantiated by a police report.

So basically what this policy will not protect owners are all the things owners want protection from: theft, destructive damage, and lease violations.

As far as I can see the only thing of value it might actually cover is accidental breakage. I've gone back to a high refundable damage deposit. I have found I have a cleaner house when people feel they might lose their deposit.