Quick summary. Every ReefRide trip is backed by a commercial policy with a $750,000 third-party liability ceiling. That money pays claims by other people the renter injures or whose property they damage — it does not pay to fix the host's own car. Damage to the host's vehicle is handled by the host's deductible (chosen at listing time) plus ReefRide's physical-damage protection.
The three protection plans
When a host lists a vehicle, they pick one of three plans. The plan controls two things: how much the host earns per booking, and how much the host pays out-of-pocket if their car is damaged during a trip. The third-party liability ceiling is the same ($750,000) on all three plans.
- Max Protect — host earns 70% of base rental, $250 deductible.
- Balanced — host earns 80% of base rental, $1,500 deductible.
- Max Earn — host earns 90% of base rental, $2,750 deductible.
Third-party liability ($750,000)
If the renter causes an accident during the trip and a third party (someone who is not the renter, the host, or a passenger) makes a claim against ReefRide or the host, the underlying commercial policy responds.
What it covers
- Bodily injury to others — medical bills, lost wages, and pain-and-suffering claims by people the renter injures (other drivers, passengers in other cars, pedestrians, cyclists).
- Property damage to others — repair or replacement of another person's vehicle, fence, building, mailbox, etc., damaged by the renter.
- Legal defense — if a third party sues, the policy pays for legal defense within the $750k limit.
What it does not cover
- Damage to the host's own vehicle. That's the deductible plus physical-damage protection (next section).
- The renter's own injuries or their personal property inside the car.
- Anything that happens outside an active, confirmed trip — see “Off-trip” below.
For context: Hawaii's statutory minimum auto liability is $20k per person / $40k per accident / $10k property damage. ReefRide's $750k ceiling is roughly 25× that floor — comparable to what other peer-to-peer car-rental platforms provide.
Damage to the host's vehicle
If the host's car is damaged during a confirmed trip — collision, theft, vandalism, weather, etc. — ReefRide's physical-damage protection pays to repair the car or, if it's a total loss, pays the actual cash value of the vehicle. The host pays only their plan's deductible.
Example: a renter rear-ends another car on the H-1 and the host's bumper costs $3,000 to repair. On the Balanced plan, the host pays the $1,500 deductible and ReefRide covers the rest.
Standard exclusions
The protection plans, like every commercial auto policy, carry standard exclusions. If any of these apply, neither the third-party liability coverage nor the physical-damage coverage will respond, and the host (or renter) may be personally responsible for the full cost.
- Unauthorized drivers — anyone not listed on the booking and approved by ReefRide ID verification.
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (legal or illegal).
- Racing, speed contests, or off-road use on roads not designed for passenger vehicles.
- Commercial use — using the vehicle for ride-share (Uber/Lyft), taxi service, courier or food delivery, or any other paid transport of people or goods.
- Intentional damage — deliberate acts by the renter or anyone they let drive.
- Use outside the islands of Hawaii — coverage is geographic to the state.
- Operation in violation of the Vehicle Sharing Agreement — including towing, transporting hazardous materials, or carrying more passengers than seatbelts.
On-trip vs. off-trip
Coverage is only active during a confirmed, paid trip — from the moment the renter picks up the vehicle (or it's delivered) until it's returned. Outside that window, the host's personal auto policy is the responsible coverage. This is true of every peer-to-peer platform.
If a trip extends past its scheduled end without an extension being booked through ReefRide, coverage may lapse for the unauthorized period. Hosts and renters are encouraged to extend through the platform if plans change.
Filing a claim
If anything happens during a trip — accident, damage, theft, a third-party claim — the host or renter should:
- If anyone is injured or there's significant damage, call 911 first.
- Take photos of all vehicles involved, license plates, the scene, and any visible injuries (with consent).
- Exchange contact and insurance information with the other parties, as required by Hawaii law.
- File a police report — in Hawaii this is required for any accident with injury or property damage over $3,000.
- Contact ReefRide support within 24 hours via the number on your booking confirmation. Our team will open a claim with the commercial carrier and handle the rest from there.
Renter coverage tiers
At checkout, renters can add a personal protection tier on top of the baseline trip coverage. These tiers reduce the renter's out-of-pocket exposure if they damage the host's vehicle. Details and pricing are shown during checkout and depend on trip length and vehicle value.
Important. This page is a plain-language summary intended to help hosts and renters understand the protection structure at a glance. It is not the policy document, and nothing on this page modifies, expands, or replaces the actual contractual terms. The binding terms are set out in the Host Terms of Service, the Renter Terms of Service, and the underlying commercial insurance policy. In the event of a conflict between this page and any of those documents, those documents control. ReefRide is not an insurance provider and does not offer insurance directly to consumers.
Questions about a specific scenario? Send us a message or visit our FAQ.