Workplace Health and Safety is investigating the death of a four-year-old boy who was injured in a swing set accident while staying at an Airbnb in Queensland's Sunshine Coast hinterland at the weekend.

A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman said the child suffered serious head injuries and was rushed to Maleny hospital after the swing set toppled over and landed on him, but he later died.

A seven-year-old girl also suffered a broken arm.

Workplace Health and Safety said it was looking into the death because it happened at an Airbnb — which is classified as a business.

In a statement, Airbnb told the ABC it was deeply saddened by the incident and had reached out to Queensland police to offer them assistance.

But the little boy's death has raised questions about who's liable when things go wrong at an Airbnb, and what consumers can do to protect themselves from legal traps.

Death, injury and damage: Does regular insurance cover an Airbnb guest?

Short answer — probably not.

Principal lawyer at Maurice Blackburn Alison Barrett said Airbnb hosts should notify their insurance company if they intend to rent their property or risk being unprotected.

Hosts should notify their insurance company if they intend to rent their property. ( ABC News: David Hudspeth )

"It does depend on the precise terms of the policy, but generally it won't be covered unless they've actually provided their insurer with that notice," Ms Barrett said.

RACQ insurance spokesperson Kirsty Clinton said turning a home into a commercial business tipped its insurance coverage on its head.

"If there's a storm, if there's a cyclone, if there's a fire — these things are covered if you're an Airbnb," she said.

"What isn't covered is the legal liability portion of the home and contents insurance if you're running a business at the home.

"This is the bit that offers compensation for death and injury, or loss of damage to someone's property when they're staying there."

What protections does Airbnb offer?

Airbnb provides free Host Protection Insurance, which offers a safeguard to people renting out their homes.

The program provides coverage of up to $US1 million "in the event of a third-party claim of bodily injury or property damage" during an Airbnb stay.

This includes cases like a guest breaking their wrist from slipping on a rug, or injuring themselves after falling off a faulty treadmill.

It doesn't cover property issues, including mould or bedbugs, or damage or injury from something done intentionally.

Tips for hosts Check all aspects of your property

Check all aspects of your property Keep a paper trail of damage and repairs

Keep a paper trail of damage and repairs Have appropriate insurance — landlord insurance and public liability insurance

Have appropriate insurance — landlord insurance and public liability insurance Make sure your insurer knows you're renting for a commercial reason

Alison Barrett said there were other limitations, and guests should be wary of the fine print.

"That insurance would generally only kick in when the host or the landlord has been at fault or been negligent for the circumstances of the injury," she said.

"For this particular [swing set] case, for example, you would need to prove that the owner of the property was aware or should have been aware that the swing posed a risk to children who used it — and in light of that knowledge, that they then failed to repair the swing or to maintain it or to remove it.

"If this was a tragic accident that was no one's fault, there will be no compensation payable to the family."

Airbnb Australia and New Zealand manager Sam McDonagh said liability insurance claims were extremely rare.

"In 2017, there were more than 49 million trips at Airbnb listings worldwide," Mr McDonagh said.

"Liability insurance incidents (claims under our Host Protection Insurance program) were reported to us 0.001 per cent of the time in countries where the program was active."

What should you do before renting an Airbnb?

Brisbane resident and keen traveller Jarrah McLardy said she had used Airbnb almost a dozen times without any major problems.

"I've used it in Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Budapest … when I was younger I was scared to stay in hostels, so it was a good way to be separated from people but still travel affordably," she said.

"I feel like the chance of something bad happening is very low — it's like staying at a friend's house."

Brisbane resident Jarrah McLardy said she's used Airbnb almost a dozen times without any major problems. ( Instagram )

But Ms Barrett said platforms like Airbnb created new problems for holidaymakers who struggled to understand their entitlements while renting.

"What we find is that people just aren't aware of their rights and they aren't asking the right questions before they're using these platforms — and that's when things can go wrong," she said.

She said guests should ask property owners about their level of insurance and be wary of photographs of the home posted online.

"When you arrive at the property, if something doesn't add up or it doesn't look safe, get back in contact with the host and ask questions like 'how old is this? When did you last have it checked?'," she said.

Airbnb said all hosts were required to certify their compliance with local laws and regulations.