Most people don't know that as a landlord, no homeowners insurance policy or rental insurance policy will protect your property from a loss.
And while making money from a rental property can be really fun and exciting, understanding how to protect it to avoid any loss is essential.
This is where rental property insurance comes into play.
In this post today, I will help you understand what landlord insurance is as well as how it works and when you need it.
What Is A Landlord Insurance Policy?
Landlord insurance works almost like homeowners insurance in that it covers you against damage to your building and protects you against liability issues if someone gets injured on your property.
It is often called buy to let home insurance and also provides a layer of extra protection because it treats your rental properties as a business.
What Does Landlord Insurance Cover?
Your landlord insurance policy will cover the building and property, but expand on liability coverage to make sure you don't have to deal with legal fees.
There is also income loss protection if you are unable to rent out a room or building if it becomes uninhabitable for a certain amount of time.
A great landlord insurance policy should have three core and comprehensive protections:
Property Damage
Coverage for property damage will cover the property if the real estate or furniture is damaged from:
- natural disaster
- electric / gas malfunction
I recommend going for a policy that offers replacement cost or replacement value coverage instead of actual cash value coverage.
We created a post about actual cash value vs replacement cost coverage if you want to learn more about the differences.
Lost Rental Income or Rental Default Insurance:
If your property is put in a position to be uninhabitable from things like:
- electric / gas malfunction
Your rental default insurance would cover the rent money that you would be missing out on if a renter was currently occupying the property.
Liability Protection:
The liability protection works like it does with homeowners insurance, it covers the medical or legal costs that might come if a tenant or visitor suffers an injury due to a property maintenance issue such as:
How Much Does Landlord Insurance Cost?
On average, landlord insurance costs around 25% more than a comparable homeowners insurance policy according to the Insurance Information Institute.
However, the additional cost is definitely worth paying to have the extra coverage.
There are several factors that will determine what your rental property insurance will cost and they are very similar to what determines the cost of homeowners and renters insurance policies.
These factors are:
- The location
- If there is a swimming pool or not
- The size of the building and the number of rental units
- The age and condition of the property, (Like, is wiring up to code?)
- Security features installed, such as fire sprinklers, gates, alarms, etc
One of the best features about landlord insurance is that it can be written off as a business expense on your taxes.
It is one of the few ways that homeowners insurance is tax deductible.
After speaking with the guys at Buttonwood property management along with recommending landlord insurance they also advise landlords to offset capital expenses or to improve their property, utilities, property losses.
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Homeowners Insurance Vs Landlord Insurance
Homeowners insurance policies cover a lot of things – damage to your personal property, theft, liability, loss of use, and more.
Homeowners insurance covers damage to the structure of your home as well as surrounding structures; however, while homeowners insurance covers your home, it won’t cover a residence you rent out.
And here's the thing:
Personal liability coverage won’t extend to business activities, and neither will personal umbrella policies.
This means that if your tenant is hurt while renting at your property a basic homeowners policy will not cover you for that.
Homeowners Insurance
Landlord Insurance
Landlord Insurance Vs Renters Insurance
Landlord insurance actually has more in common with home insurance because it covers the actual building.
However, renters insurance is still an important part of coverage.
Most people assume that their landlords policy covers them; however, that couldn't be further from the truth.
Landlord insurance doesn't cover your tenants personal property in the event of a covered loss.
And even though renters insurance isn't legally required in most states, a landlord can require you to have coverage before they will rent to you.
Imagine a property burning down, you lose your home and your renter loses all of their possessions.
Your landlord insurance policy will cover the cost of their rent and start rebuilding your property but they will be left without anything.
To avoid this headache it is best to make sure your renters have a renters policy, it will protect you both in the end.
Landlord Insurance
- Cover You For Lost Rental Payments
Renters Insurance
- Covers Relocating For Loss Of Use
- Covers You If Guest Is Hurt At Your Home
LANDLORD INSURANCE WHERE YOU LIVE
Landlord insurance by state.
Protecting your new rental or investment property should be a top priority.
Click on your state to get a free landlord insurance quote and make sure that you're fully protected.
Who Has The Best Rental Property Insurance?
We have found the best landlord insurance to come from Hippo, you can check out or quick review below.
About Hippo Home Insurance
Hippo is the newest entrant into the home insurance world but is backed by TOPA Insurance company.
As of today TOPA has an A- (Excellent) rating with A. M. Best.
Hippo believes that great homeowners insurance should be affordable, smart, convenient, and fast.
Hippo wants to make sure that you are able to get a homeowners insurance policy that covers you for the most relevant things today.
Product Features
- Coverage For Your Home Office
A Free (Roost Water Leak Sensor) With Every Policy
With every policy Hippo offers a free Roost water leak sensor that has a value of $50.00. According to Roost, you can outsmart water with their smart water leak and freeze detector. The way it works is that you place it anywhere the potential for flooding or leaking exists and if it senses water it will send an alert to your smart phone.
Simply Insurance Thinks
Hippo has come out of the gates swinging at its competitors with on average 25% lower premiums. They also have a much faster application and approval process which doesn't require an agent to complete. Hippo is the best answer if you need fast quotes and fast coverage.
Want to learn more? Check out our full Hippo Insurance Review.
What's Not Covered By Landlord Insurance?
The list goes on for all the reasons you need to own a landlord insurance policy if you rent homes as a business.
However, there are some things that the policy does not cover and these things are:
Maintenance And Equipment Breakdowns
If the furnace or dishwasher in your rental property breaks down, you'll likely have to pay out of pocket for any necessary repairs or replacements.
Property You Share
According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), landlord policies are designed for "non-owner-occupied" property.
This means that if you have someone renting in the basement of your home, a landlord insurance policy will not work for them.
You should check with your home insurance company and see if you can add coverage to your homeowners policy for the section of your property you're renting.
Tenants' Personal Property
Your tenants need to have their own separate renters insurance policy if they want to make sure their personal property is protected from a loss while renting at your property.
Landlord insurance will not cover their personal property nor will it cover their personal liability issues.
It is becoming standard for landlords to require renters insurance which probably will eventually become industry standard.
Take Action
Hopefully you now understand what rental property insurance or landlord insurance is and how it works.
If you don't have coverage on your properties you are putting yourself at a huge risk and disadvantage.
Don't waste any time, click here or on any of the the buttons above to get some quick quotes and immediate coverage.