Whether you invest in rental property full-time or just rent out your extra bedroom on occasion, you need more protection than a standard homeowners policy can provide. To shield yourself from potentially catastrophic losses, look into supplemental coverage for your homeowners policy or a separate landlord insurance policy. Here’s what you need to know about the differences between homeowners and landlord insurance.
The table below highlights differences and similarities between homeowners insurance vs. landlord insurance:
| Coverage Detail | Homeowners Insurance | Landlord Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Insured resides | In the home alongside tenant | In the insured home, on the premises or elsewhere |
| Protection | Main building and other structures on the property from losses due to:
|
Same as homeowners insurance |
| Personal property | Most property is covered, including furniture, clothing and computers | Only covers items owned by you but used to service the rental property such as maintenance equipment, furniture and appliances used by the tenant, snow blowers, etc. |
| Liability | You are protected when you’re responsible for damage, regardless of where the covered event occurred | Covers accidents on the rented premises for which you are legally responsible |
| Tenant belongings | Not insured | Not insured. Experts recommend requiring tenants to carry renters’ insurance |
You can choose rental property insurance with the most basic protection, or you can insure against most kinds of losses. Ryan Scruggs at Farmers Insurance in Peoria, Illinois, explains that landlord insurance comprises three parts:
“In my opinion, liability is the most important coverage that can be offered on landlord policies,” says Scruggs. He also recommends that landlords consider expanded rent loss coverage. “If your tenant is unable to live in the home due to a fire, sewer backup, mold, etc., this coverage can reimburse you for lost income during the period the tenant is not making rental payments.”
Other landlord insurance additions worth evaluating include:
Make sure your insurer knows that you own rental property when you purchase an umbrella policy, warns real estate investor and consultant Spencer X. Smith. “I thought my personal umbrella would cover my rental properties,” he said, “And it doesn’t. Although nothing happened that forced me to learn this the hard way, it could have been a catastrophic loss.”
Landlords have more to worry about than homeowners because tenants don’t always know how to prevent property damage, and they have less to lose than you do if your structures fail. Here are some common insurance claims you might face when renting out your house, their average cost, according to the Insurance Information Institute, and how to avoid them.
| Damage type | Description | Average claim cost | Prevention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | Poor plumbing or failing pipes cause significant water leakage | $7,958 | Check and maintain pipes, especially in winter. Inform tenants where the emergency shutoff is and how to use it. |
| Accidental | Applies to the contents of the unit, including carpets, appliances, counter tops, etc. | $9,024 | Require a sufficient damage deposit to avoid insurance claims and vetting tenants carefully. |
| Storm | Forces of nature, such as wind and hail | $8,041 | Make sure your roof is in good repair and that pipes and gutters are sturdy, properly secured, and unblocked. Reinforce doors and windows with plywood coverings outside the glass in advance of big storms. |
| Malicious | Vandalism, criminal mischief | $4,800 | Thwart neighborhood hoodlums with reinforced windows, locks on gates and a visible, prominent security system. Carefully vet tenants and get a large security deposit. |
Do you need special homeowners insurance for landlords if you just occasionally rent through Airbnb or other services? It depends.
First, check with the referral service to see what protection it offers landlords. Airbnb, for example, includes Host Protection Insurance in its basic fee. This insurance provides primary liability coverage for up to $1 million for third-party claims of bodily injury or property damage, and may also cover damages caused by guests. If you work through a service that does not provide insurance, or you manage your own rental, make sure you’re sufficiently protected before taking in tenants.
If you rent out all or part of your house for a short period of time for instance, over a single holiday period or a major sporting event — you’ve got a few options for insurance protection.
The most important thing is that you let your insurer know what you’re doing.If something happens and you did not notify your homeowners insurance company about your tenants, it’s unlikely that damage or liability would be covered.
Attorney Larry Buckfire cautions against taking chances with temporary tenants. “It is essential that you obtain additional coverage if you are renting out your property,” he says, “Even if only for short periods of time. The insurance company will deny a claim if your property is being used for ‘business purposes’ and your policy is a standard homeowner’s policy. This will result in you having no coverage for an injury that occurs on the property, or even property damage caused by a renter. You will be personally liable for all damages.”
Real estate investor Eric Bowlin warns that there may be other legal hazards if you don’t insure your premises properly. “It is imperative that you do not use a standard homeowner’s policy,” he stresses. “Some states have very specific coverage requirements that your homeowner’s policy won’t include. A great example is in Massachusetts where it is mandatory to carry $750 coverage for relocation expenses in the case of a fire. These very particular requirements would never be covered in a standard policy and you don’t want to run afoul of the law by accident.”
In general, landlord insurance costs 10 to 25 percent more than comparable homeowners insurance, according to the Insurance Information Institute, (III). This reflects the additional risks incurred when you turn your home into a business. There are three categories of coverage: DP-1, DP-2 and DP-3.
It is not useful to cite “average” landlord insurance costs because of the number of variables involved. To get landlord insurance quotes, provide insurers with the items listed on this checklist, and make sure you’re comparing similar insurance policies.
You can save on landlord insurance the same way you can on your homeowners policy by bundling your landlord insurance with your auto and other policies, improving your credit rating, raising your deductible, adding an umbrella policy, and comparison shopping for insurance. In addition, there are six landlord-specific actions you can take to reduce your costs.
As the landlord, you insure your own possessions. Your tenant’s personal things are not covered under your policy. To avoid litigation in the event that your tenant’s personal property is stolen or damaged, you can require a tenant to buy renters insurance (about $12 to $18 per month) as part of the lease agreement. Eric Bowlin‘s website for new landlords recommends it because:
If something happens to the tenant’s belongings, they will want you to pay for it, even if it’s not your fault. Even if they are wrong, they can cause a lot of headaches for you to deal with. Avoid it all simply by requiring content insurance.
Liability insurance is important, but especially for pet owners. Pass the liability issues to tenants by requiring them to carry a pet liability policy.
There are many ways to save on landlord insurance, but the biggest long-term savings come from simply having it. Skimping on insurance and hoping nothing bad happens could be the most expensive mistake you ever make.
Source: thestreet.com
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