Landlord insurance is an insurance policy that protects the landlord’s investment. The most obvious part of the investment is the building that is being rented to generate income. However the losses that can be caused by a lawsuit or the loss of income from a tenant can be protected by purchasing a policy that will cover those losses.
There are basically two different types of policies a landlord can buy. The first is a peril policy. A named peril policy will only cover a loss if it is specifically stated in the policy as a covered peril. If loss due to a power outage outside the building is not listed, it is not covered. The second type of policy is a comprehensive policy or open peril policy which will cover a loss unless it is specifically excluded from being covered. That means if you suffer a loss and the policy does not say it is excluded, then it is covered. It is a more comprehensive and easier to manage policy, but usually costs more money to have.
Most policies offer coverage for the building. That would include damages caused by fire, smoke, wind, lightning, hail, explosion, fire department charges, emergency removal of property, damage from vehicle, damage from an aircraft, and riot or civil commotion. Some policies will limit coverage’s to either interior or exterior, not both. You must evaluate carefully.
Endorsements are coverage’s that are added to the policy in addition to the basic coverage’s for an extra premium or charge. Some important endorsements include:
Landlord liability, medical payments, personal liability, flood, earthquake, loss assessment, vandalism, and business property. If your policy does not list these coverage’s on the declarations page, chances are you are self insuring. In other words, you have no coverage.
Landlord liability is probably the second most important coverage after the building. Landlord liability protects the landlord from lawsuits arising from damages to the tenant or other person who is injured on the property. Injury does not necessarily have to be physical; it can be emotional such as libel, slander, and discrimination. Liability coverage will usually cover legal expenses and damages if awarded. This protects the landlord from having to pay the injured party should they win in court. It will count as a claim which could make it more difficult to get favorable rates for several years.
Most landlord policies cover the building on either a replacement cost or actual cash value policy. Replacement cost coverage will not take into account depreciation when paying on a claim which makes it the more expensive option. If a building is now worth $65,000 because it is old, a replacement policy will pay to build the same building at whatever that would cost today. An actual cash value pays the amount the building or property is worth, minus depreciation. That means you may have to pay out of pocket to have a similar home rebuilt. Changes in code also has to be considered such as updating a fuse box, that will probably have to be added to the policy and will cover an additional 10% of the building coverage amount.
Increasing deductibles are one of the easiest ways to reduce premiums without having to give up on important coverage’s. Deductibles are a way of self insuring for a portion of the claim. If a claim amount is $10,000 and you have a deductible of $1,000, you pay the first $1,000 and the company pays the rest if it is covered. Deductibles range from $100 to 5% of the coverage A amount, or the building coverage. The decision is simple, the higher the deductible then the lower the premium will be.
Landlord policies do not cover renters. The renter should be required to purchase their own insurance policy. Renters insurance covers their property and can also cover the landlord if they caused a loss such as a fire to the building or someone being injured due to the tenant’s negligence. Anyone can sue anyone for anything. Having a renter purchase a policy and include you as an additional insured can protect you from having a claim paid by your policy when the tenant was at fault. That is call subrogating.
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