Landlord insurance made for you

If you’re making money off of your property by charging rent, you most likely need landlord insurance.

In addition to getting landlord insurance, it’s wise to take additional steps to reduce the likelihood of damage. We suggest: 

• Getting a home warranty. Even if you have a trusted maintenance contractor on speed dial, it makes sense to get a home warranty for items that manufacturer warranties don’t cover, or for those that have aged out of their warranties. Warranties can be a huge cost-saver, especially as you scale up your portfolio of investment properties. 

• Checking in on unoccupied spaces. You’d think an unoccupied property would be less trouble than one full of tenants, but an empty space can suffer water damage or a rodent infestation with no one around to report the events. We advise regularly looking in on your property or hiring someone to do so — even when it’s not actively pulling in rental income. 

Kin offers landlord insurance in the following states:

• Florida

• Louisiana

Landlord insurance is a type of property insurance designed specifically for owners renting out one or more residential homes, condos, or apartments. It provides financial protection for the structure of the rental property, loss of rental income, and liability related to the rental.

When a landlord rents out a property, standard homeowners insurance typically no longer applies. Landlord insurance steps in to cover situations specific to rental activities. It helps pay for:

• Property damage due to covered events (e.g., fire, lightning, wind)

• Lost rental income if the property becomes uninhabitable due to a covered peril

• Liability claims if a tenant or visitor gets injured on the property

Claims are filed similarly to other insurance policies—once a covered incident occurs, the landlord files a claim, pays any applicable deductible, and then receives reimbursement for covered losses.

Landlord insurance typically costs 15% to 25% more than homeowners insurance. That’s because it covers more risks, including tenant-related damage and loss of rental income. The average cost of homeowners' insurance in the US is around  $3,303 per year. That would mean the average price of a landlord policy may range from $3,798 to $4,129.

Still, the exact cost of landlord insurance will depend on several factors, including:

• Property location. Homes in areas with high crime, extreme weather, or flood risk usually cost more to insure

• Property type and age. Older homes or multi-unit buildings tend to have higher premiums

• Replacement cost value. The higher it is, the more your policy will cost

• Coverage limits and deductibles. Choosing higher limits or lower deductibles increases the premium

• Tenant type. Long-term leases typically cost less to insure than short-term vacation rentals

• Claim history. A history of insurance claims may raise your rates

In addition to a standard landlord policy, you may want to consider these optional coverages:

• Flood insurance. Protects your property from flood damage, which isn't covered by standard landlord insurance.

• Windstorm or hurricane coverage. Especially important in coastal areas, this helps cover wind-related damage.
  

• Sinkhole coverage. In states like Florida, insurers must offer this to cover the cost of repairing sinkhole damage.

• Sewer or water backup. Covers damage from backed-up drains or sump pump failures.

• Vandalism coverage. Protects against malicious property damage by tenants or intruders.
  Loss of rent coverage: Reimburses you for lost rental income if the property becomes uninhabitable due to a covered event.

• Ordinance or law coverage. Helps cover the cost of bringing your property up to current building codes after a covered loss.