While you often only need your address and contact information to get a quote from Kin, binding your policy requires us to check a few other boxes. We automate everything we can to save you time and legwork, but we don’t have access to all the information we need about your home (and rightfully so – privacy matters!).
So to get you insured as fast as possible, here are some key documents to have on hand when you apply for home insurance – whether it’s with us or not.
Documents existing homeowners need to apply for insurance
Proof of prior insurance
If your house isn’t a new purchase, you typically need to have proof of prior home insurance. Your current insurance policy’s declarations page can do the trick.
The declarations page is simply the first page of your insurance policy. It lists key details about who is covered by the policy, who your mortgage lender is, policy limits, etc.
In addition to referencing this page for proof of prior coverage, your dec page also lets us know if you have a co-mortgagee your policy should cover.
If you can’t find your declarations page, then a copy of your full insurance policy is usually enough to satisfy this requirement. Another option is a letter from your insurance company or agent certifying coverage may be enough.
Alarm certificates
Having a centrally monitored security alarm may qualify you for a premium discount.
At Kin, we just need an alarm certificate that affirms your security system is monitored by an off-site company. You can request this from your monitoring company. Other insurers may accept other documentation.
Wind mitigation inspection report
If you live in a coastal region, you know the damage hurricane winds can do to your home. Several states encourage protecting homes from wind damage through wind mitigation, and that may mean we need a wind mitigation inspection to tell us how wind-resistant your home is. As you might have guessed, the more fortified your home is, the lower your premiums will be.
Once a certified inspector checks out your home, they’ll offer a wind mitigation inspection report. In most cases, this report details what safety features your home has and offers suggestions for improvement. Whether or not you implement those suggestions is up to you.
We’ve listed what we need below.
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Florida: A wind mitigation inspection report that is no older than 5 years.
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Louisiana: Homeowners whose homes were built before 2007 may need a Louisiana Hurricane Loss Mitigation Survey Form that has been completed by a qualified professional.
In Louisiana, you’ll receive the wind mitigation discount automatically if your home was built in 2007 or later. (If you have trouble finding a qualified professional to complete the loss mitigation survey, the Louisiana State Fire Marshal may be a good resource.)
New homeowner? The next section applies to you.
Documents new homeowners need to apply for insurance
Closing disclosure
This document lists the following:
We reference this to confirm any other mortgagees and your mortgage lender’s information.
The sales contract or Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) settlement statement (also called a HUD-1 Settlement Statement) are also acceptable substitutes.
Alarm certificates
To offer you an easy discount, we need proof of a centrally monitored security alarm. This means an outside company monitors the system. Self-monitoring via a smartphone app doesn’t qualify at this time.
Request an alarm certificate from the security monitoring company so you can get this discount.
Wind mitigation inspection report
A wind mitigation report offers a potentially big premium discount for new coastal homeowners. A wind mitigation inspection by a certified inspector usually costs around $100, but the expense is typically offset substantially in premium savings.
After the inspection, the inspector gives you a report on how wind-resistant your home is.
In Florida, we need a copy of the wind mitigation inspection report that’s no more than 5 years old. Louisiana homeowners may have to give us a copy of the Louisiana Hurricane Loss Mitigation Survey Form completed by a professional. But in the Pelican State, you may get the discount automatically if your home was built in 2007.
A note about home inspections
There are several types of home inspections that both new and old homeowners may need in order to get home insurance. Often, home insurers ask for these when you apply for a quote.
We may also ask for home inspection in certain situations. For example, we often want an exterior inspection of your house if it’s more than 10 years old. The most common inspection we ask for is an interior self-inspection where you take photos and upload them to our site. Either way, we don’t need an inspection report until your policy is bound.
You can get more details in our article Do you need an inspection for home insurance? But if you prefer, we’re a phone call or email away: (855) 717-0022 or support@kin.com.
