Landlord Insurance Checklist Explanation

Gila Insurance Group has put together a landlord insurance checklist of things you should discuss with your insurance agent. While it’s nice to have the list, the question is why are these so important? Here we will break this down, and explain piece by piece why you need to have these conversations.

Investment Property   ______
Proper Property Valuation   ______
The Form – DP3- What’s Covered   ______
Loss Settlement Option for Home   ______
Deductible   ______
Water Backup of Sewer or Drains Coverage   ______
Earthquake   ______
Flood   ______
Ordinance and Law/Building Code Upgrade Coverage   ______

Proper Property Valuation – Did you know that there are penalties for under-insuring your investment property? There are, and if you have under-insured your home you could be getting a lower payout if you have a claim. On the other hand, over insuring your home costs you money that you don’t need to spend. So how do you get it right? There are cost estimator tools, you can speak with a contractor, appraisals sometimes make sense, but mostly they focus on the market value. What we are looking for here is the cost to rebuild the home. That means we take out the value of the land, and focus on the cost to rebuild the home.

The Form – We have spoken about this at great lengths, and have even put together a form comparison chart, but when it comes to landlord insurance policies, these things matter, and investors tend to try to save money anywhere they can to bolster revenue. Don’t mess up your policy by not getting the “special form.”

Loss Settlement – We talked about valuation and replacement cost already, but there is a second piece to this puzzle. If you don’t have the home insured at replacement cost you could be in for a big surprise if you have a claim. Look the bottom-line on a landlord insurance policy is that if there is a claim you want things replaced, right? So you want to purchase replacement cost. In some cases, that might not be available, so make sure you get a stated value or full repair cost option on your policy, but ensure you understand what is being covered.

Deductible – If you want to save money raise your deductible. How high? How much cash do you normally keep on hand? The deductible is the part of the claim you are responsible for paying. It’s the part you pay first. The question is, if you are handy and unlikely to file a claim, then why have a really low deductible?

Water back up of sewers and drains – water backs up in toilets, showers, and sinks. It happens. And when it happens the damage can be great. However, in most situations the damage caused by the backup of sewers and drains isn’t covered, but it can be added. Your tenants aren’t you, and are likely to not treat the house the same way you would, so this becomes a very important coverage for landlords.

Earthquake – This is always an excluded coverage, but it can be purchased. Even in California. It can be expensive, but it worth discussing so that you can make an informed decision.

Flood – Again, always excluded, but can be purchased. The truth is that every house, investment property or otherwise, is in a flood zone, some are just in a “high risk” zone. That said, MANY floods that cause damage every year are not in a “high risk” zone. Ask! It might be more affordable than you think.

Ordinance and Law – Look our politicians do crazy stuff. I have even seen green, rather than golden arches. Crazy! So what does ordinance and law or building code upgrade coverage do? If you have a loss at one of your investment properties, and the municipality requires you to make some upgrades due to an ordinance or law that has been passed in the area, this coverage will pay for the increased cost of to repair or replace the damage/home that occur in order to comply with the ordinance or law.

To get a quote on your landlord insurance property start your quote online, and let us shop for you.

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Landlord Furnishings

LANDLORD FURNISHINGS

A landlord’s insurance policy covers the home and can include insurance for the landlord’s furnishings. This isn’t the renter’s stuff, that needs to be covered under a renters policy, this is your stuff. Coverage for the landlord’s furnishings is important, and should not be overlooked. Why, because even if you aren’t furnishing the home, the value of what you probably will furnish can be significant. Consider this; even if you do not furnish the home there may be a refrigerator, a stove, a microwave, maybe even a washer and dryer. If the microwave is built in to the cabinets then it would be considered part of the building, as would the dishwasher, but those other big ticket items are exactly that, even with those President’s Day Sales Prices. Even on the cheap you are looking at $2,000-$3,000 to replace those items. Maybe that isn’t a big deal, however, given the fact that you will already have a deductible you don’t want to compound your out-of-pocket costs with replacing landlords furnishing. Coverage is relatively cheap, and is worth considering.

Other things to consider, landlord’s furnishings are typically covered for “broad” form coverage not “special” form coverage without being changed. This means your stuff is covered for less than what the home would typically be covered for. If this bother’s you can often change the policy to cover your stuff under a “special” form.

If you are furnishing more than just the basic appliances, it is important to note that theft of landlord’s furnishings will not be covered, so if you are going to rent the home out fully furnished you will want to use other risk management techniques to protect your stuff, whether that be through a large security deposit or in some other way, and never furnish with something you can’t afford to replace.

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Understanding Perils Insurance

Perils insurance against, what in the world does that mean. Here’s an insurance guy trying to explain the insurance options for rental property insurance.

Rental Property Insurance Coverage – Section I policy Form – Perils insured against.

Demystifying the stuff coming out of your insurance agent’s mouth

Perils insured against…. What does that mean? Let’s see if I can take off my insurance man hat for a second and put on my investor hat. Why? Because I believe this is where A LOT of insurance folks tend to lose their clients. It’s a simple thing, but we often get too caught up in the insurance lingo when we are explaining this stuff. So, here is my best attempt.

A peril is stuff that happens to cause a loss. So, stuff that happens, for which you are insured, is a covered peril.

Okay. Sometimes you will hear an adjustor or an insurance agent say something like, “in the event of a covered loss.” Well, what in the world is a “covered loss?” How could you know? That’s where the policy form comes into play. Policy forms are like a series of hooks on a wall, so we take our policy and we hang it on a form, then every time we read something like “in the event of a covered loss,” we can look at our hook, and we see if it’s covered in the policy.

Okay, so there are essentially 3 types of “hooks” or options for rental property insurance buyers. There are basic, broad, and special forms. That’s easy, but of course you will often hear agents referring to these as DP-1, DP-2, or a DP-3. This basically says it’s a dwelling policy with this kind of form… Now, each form has a list of stuff that gets covered. Basic being the worst and special being the best. Now that I have gone all insurance guy on you, let me break it down visually so that you can understand it.

THIS IS A GENERALIZATION, CHECK YOUR POLICY! THERE ARE THINGS THAT CAN CHANGE THESE LISTS LIKE THE PROPERTY BEING VACANT OR OTHER FACTORS!

Now before you get all crazy and say, “hey Broad has most of what special has, I bet I can save some money,” slow your roll. Let’s look at that last one; Risk of Loss with Exclusions. What does that mean? It means that unless the insurer specifically excludes it, it’s covered. That is a HUGE difference.  In the first two options the insurer will only cover a handful of things, and if it’s not on the list, then it’s not covered. The last option, the special “hook,” says if it’s not excluded, its covered, which leaves hundreds of covered situations with a handful of exclusions.

LONG STORY SHORT? You’re special so get special. It’s as simple as that.

Start your quote online or call us for an immediate quote 1-877-784-6787.

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Ways to Save With Your Deductible

I recently went to go see “The Greatest Showman,” as one who is often found singing or whistling show tunes, I loved it. But the sound track is probably better than the Movie. A great mix of music with strong beats and base lines and violins coupled with distorted guitar, and great melodies. Followed by hopefully ballads. Anyway, there is a song that talks about the long-lasting idiom, “Walking a Tight Rope.” What does this have to do with Saving money on your insurance? Anymore Insurance companies know about your home or auto by running reports. They know if you have had losses, they know when your home was built, what materials, the size, etc., etc., etc. They know. So, there isn’t a lot of wiggle room on a lot. But there is when it comes to deductibles, but it’s a tight rope walk.

When you have a covered claim the insurance company will pay the amount of the loss, less the deductible.

So for example, if you have a $1,000 deductible on your auto, and have a fender bender that costs $2,000 to repair the insurance company will pay $1,000, it is your responsibility to pay the rest of the amount due to the auto repair shop.

On a home if you have $1,000 deductible, and a hail loss that requires you to replace your roof, if the cost is $10,000 to replace the roof, then you would be paid $9,000 and you would be responsible for paying the contractor the other $1,000.

So how is this a type rope? There is a inverse relationship between the cost of your insurance policy and your deductible. The higher the deductible the lower your rates. The lower your deductible the higher your rates.

So how is this a tight rope? Well, on one hand if you have a BIG loss you won’t want to be coming out of pocket to pay a large amount of the claim. On the other hand, if you have a small loss will you actually turn it into the company? Think about it, if it’s a $1,500 loss and you have a $1,000 deductible. The additional $500 dollars you get from the insurance company will cost you dearly once you lose your claims free discount. So what should your deductible be? That depends? Do you have cash on hand usually? Do you have the ability to cover small losses yourself? If so, then the answer is higher.

Once quick example to close. I recently helped a real estate investor get an insurance policy on a Manufactured Home he had purchased as a rental. As an investor he has cash on hand on a regular basis, and he knew the only time they would ever report a claim is if it was BIG. So we looked at the deductible. At a $1,000 deductible the rate was $1080 annually for this manufactured home. With a $2,500 deductible the rate was $817. With a $5,000 deductible the rate was $349. Wow! A 70% discount because of the deductible. Now he knows if there’s a loss he is probably covering it, but what he is most concerned about is a catastrophe, so he decided to go with a high deductible. But now you see, choosing your deductible is like walking a tight rope.

For questions on how to save money on your insurance policy, contact Gila Insurance Group. We’ll review your current policy or provide an insurance quote.

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Umbrella Liability Insurance for Landlords

Do you have enough liability insurance? Probably not. But how much is enough? Unfortunately that question varies. First, what does liability insurance do? Liability insurance does two things: (1.) it pays for losses for which you become legally liable for as a result of a lawsuit and (2.) it pays to defend you in the event of a lawsuit.

So what can you become legally liable for? As a real estate investor you have some unique exposures. You have tenants, and, let’s face it, they probably don’t love you. Not because you’re a bad person, but because you represent a bill, and maybe a past due bill. You’re the proverbial “man” they are trying to stick it to. So you need to protect yourself, your assets, your business.

“It won’t happen to me.” Try this. Google how to sue your landlord and feast your eyes on the three million, yes, three million results.

The bottom-line is that if you get sued and are found liable you will be required to pay the judgment. How? That depends. If you have insurance, that would be first, then it goes to your assets, including cash, stocks, bonds, REAL ESTATE. Yes, you selling that investment property might do real well to pay off your judgment, and you’re out the asset and the cash flow. Beyond that, your wages from your J-O-B can be garnished. Liability is a serious thing.

Liability insurance isn’t expensive, it’s actually quite reasonable. So max out the limits on your policy, the marginal difference will be dollars. Then, consider an umbrella policy. An umbrella policy is a liability-only policy with some unique features which are pretty cool, but the important part is that it kicks in when you get sued for limits that are higher than a home insurance policy. For the limits you get, it is amazingly affordable. And if you have several investment properties you may have several million in real estate. Protect your investment(s) by making sure you have enough liability insurance!

Get covered today with an umbrella policy today! Start your quote immediately, but have what you need on hand!

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The Liability of Not Responding to Tenants Quickly

STORIES FROM AN INSURANCE LAWYER PART 3

Protect yourself from a lawsuit in Safford, AZHave you ever had a tenant ask you to fix something one, twice? What about three times. Consider this story. Landlord, purchases rental property with older windows. Single pane, not super-efficient, but who want to replace the windows in your rental right away, right? Anyway, tenant complains to landlord, asking for double pane windows. This happens a couple of times. No action by the landlord. Now, we can argue whether or not this action is required of the landlord in any case, but it’s not material to the story. Tenant and her boyfriend are otherwise occupied. The tenant’s child, is playing by a two story window. Kid falls out of the window. Now, as I understand the story, Kid was okay, BUT the landlord gets sued. What? Yeah, it was a stretch, but the landlord got sued.

Basically, the tenant claimed that if the windows had been replaced then the child would not have fallen out of the window. Yeah, I am not sure how the new window somehow watches the kid and makes sure no one falls out the window, but I haven’t seen that model at my local Home Depot, but I digress. The suit went to court. In this case the Landlord won the case, and was not found negligent, BUT it begs two questions.

  1. Are you responding to your tenant’s request? The reason the case had any standing to begin with is that the tenant had made multiple requests that the windows be replaced.
  2. Defense costs, again a huge benefit of your insurance policy.

So, keep your property well-kept respond to these tenant requests, and be sure to purchase enough liability coverage. Start your landlord insurance quote online right now!

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Does Your Landlord Policy Cover Personal Injury

Landlord Insurance Safford, AZLandlord gets sued for a dog bite. For dog bite lessons please see “Why you should require your tenants to purchase renters insurance.” Landlord gets ticked at the lawsuit and the prospect of his insurance rates go up, squeezing his cash flow. Consequently, landlords decides to do a little investigative work. Simply because he believes the kid’s parents wanted him to fake the injury, and so the pain and suffering stuff would be hogwash. So, he has the kid followed, and gets sued.

Under what? Invasion of privacy. Question is, is that covered under your policy? The answer is that it depends. There are some companies that will offer personal injury coverage and there are others that don’t. On landlord policies the answer is probably not. Wait, what’s Personal injury? Personal injury is a broad term that covers several things. Most of them mental injury that we could cause to others. For example, defamation, libel, slander, false arrest or imprisonment, malicious prosecution, or invasion of privacy. Now you would never do anything like those types of things, right? Have you ever spoken negatively about a tenant? Have you ever bent the rules on your rights of a home inspection? Have you ever driven by just to see “what’s going on?” You get my point. It’s a fine line, and your tenant views you has the “rich landlord,” and there are plenty willing to take advantage of an opportunity. Not to defame any of your tenants, but you have probably had a tenant like that.

So, what can you do. Well, first off be aware, you might be just driving by, but the tenant might see that as a stifling landlord, or a weirdo, or you name it. Second, be sure you are covered. Not all insurance policies are the same. Do you have the coverage you need? Many landlord insurance policies specifically exclude personal injury liability, and I have yet to see a policy that automatically included an endorsement or “rider” that adds it automatically. In fact, it may simply not be available, in which case you would need to have a different risk management plan. Such as, stick to the lease in terms of inspections, don’t have your tenants followed, etc. That said, the question remains, what kind of coverage do you have? Take away? Contact your agent about personal injury coverage.

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Insurance Bundling for Investors

If you turn the TV on for 2 seconds you will hear all about you can bundle and save on insurance, and that is a great way to save. For investors this can also be true. Imagine having multiple investment properties on one insurance policy, with one renewal date, one payment. We have several options that can make this a reality.

The first is called the 10+ program. If you have more than 10 properties, we can put all your properties on one commercial policy that makes life easy. This program can include single family homes, apartment units with up to 6 dwellings, condos and manufactured home policies all in one place. You can even have a vacant home or two if they plan to be filled.

The second is a program that can have as few as 1 unit, but as many as you have. This program is a little different than the 10+, and is a great option for investors that are flipping houses on a regular basis.

These programs allow us to save you money and get you great coverage, but almost as important it allows you to simplify your insurance. It’s these programs that allow us to become more than your insurance agent, but a member of your team.

Have questions about your current coverage? Contact us or request a quote on our website.

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