Landlord Insurance

Why choose Rogue Risk for your Landlord Insurance?

At Rogue Risk, we help you “Win” the landlord insurance game by focusing not just on the cost of insurance premiums, but your Total Cost of Risk.

Our proprietary process, RogueRisk365®, allows property owners and landlords to cut costs and free up cash flow while maintaining the insurance coverages you need to sustain your business.

Need help calculating loan payments on a new rental property? Use our free mortgage calculator.

Common Types of Landlord Insurance Coverage

We are very selective in the landlord insurance carriers we choose to partner with at Rogue Risk. Not all insurance carriers are created equal. Our clients are only placed with insurance companies that have the best price, for the right coverage. Here are a few of the partner carriers we choose to place our clients with…

What is Landlord Insurance?

Landlord insurance is property and liability coverage that helps protect owners from damages or injuries related to a rental property. Landlord insurance can provide coverage for structure damage, liability situations, and more. Property owners should consider a landlord home insurance policy if they’re responsible for the entire building, including the exterior and roof.

If you’re only responsible for the interior structure of the home, landlord condo insurance is the right choice to protect your investment.

How Much Does Landlord Insurance Cost?

According to a 2019 report from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), the average cost of homeowners insurance was $1,211, though prices can vary significantly by state.2 However, as rental properties are more prone to damage and incident, you can expect to pay about 15% more for landlord insurance on the same property, according to the free real estate investment tracking site Stessa.com.

There is also an inverse relationship between the price of your premiums and the length of time the property is in service. For example, according to Houselogic.com, an informational website run by members of the National Association of Realtors, expect to pay nearly double in annual premiums if you rent out your home for only 12 weeks instead of an entire year. The reasoning is that short-term tenants are less likely to notice (or even mention) maintenance issues. They might be more careless, or they may not understand the layout of the house and the location of the plumbing, load-bearing supports, or electrical wiring. All this can increase the probability of problems and the insurer’s risk.

When shopping for policies, be sure to ask your homeowner’s insurance provider about bundle options. If you sign up for homeowners and landlord insurance through the same company, you may receive a discount.

What does landlord insurance cover?

Landlord policies protect you and your investment. Most policies include coverage for:

Property Investment

Whether you rent a single family home, condo, or townhouse, landlord insurance covers:

• Damage to the residence.
• Damage to permanent structures on the property or onsite property maintenance equipment (such as lawnmowers owned by you).

Personal Protection

In the event of a covered loss, landlord insurance may also cover:

• Lost rent payments if property repairs result in a temporary vacancy.
• Liability coverage if someone is injured on the property.

Extra Protections

Depending on your situation, you may want to consider additional coverage for things like:

• Vandalism
  You may want optional coverage to help you pay to repair vandalism damage. If your property is vandalized, that type of damage typically isn’t covered by a traditional landlord policy unless you purchase vandalism coverage.
• Burglary
  While a standard landlord insurance policy may help pay to repair your home if it’s damaged in a break-in, it typically won’t pay to replace stolen items. Optional coverage may be available for theft of items you keep on the property to help maintain it, such as appliances or a lawnmower.
• Rental property under construction
  Are you gutting or renovating your rental or building a new dwelling? You may be able to purchase additional coverage to help protect the structure until it’s ready to be occupied.
• Building codes
  If you’re repairing or replacing part of your rental after it’s been damaged, you could be legally required to upgrade items like wiring or ventilation, says the International Risk Management Institute. This is because city or county codes may have changed since your property was originally built. This coverage may help reimburse you for those additional costs.

Additional Landlord Insurance Coverages

There are several common riders that can come with landlord insurance policies. They’re not as vital as the key provisions mentioned above, but they could come in handy and save you some money in the long run.

• Guaranteed Income Insurance—This covers the landlord if a tenant comes up short on the rent one month (or doesn’t pay at all).
• Flood Insurance—As many landlord insurance policies don’t include flood damage related to natural disasters or municipal plumbing, this coverage is worth adding if the property is in a flood-prone zone.
• Emergency Coverage—In the event a tenant calls you out to fix something such as a leaking dishwasher or was accidentally locked out of the house, this feature can help cover some or all of the costs you incurred to travel to the property and resolve the issue.
• Additional Construction Expenses—This will cover expenses incurred by having to bring a building up to code after it has been damaged.

What is not covered by landlord insurance?

Landlord insurance policies help you rent your property with peace of mind for most unplanned expenses. However, some commonly excluded items include:

Maintenance

Landlord insurance doesn’t cover normal maintenance or property wear and tear (including landlord furnished appliances). Also excluded are flood, earthquake, and water-sewer back-up damages.

Home Sharing

Landlord policies are intended for “non-owner-occupied” properties. So, renting out a room or floor of the home you live in may require additional coverage on your homeowner’s policy rather than a landlord policy.

Tenants and Their Belongs

Tenants should get renters insurance to cover their personal belongings.