Landlord Policy Check

Step by step

1. Each rental use maps to the policy forms usually written for it: long-term tenancy to a landlord or dwelling-fire form, short-term letting to a commercial or specialist form, and renting a room within a home you occupy — or letting it out occasionally while you live there — to a homeowners policy, usually endorsed.
2. A homeowners form on a tenant-occupied property is flagged as a mismatch, because HO forms are written for owner-occupied risks. A dwelling-fire form on a short-term let is flagged as something to confirm, because those forms are written for a tenant under a lease rather than transient occupancy.
3. Whether the carrier has been told is flagged separately, because it applies regardless of which form is in force.
4. Loss of rent and landlord liability are each flagged when not carried. A homeowners form provides these only in owner-occupied situations — fair rental value, and liability extending to a roomer or boarder; on a rented-out property they exist only on landlord forms.

The formula

No arithmetic — this is a determination against the policy form and the coverages carried.

Important disclosures

1. This tool is educational only. It illustrates potential exposure using the assumptions shown — it is not insurance advice, a price, or an offer of coverage, and it does not determine whether any coverage amount is right for you. Policy language varies; review your actual policy and discuss your situation with a licensed insurance professional.
2. Whether a particular policy responds to a rental loss depends on its actual wording and any endorsements added to it. Some homeowners policies can be endorsed for limited rental use; others cannot.
3. Telling your insurer how a property is used is a matter of the duty of disclosure, and the consequences of not doing so vary by state and by carrier. This tool does not assess whether any particular non-disclosure would affect a claim.
4. Short-term and holiday letting is treated very differently from long-term tenancy by most carriers, and may require a commercial form regardless of the size of the property.