How Does Renters Insurance Protect the Landlord and Their Property

Requiring a tenant to have renters insurance is a great way to protect you, your property, and their personal belongings. Should anything happen to the property while your tenant is living there, renters insurance will add a level of ease and security to benefit both parties.

How Renters Insurance Protects Everyone

If a tenant has renters insurance, it protects you as a landlord against legal issues throughout their stay. If your tenant is concerned about why insurance is required, use the following list as reasons why.

• It provides you protection against lawsuits. The number one reason a tenant should have insurance is that it will keep you out of court. If anything goes wrong, like fire or water damage, the renter’s insurance policy should cover the liability. However, if the renter doesn’t have insurance, there is a greater chance they will try to take you to court to get money to cover the costs of the damage.
• It eliminates bad tenants from renting your property. If you require potential renters to provide proof of insurance and they don’t have it because they can’t afford it, that could be a red flag. The average cost of renters insurance is easily affordable. Many policies will cost around $17 a month to cover up to $40,000 in personal property and $100,000 in liability. If a potential tenant can’t afford less than $20 a month for renters insurance, then how tight is their budget? Can they even afford to rent your property? Will they be late on rent, or worse, never pay?
• Renters insurance covers your own insurance deductible. As a landlord, you will have insurance to cover your property. However, if your renter accidentally sets your rental property on fire, their insurance will cover your deductible. Any time your renter is responsible for an incident on your property, their insurance will always cover yours, at no extra cost to you.
• Renters insurance reduces your responsibility. If anything happens to your rental property that leaves your tenant without a place to live, their rental insurance will provide them with an alternative place to until the damages are repaired. If your tenant doesn’t have insurance and something happens, some states hold you, the landlord, responsible for providing a place for your tenant to live, even if the issue was the tenant’s fault. By requiring renters insurance, you are making sure that your tenant is responsible for their own well being.

By making renters insurance a requirement, you’re giving yourself and the tenant peace of mind from added security and protection. With both of you armed with insurance, there will be much less legal and financial issues should anything go wrong.

Does Your Rental Property Need a Commercial Restoration Company?

Contact Alpha-Omega Disaster Restoration. At Alpha Omega Disaster Restoration, we have a trained, certified, and licensed emergency response team available 24/7 to assess your situation, make a plan, and work directly with your insurance company and your tenant’s. We’ll restore your rental property as quickly and safely as possible, to get your tenants back into their home.

Alpha-Omega Pros is a fully certified professional restoration company serving Billings, MT and the surrounding areas.