Why Real Estate Investors Need Vacant Dwelling Insurance

60 days after a house is vacant, a normal homeowners or landlord policy with cover NOTHING. Being an investor, whether you are rehabbing a house or renting houses out, you are having to deal with vacancies  Whether the house burns down or someone cracks their head open due to tripping on a tree stump, the insurance company will deny any and all claims.

If you are an investor that rehabs houses, you have to have a special type of insurance (that is sometimes hard to find).  This special type of insurance is specifically called “Vacant Home Insurance” or a “Vacant Dwelling Policy".  Some agents say that you can just get a normal policy with a vacancy endorsement but this policy is more for landlords that are in between tenants.  The vacant home insurance policy is under the assumption that the house will be sitting unoccupied for months – or may not be occupied while you own it ever.  One thing that you must disclose to the insurance agent you are working with is that construction will be happening on the premises while you own the house.  

One thing I always try to assure investors of is that you need to be honest with the insurance agent you are working with.  If you don’t and a claim occurs, they may deny the entire claim due to undisclosed information.  You won’t be doing yourself any favors by telling a white lie or holding back information to the insurance agent.  Agents are here to help and if they don’t have a comprehensive idea of the situation then they may be writing the wrong type of policy and that means that claims will not be covered.

If you have further questions or a specific situation please call or email us!

Independent insurance brokerage located in Tempe, AZ. We offer auto insurance, homeowners insurance, life insurance, renters insurance, commercial insurance…

Disclaimer: Coverage will vary based on state, insurance company, and type of policy