Meadowlands

Hi, we are moving to Virginia at the end of the month and our landlord has requested to be an additional insured party on our personal effects/liability insurance policy. Is this common practice in the US? I would have thought he should have his own insurance as landlord (as we do in the UK).

Any advice?

Thank you!

ian-mstm

AFAIK, it is decidedly not common! Your landlord should have his own liability insurance to cover him when he performs work in your flat. I would definitely question him about this. If he doesn't have his own insurance, rent elsewhere.

Ian

Bluegrass Lass

I'm a native US citizen, and I've never heard of such a thing. Then again, I've only rented in the Midwest, so there could be differences in other areas of the states. Renter's insurance is purely to insurance your property, not the landlord's. I have heard of the landlord requesting proof of the renter's insurance, but that's all.

Here's some info I found:
http://kb.erenterplan.com/idx.php/6/...my-policy.html

Giantaxe

I've never heard of this.

My advice is firmly to say no. Putting him on the policy would give him an equal right to any claim paid out for, for example, damage to your personal property. A landlord should have their own insurance and I personally would be leery of renting from someone who didn't. Having a landlord and tenant on the same policy is a conflict of interest, imo. Landlords often ask for evidence of you having insurance, however.

Duncan Roberts

I'll add to the no. Landlords should have building insurance, renters insurance is for the tenants to insure their personal property. It shouldn't even be required in order to rent since it only covers the renters stuff so has no bearing on the landlord.

Mummy in the foothills

No way, when we rented we were never even asked if we had renters insurance (we did) but the landlord had no idea who with.

Trixie_b

I wouldn't know about rental / landlord requirements, but I worked for a company that worked on customer sites and often subcontracted.

They insisted that they we're added as addionial insured on the contractprs policy.

I think I can try and explain why, and that was incase the sub contractor screwed up, and someone got hurt, that the client may sue the primary contractor not the sub contractor (therefore raising insurance rates for someone who actually wasn't responsible).

So I could see how that would cross over to tennant / landlord.

If one of your visitors got hurt in the property, they may sue you, or the landlord. If it was a building fault, he should have his own insurance, but if they tripped over (for example) your rug / dog, he may not have coverage on his policy for something outside of his control so wants to piggy back your liability coverage.

Giantaxe

This is typically why landlords want proof that a renter has renter's insurance (which includes liability insurance for the renter). But putting the landlord on the actual policy isn't needed for the situation you describe:- the renter's insurance will pay out to the injured third party.

Bob

Sounds like he's trying to stiff you already and you've not moved in....I'd find another gaff to rent. It'll only get worse.

Englishtart

We are landlords and renters, we have building insurance for our home in IL, which we own, and renters insurance here in SC, to cover everything 'inside' the house that we own. No way would we ever ask nor need to be on a tenants rental insurance.

Rete

Not common to my knowledge. My landlord is not named on my renters insurance. The landlord should have his own house insurance which would cover any damage to his property do to things such as plumbing issues, electrical issues, acts of nature, etc.

Moonshadow_Girl

I have to agree with everyone else. I've been a renter for over a decade and never has a landlord asked to be on our renter's insurance. The landlord should have their own insurance protecting their building/property. Renter's insurance is to protect the renters' personal items in the building.

I would reconsider renting from that landlord.

RoadWarriorFromLP

That's good advice. Don't move into this place.

Bluegrass Lass

From the link I posted earlier:

"many insurance companies will agree to name a property owner as a certificate holder which provides them the notice protection they are looking for but does not make them a direct insured under the policy. This is a similar concept to what your bank requires on your auto loan to insure you maintain auto insurance."

Perhaps all the landlord is wanting is to be notified if the OP drops their renter's insurance, not to actually be named on the policy. It is quite common for a landlord to require renter's insurance.

If the landlord really wants to be on the policy, then I agree that I would find somewhere else to live.

Englishtart

It shouldn't matter to the landlord (doesn't to me) if the tenant has renters insurance or not, it is to protect the renter against loss, damage to their own property etc, doesn't affect the landlord at all.