As A Landlord, Should I Require Tenant’s To Carry Renter’s Insurance?

June 14, 2011 by Leave a comment

Having an investment property can be a great return on investment. But on the contrary, you do have the management aspect. This can include maintenance, leases, insurance and etc. One of them being your insurance policy. In this blog were going to cover why your tenants should have renter’s insurance, or better known as a homeowners policy number 4.  If you want to know more about landlord insurance, please visit this link.

What Is Renters Or Tenants Insurance or Known As A Ho-4?

A HO-4 policy, also known as renter’s insurance, covers only the tenants interest. This includes the following coverage,

  • Personal Property
  • Medical Payments
  • Loss Of Use
  • Personal Liability
  • Other Coverages are available

So Why Should I As Landlord, Require  My Tenants to have Tenants Insurance?

To avoid any legal problems or losses from your tenant.  A Renters Policy has a personal liability built in.  If your renter were to encounter any legal problems or losses, she/he is covered.  Here are some examples of what could happen.

-A renter invites a guest over and they slip and fall on the premises.

-They could accidentally start a fire in the premises.

With renters insurance, any type of law suits, or premises losses are going to fall on their policy. If your renter does not have insurance, you as a landlord are going to have to use your own policy.  Requiring your renter to have insurance can avoid huge headaches in the event of a loss or legal problems. The last thing you need to deal with as a landlord is getting sued for one of your tenant’s actions. In additon if a loss does occur on your policy, chances are your premium is going to increase on next renewal.

How much personal liability coverage should your renter have?

All you should be worry about on your tenant’s policy is their personal liability.  I would recommend a $300,000 liability requirement and it costs the tenant $15.00 – $30.00 per year extra.  This for the most part will cover most law suits that a tenant could encounter.  This for the most part covers the average cost of a dwelling or condo if were to completely burn to the ground.  If you feel that this will not be sufficient, your renter could go with a $500,000 personal liability or higher.

How much does Renters Insurance cost my tenant? 

Depending on how much coverage the tenant decides to go with besides your liability requirements, it can run as low as $80 per year all the way up to $300.  A lot of this depends upon the renters credit, previous losses, and how much other coverage they decide to buy and etc.

How do I get Proof Insurance As A Landlord?

You should get a Certificate of Insurance or Coverage Confirmation from the company or agent writing the insurance policy. I would also recommend getting listed as an additional insured on the policy if possible. That way you are always getting notified on any major policy changes, but mostly if the policy is being cancelled for any reason. Just like the insured, you get a policy packet  in the mail with detailed coverages, and notifications just like the tenant would.

Please contact us with any questions or for any quote requests for both Landlords and Tenants.

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What Type Of Insurance Policy Do I Need For A Rental Property?

June 13, 2011 by 1 Comment

Rental property’s can provide great residual incomes, and right now with the rental market in demand, a lot of people are putting their house’s up for rent or buying investment properties. Before you do this, your insurance policy must be written correctly, or else you could have some major gaps in coverage.

First of all lest highlight some of the most common types of properties.

  • Apartment Building
  • Condo
  • Dwelling

Apartment Building Insurance

This policy is designed for a building that houses multiple units, usually more than 3.  The policy includes building coverage, a general liability, business personal property coverage, loss of use, crime coverage and more.  This policy is strictly designed for apartments.

We usually write these policies through Travelers, Philadelphia or Middle Oak.

Landlord Condo Insurance

This policy is built for someone who owns a condominium and rents it out. It includes interior dwelling coverage, loss of rent, medical payments, and landlord liability. You can add things such as extended liability coverage, and loss assessment. This policy is usually written under Dwelling Fire Policy Form 8.

Landlord Dwelling Insurance

Investment houses are either written under a DP-1 or a DP-3. Or known as a dwelling fire policy. Most policies are written under a dp-3, because it gives you replacement cost coverage on the dwelling, which is better than the dp-1 actual cash value coverage on a dwelling. Always make sure you have the following coverages on your dwelling rental property.

  • replacement cost on dwelling(dp-3)
  • extended dwelling coverage, at least 120 percent
  • landlord business property(stove top, dishwasher, fridge, washer dryer, etc)
  • other structure coverage
  • loss of use, for at least 12 months
  • landlord liability
  • sewer back up
  • Ordinance & Code Coverage

If you have any questions or want a quote contact us.

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Colorado Law Auto Insurance Requirements

June 11, 2011 by 1 Comment

We all know that by law in Colorado and most states, that we are required to carry auto insurance by law. Or known as financial responsibility, which in other words if you can’t self insure yourself, you must by car insurance. So what exactly is required by law. Since were an at fault state, the insurance required to buy, is to put it shortly, not very much.

Colorado Vehicle Insurance Requirements

All that is required in Colorado is to carry compulsory auto insurance liability of 25/50/15. Liability only covers the 3rd potential party. So for example, you are considered at fault in a car accident. You are the first party, the insurance company is the second party, and the person you were at fault for in the accident with, is the 3rd party.

What Does 25/50/15 mean?

25/50/15 or 25-50-15 means liability policy limits are as the following, in which an insurance company is responsible in costs, judgements, lost wages and pain and suffering in an at fault accident, representing and defending you.

  • 25,000 dollars per person in bodily injury
  • 50,000 dollars per total of accident in bodily injury
  • 15,000 dollars property damage.

Is there anything else required or optional?

Nothing else is required to be carried.  Optional coverages include:

  • Higher Liability Limits of 50/100/25, 100/300/50, 250/500/100 and 500 csl.
  • Medical Payments
  • Uninsured or under insured motorists.
  • Uninsured motorists property damage.
  • Physical damage, which includes comprehensive and collision.
  • Rental Car Reimbursement
  • Towing

What We recommend

Everyone is always a case by case scenario. That’s why I never recommend buying a policy through the internet. We always take time with our clients, to find out what is best for them. We first of all would recommend higher liability limits. The limits required by law are very low. You are usually cutting yourself by buying these limits. My saying is cheap rates get you cheap coverage. We also make sure that every policy has uninsured or under insured motorists. If you don’t have health insurance, medical payment coverage is very important. If you have any questions, we can write in 45 states, and most of all, our home State and City, Denver, Colorado.

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Wedding Insurance, Why It Is So Important.

June 10, 2011 by Leave a comment

  • Your Wedding is probably one of the most important dates in you life. There are all kinds of things that you need to prepare for. You have the rehearsal, you have food and catering, the brides dress, and the grooms suit. But one of your most important things is actually your wedding insurance. For your wedding should be worry free.

The biggest risk at a wedding is alcohol. Most of the time, alcohol is being served at weddings. As we all know people become a lot different after a couple of drinks, or even some times drunk. There are always safety nets you can put in to prevent alcohol related accidents. Such as providing transportation for the way home, or even offering a hotel room to all of your guests. But still at the end, alcohol related accidents happen to much.

A couple of examples of incidents that could occur during or after your weeding are; a person gets to intoxicated and drives home from your wedding. The person gets in at-fault accident and seriously hurts someone else. The next day later you find out, that they got into an accident leaving your wedding. A week after your getting find out, your getting sued by the third party they hurt. Another incident could be, after both of you leave the after party(groom and bride), your buddy Johnny gets into a fist fight with another guest because he’s drunk. A week later your getting sued by that guest that got injured by Johnny.  Ultimately, they say the groom and brides wedding after party, was to irresponsible with serving alcohol.

Before the weeding you were smart enough to purchase One of Our Travelers Wedding Insurance Packages and you are covered for all of this. Lets see the highlights of this program.

Cancellation and other wedding insurance coverages

The Wedding Protector Plan® offers quality wedding insurance at an affordable price, underwritten by Travelers.

Wedding insurance can offer the following coverages for your special day.

Special Event Liability Insurance

Affordable, no deductible Wedding Insurance

Liability Insurance is an optional coverage and can be added as an endorsement on to your Special Event Insurance Policy. It offers you protection in the case of an incident from an event you host including to add liquor liability insurance.

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Camp Operators Insurance | Get A Free Business Insurance Quote

June 10, 2011 by Leave a comment

Camp Operators Insurance Program

Camp operations is one of the most fun and experiential things that children, family and friends can experience. They learn skills and learn to build social skills. On the other side there are many risks involved with camps. That is why create a uniquely designed insurance policy to fulfill a wide range of special needs for the Camp Operators or Owners. We help protect camps from the “unknowns”.

Our Business Owners Policies Go Above And Beyond The Industry Standard

We pride ourselves with our company’s insurance products. We know our policies have comprehensive coverage which most insurance policies do not have.  Take a look a break down of coverages we offer.

  • General Liability
  • Building
  • Business Property
  • Inventory Coverage
  • Special Equipment Coverage
  • Loss Of Business Income
  • Excess/Umbrella Liability
  • Workman’s Compensation
  • Commercial Auto Insurance
  • Employee Dishonesty
  • Accounts Receivable
  • and more!

For more details on our Business Owners Policies, Please Click Here.

Our Companies Claims Process Is Excellent

We only write insurance with companies that have an excellent claims process. A claim can be complicated, but our companies will treat you fair and keep the process as simple as possible.

Personalized Service

Our agency is family based and understands insurance. You will work one-one-one with an experienced agent who will find a policy that best fits your business needs. We believe in “good old-fashioned customer service”.

Get A Free Business Insurance Quote

Please contact us during normal business hours at 1-888-270-0995. Or use our quick form and we will contact you right away. You will work with a licensed experienced agent, who will work with you, to get a free competitive quote.

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Hotel & Motel Insurance Through Philadelphia Insurance

June 10, 2011 by Leave a comment

As you have been seeing, I have been going over a lot of programs, that we write through Philadelphia Insurance. They have a full line of great commercial and business insurance products. One of them being motel and hotel insurance. Philadelphia Insurance Companies specializes in the Hotel Industry. We understand how to provide a flexible and comprehensive insurance program for risks all across the United States. Lets take a look at the product they offer for hospitality. All information was provided through phly’s website.

Benefits of the Program

  • Crime, Boiler, and all property coverages under one policy
  • Coverage is included for guest personal property, foundations, underground pipes, flues, drains, and retaining walls that are not a part of the building, bridges, roadways, walkways, patios, and other paved surfaces
  • Owned automobiles including airport shuttle vehicles
  • Liquor Liability
  • Directors & Officers Coverage Available

10 Reason’s Why to Choose Phly:

1. One of the broadest property enhancement forms in the industry. This coverage includes but
is not limited to: Property Off Premises, Fire Department Service Charge, Food Spoilage,
Valuable Papers, Accounts Receivable, Debris Removal, Sewer and Drain Back-up and
Ordinance or Law, Alternative Key System, Reservation System, and Credit Card Slips
2. One stop shopping for all your insurance needs. Property, Equipment Breakdown, Inland
Marine, Crime, General Liability, Professional Liability, Abuse and Molestation, and
Automobile coverage bundled into one convenient policy
3. Ultimate Cover – broad proprietary property coverage form including Flood and Earthquake
where available
4. Blanket limits with agreed value (no coinsurance) available
5. Garagekeeper’s Liability coverage available
6. Liquor Liability coverage available in most states
7. Automobile coverage available for hotel passenger vans, including airport shuttles
8. Hotel guest inconvenience coverage available
9. Guest personal property coverage included
10. Interest-free installments available for accounts that generate at least $2,000 in premium

Bed and Breakfast Product:

Whether you run a cozy bed & breakfast in Colorado, or a country inn in Wyoming, we can offer you the best insurance coverage to fit your needs.

This insurance program focuses on facilities located in resort and destination locations, such as ski towns and national and state park communities. Target risks provide guest lodging for an average of 2-3 nights, and in addition to providing breakfast might offer restaurant and bar facilities or recreational activities to their patrons. Frame, unprotected property is expected.

Coverage We Offer:

General Liability
• Comprehensive General Liability – Limits to
$1,000,000 each occurrence/$3,000,000 aggregate
• Premises Liability
• Personal Injury Liability
• Employee Benefits Liability
• Liquor Liability coverage available
• General Liability Deluxe endorsement for hotels includes
coverage for general aggregate per location, several
types of additional insureds and reservations and
wake-up service liability
Property
• Blanket limits with large in-house capacity
• Ultimate Cover – broad proprietary property coverage
form including Flood and Earthquake where available
• Able to provide Crime, Boiler, and all
Property coverages under one policy
• No separate form needed for computer property, this
coverage is included under the personal property limit
• Coverage is included for foundations, underground pipes,
flues and drains, retaining walls that are not a part of
the building, bridges, roadways, walks, patios and
other paved surfaces
• Automatic coverages, including, but not limited to arson
reward, contract penalty clause, excavation and
landscaping, fire sprinklered or burglar alarm upgrade,
new construction, accounts receivable, and guest
personal property
• Elite Property Enhancement Endorsement includes
coverage for Emergency Vacating Expenses,
Automated External Defibrillators, Alternative Key
System, Hotel Guest Inconvenience Expense,
Credit Card Slips and Guest Personal Property
Automobile
• Owned auto including airport shuttle vehicles
• Non-owned auto
• Hired auto
Crime and Fidelity
• Money and Securities
• Money Orders and Counterfeit Paper Currency
• Employee Dishonesty
Umbrella/Excess Liability
• Large Excess Limits available
Bell Endorsement
• Includes $50,000 limits each for Business Travel
Accident Benefit, Donation Assurance, Emergency Real Estate
Consulting Fee, Identity Theft Expense, Image Restoration
and Counseling, Key Individual Replacement Expenses,
Kidnap Expense, Terrorism Travel Reimbursement, Workplace
Violence Counseling. $25,000 limits for each Conference
Cancellation, Fundraising Event Blackout, Political Unrest
($5,000 per employee), Temporary Meeting Space
Reimbursement and $1,500 Travel Delay Reimbursement
Crisis Management Enhancement Endorsement
• $25,000 limit for crisis management emergency response
expenses incurred because of an incident giving rise to a “crisis”

Please contact us for any questions or a quote.

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Shooting Range Insurance | Get A Free Business Insurance Quote

June 10, 2011 by Leave a comment

Shooting Range Insurance Program

Let us build a unique insurance policy for your shooting range. We offer an industry leading product. We can insure all operations including rifle, pistol, shotgun or bow ranges. We can also cover sporting clay facilities.

Work with one of our agents and get a superior insurance policy, that no other agency can offer. Our agents are licensed and understand insurance.

Operations We Insure

  • Indoor/Outdoor
  • Pistol Ranges
  • Shotgun Ranges
  • Rifle Ranges
  • Bow Ranges
  • Clay Facilities
  • and more!

Our Business Owners Policies Go Above And Beyond The Industry Standard

We pride ourselves with our company’s insurance products. We know our policies have comprehensive coverage which most insurance policies do not have.  Take a look a break down of coverages we offer.

  • General Liability
  • Building
  • Business Property
  • Inventory Coverage
  • Product Liability
  • Special Equipment Coverage
  • Loss Of Business Income
  • Excess/Umbrella Liability
  • Workman’s Compensation
  • Commercial Auto Insurance
  • Employee Dishonesty
  • Accounts Receivable
  • and more!

For more details on our Business Owners Policies, Please Click Here.

Our Companies Claims Process Is Excellent

We only write insurance with companies that have an excellent claims process. A claim can be complicated, but our companies will treat you fair and keep the process as simple as possible.

Personalized Service

Our agency is family based and understands insurance. You will work one-one-one with an experienced agent who will find a policy that best fits your business needs. We believe in “good old-fashioned customer service”.

Get A Free Business Insurance Quote

Please contact us during normal business hours at 1-888-270-0995. Or use our quick form and we will contact you right away. You will work with a licensed experienced agent, who will work with you, to get a free competitive quote.

Filed under Business & Commercial Insurance, Outdoor Products Insurance Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What Is A Personal Umbrella Liability Insurance Policy?

June 8, 2011 by Leave a comment

When watching television we see lots of lawsuits taking place which could even involve you.  These lawsuits and advertisements thereof,  pay for a lot of airtime.  You have “Henry the Hammer” telling you how much money you can get for your car accident.  Unfortunately, you have a ton of frivolous lawsuits that are going against the insurance companies at which at the end,  drives up the premium for your vehicle insurance.  Unfortunately, it is the attorneys making the most money from this.  It is not the victim that wins, it is the attorney that wins.  This is why if you have assets, your life savings, money in bank, properties, you have to make sure you are protecting yourself from these attorneys because they will go after these assets.

Let us explain how an umbrella works.  First of all, umbrellas are purchased in increments of one million.  Our agency can sell a ten million dollar umbrella, but the average is one million.  Umbrellas protect you above and beyond your auto and home insurance liability.  Do keep in mind to qualify for an umbrella, you have to maintain certain underlying limits.  The United States average for these requirements is $250,000 per person, $500,00o for the total accident, and $100,000 for property damage for auto insurance liability.  For home insurance liability, it is a $300,000 minimum, this can include your renters, homeowners, landlord, or investment property.

Examples of how an umbrella will work:

1.  An auto insurance example:  you get into an at fault accident and there is one person in the car.  That person sues you managing to get a $500,000 judgement against you including fees.  At this point your limits have been exhausted on your auto insurance policy.  But you have wisely purchased an umbrella, so the one million dollars is more than enough to cover the judgement.  If you had not purchased an umbrella, your personal assets and estate would be jeopardized.

2.  A Homeowners example:  someone comes to your home and visits, slips and falls and sues you for $700,000 including fees.  That person wins and your $300,000 homeowners policy limits are exhausted.  Again, since you have purchased an umbrella, you are protected because you have at least one million to cover the judgement.

DO I NEED AN UMBRELLA?

A simple answer is, if you have money in the bank, own stocks, are a CEO, an athlete, a business owner or make an average income, you need one.  One easy way to figure this out, “how well established in life am I right now?”  You need one, but if you are a college student and don’t have a penny in the bank, you don’t need one.  A college student is usually lucky just to buy an auto policy covering the mandatory legal liability limits.

How much is an Umbrella?

The average price of an umbrella is $260.00 per year at our agency which includes two vehicles and one home.

Our Companies Claims Process Is Excellent

We only write insurance with companies that have an excellent claims process. A claim can be complicated, but our companies will treat you fair and keep the process as simple as possible.

Personalized Service

Our agency is family based and understands insurance. You will work one-one-one with an experienced agent who will find a policy that best fits your business needs. We believe in “good old-fashioned customer service”.

Get A Free Umbrella Insurance Quote!

We offer up to 6 personal lines companies for umbrella insurance. To get a insurance quote, please use our quick form, or contact us during normal business hours at (888)-270-0995. We will counsel you into how to receive the best price, for the most coverage. We will also advise on how to maximize discounts.

Filed under Auto Insurance, Boat Insurance, Car Insurance, Condo Insurance, General Insurance, Home Insurance, Homeowners Insurance, Landlord Insurance, Renters Insurance Tagged with , , , , , ,

What Is the Progressive Insurance Snapshot Discount?

June 8, 2011 by Leave a comment

As an independent agent I get a lot of questions, asking what this is.  Its actually very simple. When you sign up for a Progressive insurance policy, you can either elect to opt in or opt out for snapshot. If you elect to do the snapshot discount, you could potentially save up to 30 percent on your next renewal with them.

How it works is they send you a device, you plug it into your vehicles on board diagnosis plug. After 30 days, you can actually monitor your driving habits online. From there, Progressive will project your savings on next renewal. If your driving habits are good, you will most likely receive a discount on your next policy period.

Criticism of the program is a lot of people think its to much “big brother”. The reason is they are monitoring your driving every second you are on the road.  Some people don’t like this idea.

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Why Should A Business Take Out Commercial Builders Risk Coverage

June 7, 2011 by Leave a comment

In the Commercial Builders Risk Coverage Form and Policy, the insurer determines the value of the covered building at actual cash value at the time of loss.  Coverage is provided on buildings and structures while under construction.  It provides protection during the process of construction but terminates either 90 days after completion or 60 days after any structure is occupied in whole or in part.

The coverage is written on a Completed Value Form with a Reporting Form Endorsement available.  The form is written equivalent to 100% coinsurance.

If you have a Commercial Property, make sure you have Commercial Builders Risk Coverage insurance.

Filed under Builders Risk Insurance, Business & Commercial Insurance, Contractors Insurance Tagged with ,

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