California landlord insurance
Protect the building, your liability, and your rental income - including hard-to-place and fire-exposed rentals.
What landlord insurance covers
- Dwelling and other structures on the rental property
- Owner liability for injuries tied to the property
- Loss of rents - lost rental income while the property is being repaired after a covered loss
- Optional vandalism, and coverage for landlord-owned contents like appliances
Your tenants should carry their own renters insurance for their belongings and liability; your landlord policy does not cover their property.
Single-family, multi-unit, and non-owner-occupied
We place coverage across property types - single-family rentals, small multi-unit buildings, and non-owner-occupied or seasonally rented homes. For properties in wildfire zones, we use the same surplus lines and FAIR Plan strategies we use for owner-occupied homes.
What landlord coverage costs in California
A rental property is normally written on a dwelling fire form rather than a homeowners policy, so the dwelling fire series is the relevant benchmark. The average California dwelling fire premium is 1,501 dollars a year, against 1,492 for owner-occupied HO-3 - close at the average, but the two diverge sharply as values rise.
| Coverage A (dwelling limit) | Average annual premium |
|---|---|
| Under $150,000 | $375 |
| $150,000 - $199,999 | $445 |
| $200,000 - $249,999 | $500 - $530 |
| $250,000 - $299,999 | $605 - $669 |
| $300,000 - $349,999 | $775 - $884 |
| $350,000 - $399,999 | $1,052 |
| $400,000 - $449,999 | $1,325 |
| $450,000 - $499,999 | $1,554 |
| $500,000 - $599,999 | $1,911 |
| $600,000 - $699,999 | $2,390 |
| $700,000 - $999,999 | $3,146 |
| $1,000,000 and over | $5,238 |
At a million dollars of dwelling coverage the dwelling fire average is about 36 percent above the owner-occupied one. Part of that is the risk profile of tenant-occupied property, and part is that fire-exposed California homes the admitted homeowners market has declined often end up written on a dwelling fire form - so the series carries a harder book than it might appear.
What a landlord policy does not do for your tenant
Your policy covers your building, your liability as the owner, and your lost rent. It does not cover a single item your tenant owns, and it does not cover their liability. Tenants routinely assume otherwise, and find out at the worst possible time.
Requiring renters insurance in the lease is the cleanest fix, and it protects you too: a tenant with their own liability coverage is far less likely to end up pursuing yours after a kitchen fire or a bathroom overflow.
- Require a minimum liability limit in the lease, commonly 100,000 dollars
- Ask to be named as an interested party so you are told if the policy lapses
- Confirm coverage at renewal, not just at move-in
- Keep the requirement consistent across units so it is straightforward to enforce
We work with California property managers on exactly this - see our renters insurance compliance program, or read how tenants add a landlord as an interested party.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a homeowners policy on a rental?
No. A standard homeowners policy assumes you live in the home. Renting it out generally requires a landlord or dwelling-fire policy; using the wrong policy can lead to denied claims.
Does landlord insurance cover lost rent?
Typically yes. Loss of rents coverage pays the rental income you lose while the property is uninhabitable and being repaired after a covered loss, up to your policy limit.
Can you insure a rental in a wildfire area?
Yes. We use admitted markets first, then surplus lines and FAIR Plan solutions for fire-exposed rentals, just as we do for owner-occupied homes.
Get your free quote
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Prefer to talk? Call (916) 469-5253.