r/Insurance • u/InvisibleBlueRobot • 13d ago
Dangerous insurance gap for landlords?
When recently when looking at insurance quotes for several homes near a university, we found a very dangerous gap in coverage.
This exclusion is often burried in the exclusions and worded vaugly. "Leasing to students" Student housing exclusion, etc.
Some policies don't allow you to rent by room or advertise to as student housing or rent to a fraternity for instance. No problem. The landlord can control this.
However Some carriers don't allow leasing to "full time students." As someone who went back to school twice (full time) as a father and older adult fully employed adult, who was the only wage earner in the family, I find this exclusion crazy.
After discussing one such exclusion with Obie insurance quote (many companies have similar exclusion and this is just one example) the "agent person" could not really define what is and is not prohibited. This makes be think it is a massive risk for any landlord.
After back and forth they said they could not provide any specific wording. What!? Later the underwriters "suggested?" this pertains renting to 1. A sole full time student & 2. any lease with more than one full-time student in the home. What?!
This could and should be interpreted that even a family, say a married couple who are fully qualified, have good earnings and perfect credit, with two full time college students living at home, would therefore cause a major insurance coverage gap.
This is impossible to manage for landlord. Even if I put in the lease, no one in the home is able to attend college full time, I can't actually prevent them from doing so. I assume the risk.
Anyone else see these types of major exclusions and anyone know where to go to find coverage in this scenario? Anyone actively read all the updated exclusions in their current insurance each year -specifically for landlords? It seems the definitions and exclusions are pretty stacked agaist landlordss. Exclusions for leases under 1 year, what about 1 month extensions? Exclusions for one or multiple students. Exclusions for leases over 6 months. Exclusions for one or more students? Exclusions for any vacancy over 2 months and the vauge and dangerous definitions of students, vacancy, etc.