Landlord Insurance in Texas
A rent house works hard for you, and it carries risks your own home does not: tenants, turnover, vacancies, and a building you do not sleep in. Landlord coverage, often written as a dwelling policy, is built for that job. We compare options from multiple companies and set it up to match how you actually rent.
What a landlord policy does
A landlord policy covers the building you rent out: the structure, other structures like a garage or shed, your liability as the property owner, and often the rent you lose while a covered loss is being repaired. It is a different policy form than the homeowners policy on the house you live in, priced and written around tenant occupancy.
What it does not cover is your tenant's belongings. Their furniture, clothes, and electronics are their responsibility, which is what renters insurance is for, and many landlords require it in the lease for exactly that reason.
The pieces worth getting right
The building number
The policy should carry what it costs to rebuild the house, not what you paid for it or what Zillow guesses. Construction costs move; the number should keep up.
Lost rent
If a covered fire empties the house for four months, coverage for the lost rent is the difference between an inconvenience and a hole in your finances. Ask how much and how long.
Liability
A tenant's guest trips on the back steps and the owner gets the call. Liability limits on rental property deserve a real conversation, especially if you own more than one door.
The tenant's side
Requiring renters insurance in the lease protects your tenant's belongings and keeps small disputes from becoming your claim. We can help your tenants with that policy too. Renters insurance
Vacancies, remodels, and family houses
Rental property rarely stays in one neat category. A house sits empty between tenants. A property gets gutted for a remodel before the first lease. A family home becomes a rent house after an inheritance, or a rent house becomes the kid's house at college. Each of those changes what the policy needs to say, and an unreported change is how claims get complicated.
When something about the property shifts, a five minute call keeps the coverage matched to the facts. That is the service half of what a local agency is for.
What to have ready
Start with the property. We will work through the rest together.
- The property address and roughly when it was built
- How it is rented: long term lease, family arrangement, or between tenants
- Updates you know about: roof, wiring, plumbing, HVAC
- Your current policy, if the property has one
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Landlord insurance questions we hear
Can I just keep my homeowners policy on a house I rent out?
No, and this is the expensive mistake. A homeowners policy assumes you live there. Once a tenant moves in, the property needs a landlord or dwelling policy written for rental occupancy, or claims can get denied.
Are my tenant's belongings covered by my policy?
No. Your policy covers your building and your liability. The tenant's belongings are theirs to insure with renters insurance, and requiring it in the lease is common and sensible.
What happens to coverage when the house sits empty?
Extended vacancy changes a property's risk, and policies treat it differently, some with time limits. If a house will sit empty for a while, tell us so the coverage does not quietly lapse in effect.
Does the policy cover lost rent after a fire?
Many landlord policies can include coverage for rent you lose while a covered loss is repaired. How much and for how long varies, and it is one of the numbers worth checking before you need it.
I own a few rentals. One policy or several?
It depends on the properties and the companies. Sometimes each house gets its own policy, sometimes a company writes several together. Bring us the list and we will lay out the options.
Is flood damage covered?
No. Like other property policies, landlord policies generally exclude rising water. If the rental sits low or near water, a separate flood policy is the same conversation as on your own home.
Insure the house that pays you back
Tell us about the property and the lease. A licensed agent sets up coverage that matches how you rent, and services it when things change.
Stover & Crouch Insurance Madisonville, Texas, since 1920