Overview
Even if you don’t own what you call home, you still need protection! Tenant insurance will cover damage or theft to your belongings worldwide and will pay for alternate living arrangements if your current residence is uninhabitable due to a claim. Your policy will also include liability insurance if you inadvertently cause damage to your building and the surrounding units.
Coverage Options
- Jewellery
- Business property
- Overland water
- Seepage
- Sewer backup
- Service line
- Umbrella liability
- Home business
- Identity theft
- Coverage for a parent in a nursing home
- Watercrafts
- Seasonal Residences
Common Questions You May Have
If it looks like you aren’t home the likelihood for a break-in or malicious damage is a lot higher. If you leave your property unattended it is always a good idea to have someone pick up your mail, ensure your yard is tended and inspect the interior on a regular basis.
Special note for travelling during the colder months:
Water damage from frozen pipes is not covered if the home is left unsupervised. So if you are away during the regular heating season you should have a trusted person check your residence daily. We also recommend turning off your water and draining the pipes if possible.
If there is a business or office in your home, the insurance company must be made aware of it. Coverage usually needs to be added separately and is subject to different guidelines than homeowners insurance. Just a heads-up: failure to notify your insurance company of a home business can result in a denied claim.
Without getting too technical, the major difference between broad and comprehensive coverage is that comprehensive will provide enhanced coverage for your contents. The most commonly denied claims under a broad form policy are mysterious disappearance (missing luggage) and accidental damage (a ring falls down the drain). If you had a comprehensive policy these losses would be covered.
Not necessarily. These two coverages need to be purchased additionally and are not automatically included in your policy. The availability and pricing is based on preventative measures you have taken (sump pump, back water valve) and the “risk zone” in which your property is located. Not all companies offer overland flooding coverage because it is brand new to the market.
Special limits are categories of property that have a unique limit of insurance. Examples of property with special limits are cash, jewelry, furs, bicycles and business property. Limits of insurance on such items vary by company and, in some cases, by policy.
Coverage can usually be extended for an additional premium. Each company’s wording booklet details the items and limits that apply. Contact us for more information.
The tricky part about tenant insurance is that you need to provide us with the amount of contents coverage you require. The best way to calculate this is to go through your residence and take note of all of the contents you own (handy info on keeping an inventory can be found here: Once you have taken stock of the contents you own you will need to calculate the replacement cost to replace everything you own. Tip: clothes are usually a lot more expensive than you would think.
If you no longer require your policy, we can cancel it by written request only. All individuals named on the policy must sign for cancellation. If your policy is up for renewal, sign the back of the policy for cancellation and return it to us. On renewal only the policy is returned for flat cancellation, meaning no cancellation charge or refund applies. If you wish to cancel your policy midterm, a cancellation fee proportionate to the number of days remaining on the policy will be applied against any refund.
No. Coverage is only provided for the named insured, their spouse and any dependents. Tenants and other individuals should obtain their own contents policy. While coverage may be extended to include other persons, it is usually at an additional cost and is not recommended. Failure to notify your insurance company of tenants will void your coverage.
If you previously shared the policy with another person and they no longer require it, you must have them sign a release of interest form in order to have them removed.
We understand that no one enjoys watching their bills increase. However, just like the cost of groceries, insurance prices don’t stay the same. While an inflationary increase is very common (just like your groceries) we ensure that any substantial increases will be addressed by our renewal advisors. Remember, we work for you primarily, not the insurance companies. If you are not a Crossroads Insurance client yet, we would love the opportunity to quote you. Feel free to use our online quoting tool or you can contact our office for more information.