Tenant insurance in Canada

[Shaggy]

I went to renew my tenant insurance today and was told that there's a 2 person limit on how many uninsured roommates can be living in the house with me. Going into the winter there is going to be 3 other people living here and none of them are the insurance buying type.

In other words, I'm one uninsured roommate too many, and am now uninsured myself.

Does anyone know of a insurer that doesn't have roommate restrictions? I've checked almost everywhere in town and no luck.

[khyber.pass]

I'd try for insurance in the city.

[sock_monkey]

My insurer in Vancouver never asked about roommates.

When I was in Ontario, everyone in the house/apt had to be insured, no exceptions and I had to provide proof before I could get it (which could sometimes cause a chicken and egg problem if you went to different insurers).

[Caucasian Asian]

the only way I could get insurance on the household contents was if all my roomies had insurance as well. otherwise the only insurance i could get was for my personal belonings that i was able to lock in my bedroom.

[StroupSkier]

What is the premium difference of insuring yourself if they are unaware of the roommates versus insuring an extra one at your cost?

[Shaggy]

the only way I could get insurance on the household contents was if all my roomies had insurance as well. otherwise the only insurance i could get was for my personal belonings that i was able to lock in my bedroom.

What insurer was this? I asked if keeping my room locked (which I do anyways) was an option and was told it was not.

I think they may have meant everyone had to be covered actually, since the policy would cover two people, and an extra policy would cover the other two people.

What is the premium difference of insuring yourself if they are unaware of the roommates versus insuring an extra one at your cost?

The extra policy would be another $300 a year, so covering it all would be a total of $600 a year.

Not telling them about the extra roommates would give them grounds to deny any claims if they found out about it.

[L7]

I've never been asked about room mates by homeowner/tenants insurers. I'm with wawanesa and find them a little less brutal to deal with then most. They're a lot better when it comes to insuring bikes and I think skis too. The best bet is a good independent broker that can pick from several insurers.

[eldereldo]

Well I'd suggest you tell your roomates to cough up the extra $100.00 each, why the hell would they NOT want insurance?? I know some people think that it's a waste of money, but that is only until the first time their shit gets stolen and then they start crying about it.

[mntlion]

ask your insurance agent to get quotes for OTHER insurance companies. Each one will have different rules

[Shaggy]

why the hell would they NOT want insurance??

Because it costs money, and they don't think they have enough shit to worry about it. They're not even interested in the additional living expenses coverage it'd offer, because "it'll never happen".

I'll try calling more brokers, someone has got to offer something.

[mntlion]

if you are Alberta, PM me. I have a great broker she works for MANY companies

[StroupSkier]

How many of your roommates have their John Hancock on the lease?

[sock_monkey]

the best reason IMO is not the stuff but the liability insurance - you don't want to be on the hook if a guest injures themselves or causes damage or if you accidentally burn the place down. stuff may be just a few grand but liability can be in the millions.

[Shaggy]

How many of your roommates have their John Hancock on the lease?

None of us have a written lease and we all pay individually to the landlady. It's a bit sketch since, like staff housing, I have no control over who ends up living here. Which makes having insurance just that much more important. The guy who just moved out was a freebasing burnout, uber-sketchy.

[LeeLau]

shaggy try the brokers at Johnston Meier 604 736-4574. I know people who've insured their bikes under tenants policies with them. It can't hurt to try

[StroupSkier]

If there names are not on the lease I would not mention them when you signed up for insurance.

[sock_monkey]

Not being on the lease wouldn't matter if they deny the claim. So if they ask, tell them.

IMO it would be pretty easy to find out how many people live(d) there if you make a claim. When you most need the coverage is when they'll spend the most to try to deny coverage. There's not much point getting insurance if you're not sure you'll even be covered (unless you need proof for other reasons but that does not seem to be the case here).

[Shaggy]

Sock-monkey is right, if they ask, or even if it's written somewhere in the fine print (it will be) I have to tell them. To not do so is material misrepresentation of the risk and renders the policy void. If something were to happen, short of maybe a small claim like a stolen laptop or something, they'd investigate and discover I have roommates, deny the claim and cancel the policy which would cause a canceled for cause tick on my record.

I went to the last broker I know of in town (all 3 of them) today and got the same response. Aside from the broker on Main St, none of them seemed particularly keen to even try. I'm guessing they've had a lot of problem with room mate situations and just don't want the headaches or hit to their book of business if indeed my situation really is ultra-high risk.

Lee: Thanks for the tip, I'll give them a call tomorrow.

[mntlion]

not sure if AB brokers can help in BC (I assume you are in BC?)

Francesca J. Berube, BA, CAIB
Anthony Clark Insurance Brokers
403.678.8892
403.678.3776
Cell: 679.8078
Berube1@telusplanet.net

she has been a great help to me over the years

Tell her Dave Williams in Banff sent ya

[khyber.pass]

hey Shaggy, why don't you get a quote through BCAA online .. ? I'd also phone Vancouver insurance brokers. Many can give you a quote on the phone. I wouldn't deal with Whistler brokers. If you have previous insurance, make sure to mention that, including company & policy number. That goes a long way.