Ontario tenant insurance

For the price of pizza and wings, you can protect your stuff. Tenant insurance can range from as little as $30 to $65 a month. You can also save 15 to 20% on your auto insurance if you bundle it up!

It’s not mandatory in Ontario, but still a great idea to have tenants insurance. Some landlords may ask you to have tenant insurance as a condition of your lease agreement. Be sure to clarify with your landlord, just in case.

Currently, no. The Landlord and Tenant Board does not allow landlords to force tenants to get insurance. A landlord can include tenant insurance as a clause in their lease agreement and may refuse to rent out to prospect tenants who do not want to get tenant insurance. It isn’t a legal obligation, but you’re likelier to find a place to rent if you are insured.

If the tenant was the one responsible for the damages, then the liability portion of that tenant’s insurance policy may help pay for the damages to the landlord’s property. Otherwise, that landlord should have their own property insurance to cover their property, and their policy would respond if an insured event were to damage their property.

A tenant’s insurance policy may also extend coverage to any permanently attached finishes you may have installed during your tenancy. If you have swapped out lighting fixtures, hung window dressings or refinished flooring during a long term rental, this would qualify as a tenant improvement. Your tenant’s insurance will help you recover that investment if the finishes are damaged, and you make a claim.

As a renter, it can be tempting to cut costs by jumping onto a roommate’s insurance policy, but that’s not a good idea. If something happens, odds are you won’t be covered. Several roommates may be included in the same policy, but there are risks involved, like having your roommates’ claims impact your insurance history. The best solution is for each roommate to have their own coverage (ideally through the same company to simplify claims.)

Overland flood coverage (which is any water that enters your place from the outside) is available on tenants insurance policies. Recommended if you’re renting a basement apartment, which has a higher risk of flooding. We also recommend sewer backup, even if you live in a high-rise, because if a drain below you gets blocked, water can back up into your unit.

Unfortunately, you can’t share insurance. An insurance policy only covers the belongings and property that belongs to that person. Your policy will cover your stuff and your roommate will need their own coverage.

Learn more about roommates and tenants insurance

Tenants insurance is available through a number of different payment methods, including monthly installments. Different insurance companies have different billing methods and procedures. We’ll make sure you get your preferred method – and do the same for your car insurance payments too.

A formal lease isn’t always needed but recommended as it protects both you and your landlord and will outline the coverage and other responsibilities for each of you.

As a tenant, you do not own any part of the building so you’re not responsible for insuring it. You would not be responsible for building insurance unless you have a financial interest in the building like a co-op. Check your lease agreement to see if you’re responsible for the landlord’s deductible if there was a claim because of something caused by accident.

In addition to the coverages you’d get in a tenants policy, homeowners insurance includes coverage for the building itself, and other structures on the property like fences and sheds.

With the increasing cost of claims, legal fees and the willingness of society to seek legal action, $2 million in coverage has become the new standard. Often times increments of $1 million in coverage come at a small price difference. Increasing your coverage from $1 million to $2 million may cost less than $20/year.