When Landlord Insurance Must Cover Rental Damages

Cost Savings

Checklist Tasks

• Review your lease to see if property damage is the landlord’s responsibility.
• Document damage with timestamped photos to show if caused by building issues.
• Request the landlord’s insurance summary to confirm covered damages and exclusions.
• Assess if the damage originated from building-wide issues or another unit.
• Gather proof you reported hazards, like maintenance requests, before the incident.
• Ask your landlord in writing to file a claim for structural or fixture-related losses.
• Compare renters policy exclusions with the landlord’s to avoid coverage gaps.
• Obtain written refusal if landlord won’t claim, supporting your own insurer claim.
• Contact tenant advocacy offices for local rules on landlord insurance obligations.
• Collect neighbor statements if the damage began in a common area or another unit.
• Keep emergency repair receipts for possible reimbursement from landlord’s insurer.
• Maintain records of all correspondence with your landlord and the insurer.