New landlord Policy Insurance Inspection in Brooklyn

Member since 2019 · 11 posts · 2 votes

Hi we have a zoned 2 family home (double duplex fully gutted in 2019) with 3 kitchens. One kitchen is for a subletter that occupies one level of a duplex. All kitchens were professionally installed and the building is in great condition. I'm assuming this will this affect the landlord policy insurance inspection? What is the best way to manage this situation before the inspection happens? Remove the kitchen all together and convert it back into two duplexes or is there another option? Thank you!

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Owen RosenBusiness Member
Professional · Clinton Township, MI · Member since 2015 · 689 posts · 260 votes
1y
Are they doing a full interior inspection?
Just having an extra kitchen doesn't impact insurance eligibility. It can affect estimated replacement cost and therefore the amount of coverage recommended/required.

If you actually have a triplex rather than a duplex that could impact insurance eligibility and pricing but it doesn't sound like that's the case.
Along those lines, you just have to make sure sub-leasing is OK with your insurance. Can you talk to the agent that wrote the policy about this?
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Anthony Gallagher
OP
Member since 2019 · 11 posts · 2 votes
1y
Thanks for your insights Owen! Forgive me going into details but just wanting to give you a clearer picture of our rental property townhome, which is zoned 2 family there are 4 habitable 800 square foot floors for a total of 3200 ft habitable.
They request interior pictures and a walk thru.
The Upper duplex is a single unit with the kitchen & living room on the 3rd floor and the bedrooms on the 4th.
Below that is a parlor floor, which has the highest ceiling in the building and this floor is connected to the ground floor via an interior staircase which we added doors to both ends to break up the lower duplex into two separate living areas.
In the Parlor floor we added a large-ish kitchen with electric oven and cooktop that goes to the sub-panel that belongs to the Parlor floor, making it a nice 800ft 1 bedroom apt, with access to a shared backyard.
The ground floor has gas hookups for a gas oven and that floor has its own gas range/oven and kitchen which is also controlled by a ground floor sub-panel also with access to the backyard and to a lower cellar area where they have their own washer dryer and storage area.
All are on separate 800 square foot floors, with front and back door egress, well maintained and gut renovations were completed in 2019.
I mention all this because it's not a jammed up, slap dash space but from an insurance perspective do you think I should be concerned about the interior inspection and the 2 family zoning but 3 separate tenant discrepancy?
If you made it this far, you are amazing! Thanks for your time and insights!
I will also check in with the broker who connected me with this insurance company.

THANK YOU!

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Owen RosenBusiness Member
Professional · Clinton Township, MI · Member since 2015 · 689 posts · 260 votes
1y
I appreciate all of the detail but what information was provided to the agent that wrote the policy? What is on the insurance application that you signed? Number of units, kitchens, etc.
If these things were disclosed it would seem that things should be OK. If these things weren't disclosed that could be an issue.
Did you work with a licensed insurance agent to secure coverage? What have you discussed with them? Are they giving advice about the policy and inspection? They should be...
If you didn't work with an agent - how did you secure coverage and what information was provided?
These are mostly rhetorical questions - your best resource should be your agent.
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