Premises liability or personal liability or both (for rental) ?

Question

Hey BP friends,

If you have a rental property that is being managed by a property manager, do you need premises liability coverage or personal liability coverage or both?

Based on my research, premises liability claims are about unsafe conditions on the property (focus is on location) while personal liability is about someone’s own actions (focus is on the at-fault party). Imagine a visitor is injured due to negligence of the owner (i.e. landlord's failure to fix unstable stairways), then both of these coverage would be useful, right?   But if the visitor’s injury is due to the tenant’s fault (i.e. tenant's failure to clear the slippery floor), then premises liability coverage would help but not personal liability, right?   So premises liability coverage is a winner for landlord insurance?

Thanks!

Sean Hou · Answer

@John Mocker Thank you John! Appreciate the suggestions!

John Mocker · Answer

Sean,

You want both coveage.  However, most policies would include Premises Liability.  Some of your quotes may be naming that "Personal Liability".  That would not be "Personal Injury Liability".  It is unlikely that you would get a quote with Personal Injury Liability only.  You may need to clarify the coverage with the agents giving you a quote

Sean Hou · Answer

@John Mocker Thank you, John. I do have the dwelling coverage. Some quotes I got include personal liability & some other quotes include premises liability coverage. This is for a single family house that is 100% rental.  Would you suggest getting personal liability or premises liability or both?

John Mocker · Answer

Sean

If this is a 1-4 family rented to others the proper policy in most cases is a Dwelling Fire policy.  The policy includes Liability coverage  that liability includes bodily injury and property damage.  Personal Injury Liability is important because it protects against Libel Slander, wrongful entry, etc…. In most cases you will need to add that coverage.  Many Insurnace companies do not offer it on a rented dwelling.  If you can’t find a Companh that offers it PM me and I can let you know some that do.