Insurance Considerations for Renting Out a Room in Your California Home
Many homeowners in California have started renting spare rooms as a way of cutting down on their own mortgage payments and generally making things a little easier. Of course, bringing a stranger into your home can be a game-changer, and far too few residents ask themselves the big question first. Namely, “What do I need to know about insurance for renting out a room in California?”
There are actually many different considerations, including what kind of coverage you need as a homeowner vs. what you need as a landlord. Additionally, you may need different policies to protect short-term vs. long-term rentals. All of this and more can make renting out part of your house a bit intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Keep reading to discover everything you need to know about renting out a room and insurance in California!
Understanding Insurance Needs When Renting Out a Room
When it comes to homeowner’s insurance coverage, things can change dramatically when you begin renting out a room. In the eyes of your carrier, you are now using part of your home for business purposes. Standard protections like homeowner liability change when renting a room for an extended period of time. Unless someone is staying just a short period of time, you may need to get landlord coverage in California to properly protect your home.
Additionally, you are (according to California rental laws) considered a landlord once you begin renting out rooms in your home for extended periods. To protect yourself, your house, and your tenant, you may need to take out the landlord insurance California requires. Below, you will learn more about the different responsibilities you must take on as a landlord vs. a homeowner.
Homeowner vs. Landlord Responsibilities
When renting a room, legal requirements in California are quite clear: You are officially responsible for keeping the home safe and habitable and fixing any problems in a timely manner. You need to negotiate rental terms in writing and offer your tenant privacy. Should they consistently fail to pay, you must follow a formal eviction procedure and are not legally allowed to simply lock them out of your home or your room.
Obviously, there is some overlap with your standard homeowner’s responsibilities. For example, you would normally focus on making your own home safe and habitable and making major repairs as needed. Once you have a tenant, though, California renters rights ensure that you will need to fix things in a timely manner; otherwise, you may be in violation of your lease agreement, and homeowner’s coverage alone cannot save you from potential legal repercussions.
Key Insurance Policies for California Room Rentals
You already have plenty of coverage protecting your house, including personal property insurance and personal liability insurance. While California does not legally require additional insurance policies, most standard homeowner’s insurance policies do not provide sufficient landlord liability or rental property protection, making additional coverage necessary.
Once you begin officially renting out your room, you will need to take out landlord insurance in California because your existing property and liability coverage will not offer sufficient protection. Below, you will find out more about this type of policy, including how it provides room rental liability coverage and the importance of both long-term and short-term rental insurance.
Landlord Insurance: What It Covers
While California law does not explicitly mandate landlord insurance, many insurance carriers require or strongly recommend a landlord policy if you plan to rent your room for extended periods of time. This type of policy offers important coverage for all landlords, whether you are simply renting part of the home or you need rental property protection for an entire house. On the most basic level, landlord coverage gives California residents protection against any property damage done to their home by tenants.
Additionally, your standard homeowner’s liability when renting is unlikely to pay out. Instead, you will need the room rental liability coverage of a landlord policy, which protects you if a tenant is injured on your property and claims that it’s your fault. The additional policy offers sufficient liability coverage for homeowners who want to rent out a room without putting themselves at risk of getting sued.
In addition to perks like landlord liability protection, the landlord coverage required by California rental laws offers income protection. Basically, if the space you are renting is damaged by a covered peril, your tenants may be able to break lease agreements. This policy ensures you will still get the money you were expecting.
Short-Term vs. Long-Term Rental Coverage Differences
Landlord policies are only necessary if you need liability and personal property insurance for long-term tenants. However, your existing homeowner’s coverage may provide limited short-term rental insurance, but many California carriers exclude Airbnb-style or frequent short-term rentals unless you add a specific endorsement or home-sharing rider. Always confirm coverage details with your carrier before listing your space. But it is vitally important to confirm this with your carrier before you begin renting out your house!
Insurance Requirements for Tenants
Home insurance for tenants in California is not legally required. That is, the state does not require anyone renting part or all of a home to take out any kind of separate policy.
However, landlords can make tenant insurance requirements a mandatory part of the lease. Whether they are staying long-term or short-term, rental insurance for California tenants helps ensure the safety of their property within the house. This offers renters peace of mind while actually reducing the likelihood that they will sue you (which is part of their California renters rights) in the event that anything happens to their property.
Setting Insurance Expectations in a Lease Agreement
When renting a room, legal requirements in California include creating very specific leases. The agreement needs to specify which part of the house you are renting, what the rent amount is, and details about any security deposits or late fees. You also need to use the lease to set firm expectations around which parts of the house are for shared use, whether they can smoke, whether they can have a pet, house behavior rules, and so on.
Remember: tenants don’t have to do anything not spelled out in the lease, so you need to get everything important in writing!
Legal and Regulatory Considerations in California
California renters rights ensure that most tenants are entitled to written notice—often 30 or 60 days depending on the length of tenancy—before eviction, and that you cannot discriminate against renters based on their race, gender, wealth, disability, or sexual orientation. In addition to the aforementioned requirements about ensuring the habitability of the home and the privacy of renters, you must follow state requirements that cap the amount of security deposits and rent increases.
Protecting Your Home and Property
Landlord insurance for renting out a room in California is typically necessary if you rent it out for extended periods of time, as most homeowner’s policies exclude long-term rental activity. This helps you protect yourself from liability exposure and aligns with common insurance carrier expectations, even though California does not impose statewide tenant insurance requirements.
Remember, homeowner’s coverage does not offer proper personal liability insurance for California landlords (and you may need umbrella insurance simply to increase base liability protection). If you don’t have the right policy in place, you could be sued by your own tenants, and even successfully defending yourself in court can put you in debt if you have to pay out of pocket. Landlord policies, however, provide the proper home-sharing insurance California residents will need to protect themselves.
Cost Considerations for Homeowners
The whole point of renting out your home is to help you save money. However, you should consider certain cost considerations. For example, when renting a room, California requires your home to be safe and habitable. If you have been putting off necessary repairs, then you may need to spend a prohibitively expensive amount of money before you can start renting.
Additionally, a tenant will be using a portion of the utilities and possibly adding wear and tear to items such as home gym equipment in shared areas. Be sure to set your prices accordingly, and don’t forget to build their percentage share of utilities in your lease agreement.
Filing an Insurance Claim as a Room Rental Host
Nobody renting out a room wants to file insurance claims in California, but doing so is quite easy. After ensuring that everyone is safe, identify which type of policy (homeowner or landlord) applies. Afterward, document all of the damage to the best of your ability.
Once this is done, contact your carrier to file the claim. If this is your first time doing so, consider filing by phone so an experienced agent can answer any questions you may have.
Protect Yourself When Renting Out a Room. Get the Right Home Insurance Today!
Now you know all about insurance considerations for renting out a room in California. This includes what type of coverage you need, what legal requirements to follow, and how to file a claim. But do you know where to find a carrier you can truly trust?
Here at Cost-U-Less, we specialize in providing California homeowners with the kinds of coverage they need. Ready to give your home the protection of the best agents in the country? Call us at (800) 390-4071 or get a fast homeowner’s insurance quote online. You can also find a Cost-U-Less office near you.
FAQs
Will My Homeowners Insurance Cover Tenant-Caused Damage?
Your existing homeowner’s insurance coverage is unlikely to cover damages caused by long-term tenants. The policy may act as short-term rental insurance in California, but you will need to verify this with your carrier ahead of time.
Does Airbnb or Short-Term Room Rental Require Different Insurance?
In most cases, you will need to take out commercial property policies for such rentals. That is because your carrier will likely decide you are using your house for commercial purposes. At that point, personal home coverage for tenants in California may not be enough, and you may need to get a landlord policy.
Is Renters Insurance Required for People Renting a Room in My Home?
California does not legally require that renters take out their own policy, but you may require it if you so choose. This can offer tenants valuable rental property protection. Both you and your tenants should understand that the existing homeowner’s coverage does not offer property insurance for rentals, meaning renters belongings will not be protected if they are stolen, damaged, or destroyed, especially by a natural disaster.
