Understanding Coinsurance on Your Investment Property (2024)

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Coinsurance is an industry-wide property provision that states the amount of coverage that must be maintained as a percentage of the total value of the property at the time of loss. The penalty is based on a percentage stated within the policy and the amount reported. Common coinsurance is 80%, 90%, or 100% of the value of the insured property. The higher the percentage is, the worse it is for you. It is important to note, as a way of preventing frustration and confusion at the time of loss, coverage through the NREIG program has no coinsurance. Let’s discuss an example of how a coinsurance penalty could be assessed in the event a loss occurs and you are deemed to be underinsured.

How Coinsurance Works

Let’s say a house insured for $100,000 sustains a loss of $40,000 and carries a $3,000 deductible. The claims adjuster determines how much the property would cost to rebuild if the location had been a total loss. In this example, let’s say they determine it would cost $250,000 to rebuild. Then they refer to the declarations pages of your policy and see you have an 80% coinsurance clause on your policy. Meaning you agreed, when entering into this agreement with your carrier, to be insured to 80% of the true replacement cost of the policy just determined to be $250,000. Provided you are carrying $200,000 or more of building coverage (80% of $250,000), you have met your coinsurance clause. However, if you are insured to $199,999 or less, you will be assessed a coinsurance penalty based on the percentage you are underinsured (50%). This is done prior to figuring in the depreciation and the deductible (so they can take the percentage off of the larger amount). This will reduce your claim amount to $20,000 (50% of $40,000), less your deductible, meaning the insurance company will pay no more than $17,000 on your $40,000 in damage.

If you are looking at your declarations pages and scratching your head as to why you are insuring your 1,000-square-foot home for $150,000, look no further than your coinsurance clause. Many carriers (in an attempt to avoid a coinsurance penalty in the event of a loss), greatly inflate the ITV (Insurance to Value) of the property. The last thing your agent wants is you in their office upset after a loss occurs because, in addition to being hit with depreciation, you are also being hit with a coinsurance penalty. So the better alternative is to charge you a higher premium for more coverage than you will ever recover in the event of a loss.

NREIG works with you to determine what valuation per square foot you want to be insured too. We provide you with Actual Cash Value coverage and no coinsurance beginning at $75 per square foot (the minimum ITV threshold to insure a property in our program). Replacement Cost with no coinsurance begins at $120 per square foot.

Please keep in mind, NREIG is willing to provide you with a full policy/coverage comparison of what you currently carry and what NREIG can provide.

By Shawn Woedl|2023-06-30T17:33:44+00:00July 1st, 2017|Categories: Coverage Options, Insurance Education|Tags: claim, claim settlement, co-insurance, coverage options, self-storage facility insurance|Comments Off on Understanding Coinsurance on Your Investment Property

About the Author: Shawn Woedl

Understanding Coinsurance on Your Investment Property (2)

Shawn Woedl is the President of National Real Estate Insurance Group. He is an industry-recognized speaker and educator with an emphasis on Commercial Property and Premises Liability. He brings over 12 years of professional and personal experience in real estate, business, and insurance to NREIG’s unique, investor-oriented brand.

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FAQs

Understanding Coinsurance on Your Investment Property? ›

Coinsurance is a penalty imposed on the insured by the insurance carrier for under reporting/insuring the value of your property. The penalty is based on a percentage stated within the policy and the amount under reported.

How does coinsurance work for property? ›

Coinsurance is a property policy requirement that means you must insure your home or office to a specific value, often 80% of its replacement cost at the time of the loss. Contact us today so that we can review your current insurance and help you decide if you should increase your property limits."

What is the 80% rule for coinsurance? ›

The 80% rule means that an insurance company will pay the replacement cost of damage to a home as long as the owner has purchased coverage equal to at least 80% of the home's total replacement value.

Is it better to have 80% or 100% coinsurance? ›

Common coinsurance is 80%, 90%, or 100% of the value of the insured property. The higher the percentage is, the worse it is for you. It is important to note, as a way of preventing frustration and confusion at the time of loss, coverage through the NREIG program has no coinsurance.

What does 80% coinsurance mean on a commercial building? ›

If your policy has a clause with a coinsurance percentage of at least 80%, that means you must insure the building for at least $160,000. If you purchase less coverage (e.g., a policy with only $150,000 in business property protection), the insurance company can penalize you.

What is the purpose of putting a coinsurance provision in a property policy? ›

The definition of coinsurance includes a provision within a property insurance policy to deter business owners from underinsuring their properties. It encourages business owners to carry a reasonable amount of coverage in relation to their property's value.

What is 100 percent coinsurance on a property? ›

The 100% coinsurance clause means you need to cover 100% of the value of your business personal property for a claim to be fully paid. If you only cover a portion of the value, the claim will not pay the full value of loss.

Does 80 coinsurance mean I pay 80? ›

Simply put, 80/20 coinsurance means your insurance company pays 80% of the total bill, and you pay the other 20%. Remember, this applies after you've paid your deductible.

What is a good coinsurance percentage? ›

While the 80/20 division is most common, you might also find options like: The insured pays 40%, while the insurance plan covers 60% The insured pays 30%, while the insurance plan covers 70%

Does coinsurance apply to actual cash value? ›

If the insured purchases insurance at least equal to the coinsurance percentage (say 80 percent), the insurer pays the full value of any loss (either replacement cost or actual cash value, depending on what the insured has purchased), less the deductible, up to the limit of insurance.

What is the point of 100% coinsurance? ›

What does it mean to have a 100% coinsurance? Unfortunately, if you have a 100% coinsurance, this means that you are responsible for the entire service fee. This will be paid out-of-pocket and likely does not have any eligibility for reimbursem*nt.

What is the most common coinsurance requirement? ›

The coinsurance clause in a property insurance policy requires that a home (or other physical property) be insured for a percentage of its total cash or replacement value. Usually, this percentage is 80%, but different providers may require varying percentages of coverage (90%, 70%, etc.).

How does coinsurance work with out-of-pocket maximum? ›

For example, if your plan has a $1,000 deductible, a 20% coinsurance, and a $3,000 out-of-pocket maximum, and you've already paid $800 towards your deductible, once you've paid another $2,200 in coinsurance ($3,000 – $800), you've reached your out-of-pocket maximum.

What is property coinsurance for dummies? ›

Coinsurance is usually expressed as a percentage. Most coinsurance clauses require policyholders to insure 80, 90, or 100% of a property's actual value. For instance, a building valued at $1,000,000 replacement value with a coinsurance clause of 90% must be insured for no less than $900,000.

What does it mean when a 100000 house insured on a policy with an 80% coinsurance requirement? ›

Final answer: Given a 80% coinsurance requirement on a $100,000 house, the owner should have $80,000 coverage. But he has only $60,000 coverage, giving a ratio of 0.75. Hence, for a damage of $40,000, he can collect 75% of it, amounting to $30,000.

What is the coinsurance on a business owners policy? ›

A coinsurance clause in a commercial property policy ensures you carry enough coverage to protect your possessions. Say your office building is valued at $1,000,000. If your policy has a clause with a coinsurance percentage of 80%, that means you should insure the building for at least $800,000.

What does 20% coinsurance mean? ›

A 20% coinsurance means your insurance company will pay for 80% of the total cost of the service, and you are responsible for paying the remaining 20%. Coinsurance can apply to office visits, special procedures, and medications.

How does the deductible work for property insurance? ›

Simply put, a home insurance deductible is the amount that a homeowner must pay before their insurance steps in to cover the remaining expenses on a claim. The deductible is expressed as a fixed dollar amount – usually $500 to $2,000, but it can be higher – or as a percentage of the home's insured value.

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