How are LLC partnerships insuring properties

How are LLC partnerships insuring properties

Louisville, KY · Member since 2016 · 36 posts · 8 votes

I'm trying to acquire a couple single family rental units with a partner this year, but when talking to insurance agents in my town, (Louisville, KY), I am being told that any property in a trust or LLC must have commercial landlord insurance. The issue is that commercial insurance is so expensive, there is just no way to be profitable while using it (for a policy with just a couple properties). I can place the investment property in my name and get traditional landlord coverage, but then I don't see how we could structure the partnership if the properties are in only my name or my partners. We want the partnership to share in the risk, debt, and income 50/50. How are partnerships getting around this insanely high commercial insurance when first starting out? I'm sure after you acquire 10+ properties you can get decent commercial rates, but what about if you just have 2 or 3?

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Investor · Louisville, KY · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
10y

@Wes Singleton - We use NREIG for our rental properties in Louisville. Most are in LLC's, however one is still in my personal name but no issues. They are great to work with and very landlord friendly. I don't have any affiliation with them other than insuring my property with them.

I have not had to file a claim yet so cannot speak to that aspect of things but they are awesome on the front end.

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  • Residential Real Estate Agent · Groves, TX · Member since 2013 · 105 posts · 27 votes
    10y

    Keep looking... there are insurance companies that will work with LLCs and agents that will go to bat for you. Wellington was who Allstate was going to write mine through... I ended up going another route, but it CAN be done for a manageable rate.

  • Louisville, KY · Member since 2016 · 36 posts · 8 votes
    10y

    Thank you, did they want you to have your personal home and auto through them in order to give you a commercial policy?

  • Jason BottPro Member
    Insurance Agent · Nationwide · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    10y

    @Wes Singleton if they want you to move your home and auto over, your working with a personal lines agent. You need to find a commercial insurance broker like myself. A broker will have many options for properties in a LLC and most likely not want to write your home and auto.

  • Louisville, KY · Member since 2016 · 36 posts · 8 votes
    10y

    Thanks,  I will try to find one in my area.

  • Investor · King of Prussia, PA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 339 votes
    10y

    @Wes Singleton I would keep looking. 

  • Investor · Garden City, MI · Member since 2014 · 14 posts · 1 vote
    10y

    Try foremost. 

  • Investor · Louisville, KY · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    10y

    @Wes Singleton - We use NREIG for our rental properties in Louisville. Most are in LLC's, however one is still in my personal name but no issues. They are great to work with and very landlord friendly. I don't have any affiliation with them other than insuring my property with them.

    I have not had to file a claim yet so cannot speak to that aspect of things but they are awesome on the front end.

  • Louisville, KY · Member since 2016 · 36 posts · 8 votes
    10y

    thank you.  Any idea about how much they charge as a percentage of the property value?  For example, a personal landlord policy is costing me about 1.5% of the home value per year.  The quote that I received on commercial landlord insurance is more than double that, (over 3% property value per year).

  • Lender · San Antonio, TX · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    10y

    @Wes Singleton My advice is to find an independent commercial agent. They're not tied to one brand, and can get more creative. My agent has a handful of policies for my rental properties. She's grouped some together based on certain criteria that one underwriter likes best, and others are individual policies. All are insured under my LLC's name at current market value (not replacement value - helpful in low-value areas) with a $500,000 umbrella. I have never had an issue, and the rates seem reasonable. For example, I have a $300k apartment building on the gulf coast, and my standard insurance is $1,600 and wind storm insurance is $1,400 per year.

  • Lender · Winlock, WA · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    10y

    With my company you can write the policies as landlord policies on personal lines, however the policy would have to be written in a individuals name not the entity as the primary insured. You can list the entity on the dec. pages and you can also list the entity as an additional insured. If a claim were to be made, the check would be made out to the individual and possibly the entity as well?

    Underwriting doesn't have any problem writing the policy in the individuals name with the entity added to the dec. and as an additional insured so long as that individual is also a managing member of the LLC.

    Each company has their own rules, so you would have to check company by company. But this is how we do it, I just did 2 of these last week.

  • Investor · Louisville, KY · Member since 2010 · 55 posts · 42 votes
    10y

    All mine are in LLC's and I'm here in Louisville. Google for Jason Roberts with Edward Frank, he is a member of our local KREIA group, he has been the cheapest I could find so far. I'm insuring Portland properties, but I have 11 of them and I spend less than $500 per month.

  • Clay SmithBusiness Member
    Investor · Louisville, KY · Member since 2013 · 419 posts · 244 votes
    10y

    I pay about $40-50 mo for a 50k-80k house. I use NREIG as well.

    LREI Property Management LLC4.6438 Reviews
  • Louisville, KY · Member since 2016 · 36 posts · 8 votes
    10y

    Thank you all, this has helped me find some better options.  

  • Investor · Louisville, KY · Member since 2015 · 24 posts · 6 votes
    10y
    Clay Smith is that rate as an LLC? I'm definitely going to check them out.
  • Developer · Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2015 · 2k+ posts · 904 votes
    10y

    @Wes Singleton, State Farm Insurance will offer rental/investment property insurance to LLCs in my area.

  • Clay SmithBusiness Member
    Investor · Louisville, KY · Member since 2013 · 419 posts · 244 votes
    10y

    yes it is an LLC. If this is your first time with rentals be sure to ask and decide if RC or ARV coverage is right for you.

    LREI Property Management LLC4.6438 Reviews
  • Investor · Louisville, KY · Member since 2015 · 36 posts · 8 votes
    10y

    Be careful out there guys, a landlord was shot and killed in the Portland area today. :(  @Kevin Nalley are you ok? http://www.wlky.com/news/police-respond-to-report-of-shooting-in-portland-neighborhood/39569042

  • Louisville, KY · Member since 2016 · 36 posts · 8 votes
    10y

    This is horrible news.  Anybody here with properties in portland/ west end ever have to deal with dangerous situations?

  • Investor · Louisville, KY · Member since 2010 · 55 posts · 42 votes
    10y

    I'm good here, wasn't me, thanks for asking Greg :)    I don't get confrontational with tenants.... the news reported the landlord today was supposedly there about a rent dispute.    If my tenants don't pay, they get a 7-day letter, by the 15th if they haven't paid, I send their file over to Michelle Rawn to start the eviction process.   Also, I'm sure many landlords have some tenants they like to get cash from... :)   I set my tenants up on Cozy.co, or I print off some bank deposit tickets so they can take their rent straight to the bank...

  • Investor · Louisville, KY · Member since 2010 · 55 posts · 42 votes
    10y

    @Wes Singleton, I did have one situation that was kinda hairy...   I broke my own rule and rented to a convicted felon, the guy had spent 15 years in prison for manslaughter but no other issues since he had been out.  He paid rent a couple months, then stopped.  I did a little cash for keys and met the guy at the apartment he was occupying.   He had a sharpened screw driver in his hand...  I stayed calm, watched his hands, made him comfy and we did the cash for keys exchange and I was done.     I'm no badass, but I have trained martial arts all my life, spent 10 years as a police officer, and I was carrying my .44 concealed... If he would have come at me, it would have been a bad day for me, but much worse for him :)   I do recommend meeting potentially hostile tenants in a public place, and take someone with you.   I broke my own rule by renting to that guy, and I've never done it again... I don't rent to convicted felons for exactly the reason I described above.... just not worth it.

  • Louisville, KY · Member since 2016 · 36 posts · 8 votes
    10y

    If you don't mind me asking, how much cash did it take for him to leave peacefully?

  • Investor · Louisville, KY · Member since 2010 · 55 posts · 42 votes
    10y

    I think I paid him about $200... I hate doing that, because in my mind I'm paying someone to leave that owes me money...  It does normally work, I get rid of someone that would have most likely cost me much more in damages and lost rent vs just paying them to leave. 

  • Louisville, KY · Member since 2016 · 36 posts · 8 votes
    10y

    I agree it seems like a smart play.  Profit over pride!  How many days do you give them to get out in that scenario?

  • Investor · Louisville, KY · Member since 2010 · 55 posts · 42 votes
    10y

    Typically about a week.   I don't have these problems very often now... I've learned to screen them much better.  If I have time this week, I may write a post on screening with some online tools we have in Louisville.  

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