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

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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.

What does 80% coinsurance mean for homeowners? ›

The 80% rule means that an insurer will only fully cover the cost of damage to a house if the owner has purchased insurance coverage equal to at least 80% of the house's total replacement value.

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 does 100 coinsurance mean on 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.

What is a good coinsurance percentage? ›

Some of the most common percentages are: 20% coinsurance: You're responsible for 20% of the total bill. 100% coinsurance: You're responsible for the entire bill. 0% coinsurance: You aren't responsible for any part of the bill — your insurance company will pay the entire claim.

What is the 80% rule in property insurance? ›

When it comes to insuring your home, the 80% rule is an important guideline to keep in mind. This rule suggests you should insure your home for at least 80% of its total replacement cost to avoid penalties for being underinsured.

Why is 80 coinsurance better than 90? ›

A typical 80% coinsurance clause leaves more leeway for undervaluation, and thus a lower chance of a penalty in a claim situation. Insuring a property on an agreed value basis may well be a better option for some insureds as it eliminates the possibility that a coinsurance penalty will be invoked.

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.

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.

Does property coinsurance apply to total loss? ›

Coinsurance as it applies to Property Insurance. Because most property losses are partial and not total losses, the average insured will take advantage of this tendency and only insure enough to cover a partial loss.

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.

Does coinsurance count towards deductible? ›

Does Coinsurance Count Toward the Deductible? No. Coinsurance is the portion of healthcare costs that you pay after your spending has reached the deductible. For example, if you have a 20% coinsurance, then your insurance provider will pay for 80% of all costs after you have met the deductible.

What happens when a homeowner has a property insurance policy with a coinsurance clause? ›

The coinsurance clause of your homeowners policy requires you to carry coverage of at least 80 percent of your home's total value if you want to receive full replacement cost for any losses—partial or full—you suffer.

How does property coinsurance work? ›

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.

Does 10% coinsurance mean I pay 10%? ›

Coinsurance is the amount you pay for covered health care after you meet your deductible. This amount is a percentage of the total cost of care—for example, 20%—and your Blue Cross plan covers the rest.

Is coinsurance paid up front? ›

After you pay your deductible and copay, you pay coinsurance for your hospital stay. Coinsurance is the percentage amount that you pay for benefits after you meet any applicable calendar-year deductible.

What is the 80 20 rule in insurance? ›

The 80/20 Rule generally requires insurance companies to spend at least 80% of the money they take in from premiums on health care costs and quality improvement activities. The other 20% can go to administrative, overhead, and marketing costs.

What is the 80% average clause? ›

The formula is used to determine the proportion of the loss that will be covered by the insurance company. For example, if a property is insured for 80% of its actual value and suffers a partial loss, the average clause may specify that the insurance company will only cover 80% of the loss.

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