Liability insurance?!

[MountainDew]

There are no special qualifications that make someone a LL. Which is why, like in every other occupation, you get good ones and bad ones.

Oh yes, she makes this one very obvious. Now I know in the future that I need to check out/interview the landlord in any other building just as much as they need to check out the tennant.

In fact, as I've been looking around I may just decide on my own not to renew. I just don't want to have to move all my stuff. I may ask that she lower the rent in the amount of whatever the insurance cost...or she can go fly a kite. Honestly her instability makes me hesitant to sign with her again...

The building across the street is tempting, managed by a real estate company, free first month, plenty of openings, new construction....hmmm.....

Basically I'm in a light industrial neighborhood and there are more "for rent" signs than there are signs advertising a person's business.

 

[jumac]

you said you use this place for a hobby shop? What do you do for a hobby there. Could be a possiblity that depending on what your hobby is that the LL insurance is telling her that if you don't get this insurance that she is asking then they will drop her or raise her cost. Insurance companys are like this.
I give you an example. I use to do a paper route with my car, My car insurace company told me I had to have a business insurance on my car because I delivered to both people's houses and filled the boxies you see outside of business sometime(ie the ones you put money in and get a paper). If i was just stoping at the houses of people getting papers then I would not have to get the busines insurance and just have reg car insurance.

 

[MountainDew]

What you LL wants (and should want) is you to have a Commercial General Liability (CGL) policy, which is what would pick up the tab for the legal fees if the LL gets sued for something related to your tenancy. I am not an insurance broker, but I have never seen a CGL written for an individual. However, many renters' policies have (or, offer for a higher premium) similar coverage for GL lawsuits as CGL policies do. I suspect such a policy would make your LL happy. Speak to some brokers and see what can be done.

Alright, I called around to several insurance places, they all think this woman is nuts and they have nothing to sell me. My homeowner's policy covers $2500 worth of property in the building. They will NOT sell me "renters insurance" unless I live there. They will not sell me commercial liability insurance unless I am a business and making income. They were very clear to me that the things they did have to offer, in no way would cover the landlord or her building. They said that's why she is supposed to have insurance.

WTF? Should I just tell the landlord she's totally wrong and have her suggest who I would purchase insurance from? I tried to explain the problem to her, after two confused emails I said "what about just normal renters insurance as if I lived there", and she said "yeah, yeah, that!". The insurance agents were very clear with me that does not protect her in any way what so ever.

 

[MountainDew]

you said you use this place for a hobby shop? What do you do for a hobby there. Could be a possiblity that depending on what your hobby is that the LL insurance is telling her that if you don't get this insurance that she is asking then they will drop her or raise her cost.

I usually work on vehicles and I can understand what you mean about that - but she never mentioned that as a reason. I told her to just consider mine a "storage unit" instead and she was fine with that.

 

[MountainDew]

Well, after I asked her to suggest where and what kind of insurance I need to buy the requirement magically disappeared when she couldn't find any either.

 

[Banned_Princess]

good, congradulations.

sometimes LL's hear something somewhere and decide, yea! me too! without even fully looking into the matter.

 

[MountainDew]

sometimes LL's hear something somewhere and decide, yea! me too!

LOL, I can totally see her yelling that.