This article describes how renters' insurance is handled in Breeze.
Legal Requirements
Landlords can require that tenants carry and maintain a certain amount of liability insurance, but they can't require that tenants insure the contents of their units/apartments. A requirement for liability insurance must be written into the lease agreement.
Landlords can offer insurance to their tenants, but they can't force them to buy a specific policy. Tenants have the right to buy their own insurance and offer proof to the landlord that it meets the liability requirement.
These requirements influence the types of insurance that Breeze offers. A tenant has three choices:
Let the property manager add him/her to the master policy for the property.
Purchase an H04 policy via the RentCafe tenant portal, the ResidentShield website, or by calling 1-800-566-1186).
Purchase 3rd party HO4 policy and provide "proof of insurance" to the property manager.
Insurance Functionality in Breeze
Master Policy
The master policy satisfies the liability requirement ONLY; it does not include coverage for the residents’ contents.
In Breeze, the property management staff enrolls the tenants in the master policy, which adds an automatic charge to the tenant record.
If the tenants don't want to be enrolled in the master policy, they can purchase an H04 policy from ResidentShield via RentCafe or provide a 3rd party policy.
H04 Policies on RentCafe
"H04" is another name for a standard renters' insurance policy. The policies offered on RentCafe are liability + contents.
When a tenant wants to purchase an H04 policy, the PM staff refers the tenant to RentCafe, the ResidentShield website, or the ResidentShield phone number (1-800-566-1186).
The tenant buys a policy, and the policy record is automatically loaded to the tenant record in Breeze. The property manager can see that the insurance requirement has been met.
The tenant pays for the policy on their own -- usually they set up a recurring payment on a credit card. The charges do not appear in Breeze. The cost varies by zip code and is based on the coverage purchased.
Third Party Policies
The tenant purchases their own insurance. They provide proof of insurance to the property manager, who enters this information in Breeze, so the property manager knows that the tenant has met the insurance requirements.
Tenants can also upload proof of insurance on the RentCafe tenant portal. In Breeze, it is loaded as an attachment on the tenant record.