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Things every landlord needs to know about rental property insurance

Rental property insurance from Armadillo Insurance Agency is an important part of being a landlord in the Austin, TX area. It provides coverage for the structure of the dwelling, any personal belongings of the tenant, and for any liabilities related to the tenant’s use of the property. As a landlord, it’s essential to understand what type of coverage your policy provides so that you can properly protect yourself and your investment in case of an accident or natural disaster. 

Rental Property Insurance: What You Need To Know

The first step in securing rental property insurance is to assess what kind of risks are associated with the property. Is there potential for natural disasters? Is it located in a high-crime area that could lead to theft or vandalism? Make sure you have adequate coverage for any potential risks that could arise due to location and climate. 

Next, be sure to understand exactly what types of damages are covered under your policy. Some policies cover only damage done by fire or lightning strikes, while others may provide broad coverage for a range of incidents including water damage or theft. Make sure you know exactly what is included so you can make an informed decision when choosing the right policy for your needs.

Finally, don’t forget about liability coverage when selecting a policy. Liability coverage provides protection in case someone is injured on your property or if there’s damage caused by tenants’ activities. This type of coverage is essential and can help keep you protected from costly lawsuits if something does happen to your rental property. 

We Are Here To Help!

By understanding rental property insurance and making sure that you have the right amount and type of coverage for your needs, landlords can ensure that they’re protected should anything unexpected occur on their properties. For more information, give us at Armadillo Insurance Agency a call today. We proudly serve the Austin, TX area.

How to Protect Your Home From Wind Damage

High winds can be a challenge in Austin, TX, especially with Texas being at the bottom of tornado alley. Here at Armadillo Insurance Agency, we want to help you prepare so that you can protect your home and belongings from damage during a storm.

Here are a few of the ways that you can protect your home from wind damage:

Roof Inspection

If your roof has gone through several years of wear and tear, severe wind could be enough to put your home at risk for leaks. Be sure to have it inspected to ensure that there aren’t any gaps or tears that could become more extensive if a large storm were to hit. 

Make an Emergency Plan

Pick a place in your home that is free from windows that could break during high wind conditions – for many people, this will most likely be their bathroom.

Consider setting up a first aid kit and think about how you will protect your head from falling debris if the threat escalates to a tornado. 

Patio Furniture

Anything that is close to your windows could come crashing inside and harm you or your belongings. Consider moving patio furniture indoors until the storm passes, or find a way to tie it down so that it poses less of a threat to your home.

Stormproof Glass

Stormproof glass, also known as hurricane glass, can withstand high wind conditions without breaking as easily as regular glass windows. 

These may already be installed in your home. Be sure to look up the manufacturer to confirm that your windows are equipped to handle high winds.

Get Home Insurance Today

Lastly, make sure that you have homeowners insurance! We serve the Austin, TX area at Armadillo Insurance Agency. Contact us today to learn more!

What Factors Should You Consider When Buying Flood Insurance?

One of the most common misconceptions about home insurance is that it covers flooding. Home insurance may not cover the flooding caused by heavy amounts of rain or rivers or creeks spilling over their banks. In order to protect your home and belongings from this type of event, you need to purchase a flood insurance policy. Here at Armadillo Insurance Agency, serving the greater Austin, TX area, we want to help you select the right policy.

Here are a few of the factors you should be considering as you go about buying flood insurance. 

Your Home’s Flood Risk Designation

One of the first things that you need to consider when you are looking to purchase flood insurance is your home’s flood risk designation. The higher your flood risk designation is, the more likely your home may flood, and the more costly flood insurance will cost. An insurance agent can work with you to determine the flood risk designation for your home. 

What the Flood Insurance Policy Covers

The second important factor that you need to consider when purchasing flood insurance is what exactly the policy you are buying covers. Flood insurance may be designated as building only, meaning it only covers your home, or it may be designated as building and contents coverage, meaning it covers your home, as well as the contents inside of your home. 

Get The Right Coverage For Your Needs

Flood insurance helps to protect your home and possibly your belongings in the event heavy rains cause flooding in your area, causing flood damage to your home. This is not something that traditional home insurance policies cover. If you are looking for a home insurance policy, the team at Armadillo Insurance Agency, serving the greater Austin, TX area, can help you. Call us now to obtain an estimate. 

What Does It Mean If Something is Excluded On a Home Insurance Policy?

Prior to purchasing a home insurance product, it is strongly advised that you read through that policy and find out what is excluded. One of the things that we at Armadillo Insurance Agency, serving the greater Austin, TX area, have found is that many people do not understand what it means if something is listed as excluded on a home insurance policy. Read on to learn what it means if something is listed as excluded on a home insurance policy and what types of things may be typically excluded. 

What Does It Mean If Something is Excluded On a Home Insurance Policy?

An exclusion list means that an event or item is not covered by the home insurance policy. The exclusion list for a homeowners policy may exclude specific events, or they may exclude specific items. If you see something listed on the excluded list, you know that that type of event or that type of item is not covered by your policy. 

What Types of Things Are Typically Listed On the Exclusion List For Home Insurance Policies?

Specific events, such as flooding, fires started by arson, or damage done by a criminal act you committed are typically listed on the exclusion list. The exclusion list may also list items that are not covered by a home insurance policy, including things like fine art, expensive jewelry, or cars with motors in them. 

Contact Us Today

Just because something is listed as an exclusion on your home insurance policy does not mean that it cannot be covered. Floods can be covered by buying the right flood insurance, and expensive jewelry can be covered with a jewelry insurance policy. At Armadillo Insurance Agency, serving the greater Austin, TX area, we can help you get the coverage you need. Call us today to get started. 

Is Landlord Insurance the Same as Home Insurance?

If you own property that you are considering turning into a rental property, you may find yourself wondering what landlord insurance is, and if it is the same as home insurance or how it varies from home insurance. Landlord insurance is one of the insurance products offered by Armadillo Insurance Agency, serving residents in the greater Austin, TX area, and we would love to help you understand exactly what landlord insurance is. 

What is Landlord Insurance? 

Landlord insurance is designed to cover a rental property from disasters and emergencies. This may include things such as pipes bursting and covering water damage or hail damage occurring to your roof. As a general rule of thumb, landlord insurance covers the structure of your property the same way home insurance does. Despite many myths online, landlord insurance does not compensate the landlord for tenants that damage their property or that do not pay their rent. 

How Does Landlord Insurance Differ From Home Insurance? 

The biggest difference between landlord insurance and home insurance is the property that is stored inside your home. Home insurance covers not only the structure of your home, but everything you have stored inside of the home as well, such as clothing, jewelry, artwork, electronics, and furniture.

Landlord insurance does not cover these items, as you are not living in the home. A renter should obtain renters insurance to cover their property, while you should obtain landlord insurance to protect the property and structure of your investment property. 

Get The Right Coverage Today

If you have an investment property that you are looking to insure, the experienced and knowledgeable agents at Armadillo Insurance Agency, serving the greater Austin, TX region, would love to help you insure that property. Call or email us today and let’s work together to ensure the property is fully covered. 

Does my condo insurance cover damage from natural disasters like tornados and flooding?

As we all know, Austin, TX weather is unpredictable. One minute it’s sunny and 80 degrees, and the next minute there’s a tornado or severe flooding. So, does your condo insurance cover damage from natural disasters like tornados and floods? Armadillo Insurance Agency has answers to all your insurance questions.

What Does Condo Insurance Cover?

Tornado Coverage

Most standard condo insurance policies will cover damage from tornados. However, there may be some deductions for wind damage, so it’s important to check with your insurance provider to see what your policy covers. Central Texas is prone to tornados, so you may want to purchase additional windstorm insurance to make sure you’re fully covered.

Flood Coverage

Flooding is a different story. Standard condo insurance policies typically do not cover flood damage. If you choose to live in a high-risk flood zone, you will need to purchase additional flood insurance to ensure that your home is protected. Even if you don’t reside in a highly susceptible flood zone, it’s still a good idea to get flood insurance. Why? Because less than an inch of water may destroy $25,000 worth of property.

We Are Here If You Have Questions

As a condo owner in Austin, TX, it’s important to know what your condo insurance policy covers—and what it doesn’t cover. Most standard condo insurance policies will cover damage from tornados. Although you may want to add a windstorm insurance policy. However, they typically do not cover flood damage.

If you live in an area that is prone to floods, you will need to purchase separate flood insurance to make sure you’re protected. Don’t wait until it’s too late — contact Armadillo Insurance Agency to learn more about windstorm and flood insurance today!

What Is the Difference Between General Liability and Product Liability Insurance?

If you are in the process of shopping for insurance, you may have come across the terms “general liability” and “product liability.” But what exactly do these terms mean? And more importantly, do you need both types of coverage?

Consult with our team at Armadillo Insurance Agency in Austin, TX when you are ready to purchase this important coverage. 

Here are the differences between general liability and product liability insurance:

General Liability Insurance

General liability insurance is a type of policy that provides protection against claims arising from your business operations. This can include injuries that occur on your premises, damage to property, advertising injuries, and more.

If you are sued by someone who alleges that your business was responsible for their injury or damages, general liability insurance can help cover the costs of legal defense and any resulting settlement or judgment.

Product Liability Insurance

Product liability insurance is a type of coverage that protects your business against claims alleging that your products caused injury or damage. If you manufacture, distribute, or sell products, this type of insurance can help protect you in the event that one of your products injures someone or damages their property.

Product liability claims can be very costly, so it’s important to make sure that you have this type of coverage in place if you sell products.

Get Insurance Coverage for Your Business Today

Both general liability and product liability insurance are important types of coverage for businesses. Which one you need will depend on the nature of your business and the products you sell. If you have any questions about which type of coverage is right for you, our team at Armadillo Insurance Agency in Austin, TX can help. Give us a call and we’ll be happy to walk you through your options and help you get the coverage you need.

Should I get home insurance for my Austin property?

Those that live in the Austin, TX area will likely have found that the real estate market has been strong for a long time. This has made it a good place to invest and purchase a home. If you do intend to live in this region and want to purchase a property, you should also get home insurance.

There are multiple reasons why insurance for your home should be a top priority:

Protect Real Estate Owner

The main reason you should have insurance for your home in Texas is to take advantage of the protections that coverage provides. As a property owner, you will always face various risks. These can include risks that your home is damaged by a bad storm or that an accident occurs on your property. If you do carry the right home insurance, it can help to mitigate and offset all of these 

Meet Your Requirements

You will also want to have a home insurance policy so you can meet the standards and requirements that are set by your lender. If you decide to take out a mortgage, it is important to follow all of the rules and requirements until you have paid the loan off. A common rule is the requirement to carry home insurance and have your payments escrowed, which ensures you do not have a coverage lapse. 

Give Us A Call

If you do decide to purchase a home in the Austin, TX area, you will undoubtedly find that you want to have a home insurance plan as well. Once you start looking for coverage, it can be a good idea to call Armadillo Insurance Agency. The team with the Armadillo Insurance Agency understands the value of home insurance and can offer the support needed to build an ideal plan. This will help ensure you remain appropriately covered at all times. 

What Are The Different Types Of Landlord Insurance?

There are a few different types of landlord insurance policies that you can choose from. It’s important to understand the differences between each type so you can make an informed decision about which policy is best for you. Armadillo Insurance Agency in Austin, TX is here to navigate this important insurance coverage.

Here are the three most common types of landlord insurance policies: property damage, liability, and rental income protection.

1. Property Damage Insurance

This type of insurance policy covers the physical structure of your rental property. This includes the walls, floors, ceilings, windows, and doors. It also covers any fixtures or appliances that are permanently attached to the property, such as built-in cabinets or countertops. If your rental property is damaged by fire, wind, hail, or other covered events, this policy will help you pay to repair or replace the damaged property.

2. Liability Insurance

Liability insurance protects you from being sued for negligent actions that result in injury or property damage. If a tenant is injured on your property, or if their belongings are damaged, they could sue you for compensation. This policy will help pay for your legal defense costs, as well as any damages you’re ordered to pay by a court.

Liability insurance also covers you if someone is injured while on your property, even if they’re not a tenant. For example, if a delivery person slips and falls on your icy sidewalk, they could sue you for their medical bills and lost wages.

3. Rental Income Protection

If your rental property is damaged by a covered event, such as fire or wind damage, it can take months to repair or replace the property. This can leave you without any income from your rental property during that time. Rental income protection insurance from Armadillo Insurance Agency will help reimburse you for the lost rental income while your property is being repaired.

Give Us A Call

There are a few different types of landlord insurance policies to choose from. It’s important to understand the differences between each type so you can make an informed decision about which policy is best for you. If you have any questions about landlord insurance, or if you would like to get a quote, please contact Armadillo Insurance Agency in Austin, TX. We are here to help.

When Does My Flood Insurance Policy Go Into Effect?

If you live in an area that experiences frequent floods, getting a flood insurance policy is prudent. However, you should know there will be some wait time before the flood policy takes effect. The wait time will be between 14 and 30 days, depending on whether you obtained your flood coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or purchased a private policy.  

When Does My Flood Insurance Policy Go Into Effect? 

NFIP Wait Time

The wait time for the NFIP flood coverage to take effect is typically 30 days. However, some exceptions result in the waiver of the waiting period that you should know as an Austin, TX resident. These exceptions are;

  • You buy new coverage or add to the existing flood policy due to a loan or mortgage

Banks traditionally require owners of mortgaged homes to get flood insurance, more so if the property is in a high-risk area. If you purchase flood insurance under this circumstance, you don’t have to wait 30 days for the coverage to become effective. 

  • If your home sits on burned federal land

The damage that wildfires cause can also increase flood risk in the affected areas. If your home sits on federal land that has been affected by wildfire, you will have 60 days to apply for flood insurance and get a wait time waiver. 

  • Your home was relocated to a special hazard zone

FEMA is responsible for assessing and establishing flood risk zones countrywide. If the area where your home sits is established to be a special hazard zone for floods by FEMA, you can purchase flood insurance with no wait periods. 

Private Policy Wait Time

The wait time for private flood policies is usually 10 to 14 days. At Armadillo Insurance Agency, we recommend that you confirm this with your insurer. Keep in mind that the wait time exceptions listed above also apply here. 

Call Armadillo Insurance Agency for expert insurance advice in Austin, TX.