Who Buys Commercial Flood Insurance?
Landlords who own commercial buildings in designated flood zones and have a mortgage from a federally regulated or insured lender are required to obtain a flood insurance policy. Typically, the building coverage on the policy should cover the amount of the mortgage, up to $500,000. But they can pass those costs down to the lessee.
Commercial tenants should read their leases carefully to understand their obligations. Even if the landlord has a flood insurance policy, it likely only covers their interests.
Does Flood Insurance Cover Business Owner's Contents and Machinery?
In most cases, the landlord purchases the flood insurance policy to protect their building, but the responsibility of coverage of contents and machinery often falls to the tenant.
It is important to know that the peril of flood is excluded in most standard business owner and commercial property insurance policies. Before leasing a property, business owners should determine if the property is in a flood zone. Then, they should check with their landlord to ensure that the property has flood insurance, and clarify if they are expected to cover the expenses.
Further, if a commercial property is not in an official Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) designated by FEMA, business owners may wish to get a second opinion with a private flood insurance specialist regarding the property’s flood risk, as many of FEMA’s maps can be significantly outdated. In fact, First Street Foundation reported that 5.9 million properties in the U.S. were at substantial risk of flooding, but were not included in a mandatory insurance zone. So, if you’re in doubt, reach out! Our flood experts will be happy to consult with you.
Where Can Landlords or Business Owners Purchase Flood Insurance?
Whether you're a landlord or business owner, getting a flood quote from FloodPrice is fast and easy! We can customize a commercial flood insurance policy with coverage up to $5 million. Quoting a commercial flood policy can be more complicated than a residential policy, so our online quoting tool does not evaluate enough information to provide a quote.
However, we are eager to help you determine your risk, so we encourage you to give us a call at 866-503-5663, or email us at support@floodprice.com. It takes only minutes to get a quote that can help you protect your property and business equipment.
We are here to help! A little research on flood risk and flood insurance could save you thousands in the event of an unexpected disaster.
Give us a Call: 866-503-5663
