Insurance: Guide to home insurance in Canada

What is home insurance and why is it important?

Home insurance is not legally required in Canada if your home is fully paid up. But you will need it to obtain a mortgage from a mortgage lender.

Although not compulsory, home insurance helps you sleep well at night, whether you own a home or rent. It protects your property and personal belongings against damage, loss, theft and vandalism. What’s more, if you have to leave your home temporarily following a covered loss, home insurance covers your living expenses. Finally, home insurance can also cover medical expenses if someone is injured while visiting your property.

In short, your home is much more than just a place to sleep. Rather, it’s a place where you live and where your most precious items are stored. So it’s very important to be protected against damage or loss.

To compare home insurance quotes, feel free to use our tool.

Types of home insurance

As we mentioned earlier, you don’t just need insurance when you buy a single-family home. There are also other properties you should consider insuring, such as a rental building, condo, vacation home or cottage.

Here’s more information on each type of home insurance.

Home insurance

Homeowner’s insurance is a type of insurance for owners of detached houses, covering the building as well as detached structures such as sheds. Most homeowners opt for comprehensive coverage, as it offers the best protection for their home and personal belongings.

Tenant insurance

Renters’ insurance is designed for people who rent an apartment, condo or house. It mainly protects your personal property, but also covers medical expenses for visitors who are injured on the rented property. Tenant insurance does not cover damage to the property (the owner is insured for this). But it does cover living expenses if you have to move temporarily to carry out repairs following an insured loss.

Condo insurance

If you own a condominium, you’ll opt for condo insurance. Like home insurance, condo insurance protects your unit and your personal property. It also covers shared common areas such as the gym, roof, garage, etc. You’ll also be covered if you have to live elsewhere during maintenance or repair work on your building or condominium unit.

Vacant home insurance

Do you have a vacation home or cottage? If this is the case, you’ll need to take out vacant home insurance. This type of policy requires you to choose your perils (or risks), as the risk of damage is higher since you’re not there all year round. Many insurance companies will list both your permanent and secondary residence on the same policy.

Landlord insurance

Landlord insurance is required for owners of rental properties who rent out their property to others. Like homeowner’s insurance, this type of policy protects the building and covers civil liability if someone is injured on the property. The main difference is that landlord insurance can reimburse lost rental income if the building or dwelling is damaged and tenants are unable to occupy it.

Types of insurance policies

When you choose a home insurance policy, you get a number of coverages, including personal property and liability coverage. Personal property coverage protects you financially against loss or damage to your personal property and home. Public liability coverage protects you legally against liability for losses caused by injuries to visitors to your home.

Once that’s settled, there are three types of home insurance policies to consider:

• Comprehensive home insurance
• Basic home insurance
• Extended home insurance

Here’s more information on each of them.

Comprehensive home insurance

A comprehensive home insurance policy offers the best coverage for your home and personal belongings. It protects you financially against loss, damage (fire, vandalism, natural disasters) or theft of your personal belongings and your home. Although more expensive, it’s the most popular choice for Canadians because of its comprehensive coverage. Use our tool to compare home insurances and find the best policy for your needs.

Basic home insurance

A basic home insurance policy offers less protection than comprehensive coverage, since it only protects you financially against the risks listed in your policy. This means that not all accidents or events such as theft, flood or fire will be covered. The advantage is that your monthly premium will be lower with basic coverage than with comprehensive coverage.

That said, you need to understand the types of risks covered by your policy before making your decision.

Extended home insurance

An extended home insurance policy is somewhere between basic and comprehensive coverage. With comprehensive home insurance, you’re covered against all risks except those listed as exclusions in your policy. This means that your home may not be protected against certain events, such as an earthquake, but is covered for all other risks.

Contact your insurance agent or broker to find out exactly what your current policy covers. Since not all risks are covered, an extended home insurance policy generally costs less than full coverage, but more than basic coverage.

Types of insurance coverage

Home insurance policies in Canada are quite comprehensive. They include standard coverage, but you can also add additional (optional) coverage.

Here’s more information on these types of insurance coverage…

Standard protections

Standard protections include :

• Dwelling: Protection for the physical structure of your home, including foundations, walls, roof and detached structures (e.g. sheds, decks, etc.).
• Civil liability: Protection against possible legal action for accidental injury or property damage.
• Personal property: Protection of your personal effects (furniture, clothing, jewelry, electronics, works of art, etc.) in the event of theft, loss or damage caused by a covered loss.
• Additional living costs: Coverage for expenses incurred if you must temporarily leave your property due to a covered loss (e.g. hotel room, clothing, etc.).

Optional protection

Optional coverage includes :

• Water damage: Protection against water damage such as sewer backup, surface water and above-ground water.
• Identity theft: Protection against identity theft and fraud, covering legal costs.
• Earthquakes: Protection against damage caused by earthquakes.

For each of these insurance coverages, conditions and limits apply. For example, what water damage is covered and how much is insured. Check your home insurance contract with your current insurer, as well as with other insurance companies.

Covered and uncovered losses

As mentioned earlier, it’s very important to understand the types of risks that are covered by your policy before taking out or renewing home insurance. In general, your insurance policy covers disasters or unexpected events such as floods, theft or wind or hail storms.

Usually,home insurance does not cover foreseeable events, also known as speculative risks. An example of a speculative risk would be leaving a candle burning all night in your bathroom, causing a fire. The outcome of the action was foreseeable and, in the event of fault on your part, your insurance policy will not cover the cost of repairing your home. Other examples include damage caused by lack of maintenance, normal wear and tear, intentional damage or unoccupied homes.

Again, be sure to speak with your insurance company to understand what is and isn’t covered. If necessary, don’t hesitate to talk to an insurance broker like ClicAssure.

Bottom Line

In short, home insurance isn’t the most exciting part of renting or buying a property. But it’s essential to protect your personal property, among other things. We hope this comprehensive guide to home insurance has answered your questions, and that you can now make an informed choice.

Finally, don’t forget to use our home insurance comparison tool to find the best policy for your needs.

What is the average cost of home insurance?

The average cost of a home insurance policy varies according to a number of criteria, including place of residence, type of property (house, condo, rental) and type of coverage (basic, extended, comprehensive). At Quebec and in Ontario, the average cost of home insurance is $87 ($1044/year) for a house, $31/month ($372/year) for a condo and $23.50/month ($282/year) for a rental, according to our partner ClicAssure.

What’s the best home insurance for the cheapest price?

The cheapest home insurance is basic home insurance. It offers protection limited to the risks listed in your insurance policy. Although more affordable, you should be prepared to cover the cost of any damage not included.

Is home insurance mandatory in Canada?

No. Canadian law does not require you to take out home insurance. But mortgage lenders require it for properties that are not fully paid up. In other words, to get a mortgage. That said, home insurance is still important to protect your personal property in the event of theft, vandalism, fire and much more.