Tenant insurance is important to consider in every self-storage facility. For this week’s Self-Storage Unlocked: Talking Tenant Insurance webinar, members from the SBOA Tenant Insurance team joined SBOA Vice President Jessica Johnson for a very informative session. Panelists included Bryan Mosser, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Cornerstone Insurance Producers, Mario Macaluso, Co-Founder of SBOATI, and Deb Sculli, Senior Account Manager at Cornerstone Insurance Producers. Having been ranked “Best Tenant Insurance” by the ISS for the past nine years, these tenant insurance experts were very qualified to discuss this topic and answer audience questions.
What is Tenant Insurance?
The discussion was started by Deb Sculli taking a deep dive into what tenant insurance is. Sculli defined tenant insurance as “a program specifically designed for self-storage owners to provide a set of policy coverages and limits to their tenants.” Sculli also emphasized that there are a variety of program types and it’s important to do your research beforehand on which program is right for you.
Why Offer Tenant Insurance?
The discussion then transitioned to Mario Macaluso discussing why facilities should offer tenant insurance. “By not having tenant insurance, you are exposing yourself to a potential lawsuit,” Macaluso said. “A tenant can actually sue you or litigate against you for the failure to secure your property.”
Macaluso also touched on a couple of advantages of SBOATI’s programs. One of those was that SBOATI is integrated with most point-of-sale systems, which makes it very convenient for the owner/operator to facilitate and allows for an increased customer satisfaction.
What to Look for in a TI Program?
Macaluso continues by reviewing some of the key elements you should look for in a tenant insurance program and tips to make sure the program fits your specific needs. For instance, certain states may require a limited lines license if you are going to sell tenant insurance. Some policies may have a deductible. Some may have language in the policy for when there is a main peril storm, they may not cover or may have a higher deductible, so you will want to review all the language if you have facilities near the coastline. Some may exclude earthquake coverage. Some may have a separate deductible for burglary or may only pay fifty percent of a burglary claim.
Always review all endorsements and exclusions in the policy. You are also going to want to check the rating of the insurance company and make sure they are at least an A level rating at a minimum. Make sure to ask the provider what level of marketing and training they offer to their customers. And finally, how efficient is the claims handling for the tenant, and ensuring that the providers claims department responds in a prompt and professional manner.
Why SBOATI?
Mosser concluded the discussion by sharing a few more benefits of the SBOATI policies. These advantages included being an A- rated (excellent) insurer, having a fast and easy onboarding process, as well as providing a 24-hour call center for claims reporting.
SBOATI provided a great and educational presentation about tenant insurance. For those who are new to the self-storage industry and are confused on what tenant insurance actually is, this is a great Self-Storage Unlocked webinar to review. You can learn more about SBOATI and get connected to their staff by clicking here.
Next week’s Self-Storage Unlocked webinar will feature AlphaStaff and discuss their new cyber-security product. Make sure to tune in next Thursday, August 19th, at 2:00pm EDT for this important discussion.
You can view the full “Talking Tenant Insurance” webinar below: