Does Your Insurance Cover Your Tenants Dog?
I’ve had dogs on my mind a lot lately; perhaps because I’m in the market for a companion for my 12-year-old Border Collie, who lost his best friend two months ago.
And it’s made me think about renting to pet owners like myself. I know when I was a tenant how incredibly grateful I was to the landlord for allowing me to have and keep a pet.
Forbes magazine reports 66% of all U.S. households own a pet. Of these, 69 million own dogs and 45.3 million have cats. Therefore, allowing pets certainly broadens the pool of potential tenants.
Unfortunately, may pets can also cause challenges for property owners. Among them, dog bites. According to the Insurance Information Institute, there were 17,597 dog bite claims in the United States in 2022. They averaged $64,555.
So who’s responsible?
Minnesota statutes state “If a dog, without provocation, attacks or injures any person who is acting peaceably in any place where the person may lawfully be, the owner of the dog is liable in damages to the person so attacked or injured to the full amount of the injury sustained. The term “owner” includes any person harboring or keeping a dog but the owner shall be primarily liable.”
But what if the dog owner doesn’t have pet liability insurance – which may differ from any coverage provided by typical renter’s insurance?
As a result, certain breeds of dogs may not be covered by your property insurance policy. Each insurance carrier differs in the dog breeds they exclude from coverage, so it’s important to check with your insurance agent. However, the most commonly excluded are:
- Pit Bull
- Doberman Pinscher
- Rottweiler
- German Shepherd
- Presa Canario or Canary Mastiff
- Akita
- Chow Chow
- Great Dane
- Alaskan Malamute
- Wolf dogs and hybrids
There are great dogs of all these breeds and much of a dog’s behavior is the result of its owner. In fact, the American Kennel Club has been involved in attempting to get legislation passed that prevents discrimination against breeds of dogs. There was even a bill introduced to the Minnesota house of representatives last year that would not only have required housing providers to allow pets, but also would have removed breed restrictions (HF 831).
While it’s best to consult with an insurance provider, one way to mitigate any potential risk may be to require tenants to carry pet liability insurance in the amount of an average bite claim and provide proof to the property owner of the policy. This would be in addition to their renter’s insurance policy.