New Wave of Specialty Insurance Policies For Homeowners

Dogs. We love ‘em in San Francisco, with about 20,000 in our households and being walked in our parks and on our streets. And we have more dog cafés per capita then any other city. However, for homeowners there’s always the slight worry about dogs bites and dog property damage and what their insurance actually covers. Think dog bites are rare? Across the U.S. about 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs, and 885,000 need medical attention. A dog bite stay in a hospital can take a bite out of anybody’s budget with an average cost of $18,000. Most insurance policies have specialty exclusions now, so be sure to check yours out to see how your canine coverage actually protects you. Insurance companies have even come up with specific breed blacklists. There are a few insurance companies that offer pet liability insurance with an annual premium running about $750 to $1,000 per dog.

Condo insurance has also become specialized as condos are different than houses in that you don’t own or maintain the entire building the condo is in. A homeowner policy is not the same as a condo-owner policy, so it’s good to be aware of the differences. Similarly, an apartment policy does not cover the needs of a condo policy. And if you have a dog in your condo, do a double take on your insurance.