[smoothlikebutta]

My landlord all of a sudden wants to require liability insurance for my DirecTV dish. I've seached the internet to find a definitive answer on this, and I couldn't find any. So I though I'd check with the smart people here.


Assumming my dish is not attached to their property, how can they require me to have insurance. How does my Dish differ from the BBQ I have on my balcony? Or the flower pots I have? Doesn't make any sense to me!


Anyone have a similiar experience? Any definitive answers?

 

[JimboG]

This "liability insurance" smells like horsepoo to me. I think you should mention the barbecue and flower pots to him. You're sure this guy isn't either in bed with the cable company or concerned with the effect that a satellite dish might have on the aesthetics of the building?


Jim

 

[dmaneyapanda]

i don't any specific knowledge or quotes which directly address the question, but here is an excerpt from otard which implies that they can ask you for such insurance only if similar requirements for comparable objects also exist. from otard: http://www.fcc.gov/csb/facts/otard.html

Quote:

Q: What is an unreasonable expense? A: Any requirement to pay a fee to the local authority for a permit to be allowed to install an antenna would be unreasonable because such permits are generally prohibited. It may also be unreasonable for a local government, community association or landlord to require a viewer to incur additional costs associated with installation. Things to consider in determining the reasonableness of any costs imposed include: (1) the cost of the equipment and services, and (2) whether there are similar requirements for comparable objects, such as air conditioning units or trash receptacles. For example, restrictions cannot require that expensive landscaping screen relatively unobtrusive DBS antennas. A requirement to paint an antenna so that it blends into the background against which it is mounted would likely be acceptable, provided it will not interfere with reception or impose unreasonable costs.

dinesh

 

[DTVDAD]

I'm an insurance agent in LI. I tell all the landlords I insure that they should require their tenants to carry liability insurance. This is regardless if the tenant has a dish or not. A package policy that covers your liability and contents costs about the same as a couple of pizzas a month. If you're here in the HDTV forum, you've got plenty of A/V equipment to worry about (let's not forget the PC you used to post this message). You know that your landlord's policy doesn't cover your property or liability. My suggestion is to see a local agent and get your policy a.s.a.p. You will thank your landlord after you have a claim.


Best regards, Adam Okula.

 

[lafar]

Hey, insurance salesman, let people make their own decisions.


"I tell all the landlords to require..."

 

[JimboG]

Unless I plan on being liable for doing something bad, I'd rather have the pizzas. Now renter's insurance, that's a different story!


Jim

 

[Kipp Jones]

Quote:

Originally posted by lafar Hey, insurance salesman, let people make their own decisions. "I tell all the landlords to require..."

Ease up there buddy. As an employee of one of the largest REIT's in the country, It is part of the lease that the "landlord" require that any contractor brought on premises be required to provide a valid certificate of insurance to "x" dollar amount. Part of my job is to enforce these issues. The landlord can require up to any dollar amount as specified in the lease you signed. If you do not have a lease, the ceiling is open to what the landlord wants without you having a say unless local law supersedes the landlords wishes. Smooth, check your paperwork. Also any good contractor doing installations will have at least 1 million in liability insurance. Just ask them to provide documentation. If they do not have insurance, you do not want them to do the install.This will not cost you a dime. All the landlord wants is to make sure that the contractor working on premise has insurance in the case they cause any damage what so ever. The insurance is provided by the contractor, not you. This insurance can help protect liability against you incase something happens. Its in your best interest to make sure the contractor is properly insured.

 

[Lee L]

Theoretically, he could also trip on your coffee table on the way to the balcony, break his ankle and sue you if he does not have the correct insurance including workers comp and general liablilty, so it is to your advantage to make sure the installer is properly insured whether the landlord requires it or not. Just get a copy of his form as Kipp said and it will show what his coverage is.


I am not an insurance salesman. I work in the construction industry where people have lost plenty of money becuase a contractor working on their premises was not properly insured.

 

[lafar]

I wil make my own decisions and no, mr. insurance salesman, you cannot have my pizza money.


I am tired of insurance salesmen telling me how sorry I will be if I don't fork over my money to them. They are very good at that. Where it gets bad however is when they try to convince landlords to accept their smoov deals and grase hands.

 

[Sizam]

I think what your landlord is asking you to have is renter's insurance, everyone here should have renter's insurance (if they're renting, if you own you should obviously have Home owners insurance). I live in an apartment in the bay area and it costs me $150/yr (sooo cheap), when I lived in Portland, OR it only cost me $120/yr. It covers everything, if things get stolen, broken, damaged as a result of water/fire/godzilla they replace it. If you can afford a $2000 TV and a $2000 stereo system, you _have_ to buy a $150/yr insurance policy or you're just crazy.

 

[BarryO]

Bottom line -- the landloard cannot single out the dish for "special" requirements. If he doesn't require liability insurance for your bbq, or your neighbor's patio furniture, he can't do it for the dish.

 

[NoelAV]

No one likes putting out extra cash on a "gamble" (and ALL insurance is a gamble--maybe I'll need it, maybe I won't), but unless you can guarantee that you will never rent in an apartment building with unsupervised children/forgetful elderly/inconsiderate (or just preoccupied) people who leave the bath tub running/food on the stove too long/smoking cigarettes in bed, you will be eating that pizza on the curb with whatever is left of your soggy/crispy fried belongings. The insurance guy didn't seem like he was pitching (I didn't see any phone number or advertising), he was just stating the facts. I'm sure he's seen it happen. And like someone else said, why invest $2-5 grand on A/V equipment and then don't spring an extra $150 or so a year for renter's insurance? Doesn't make sense! Now those cockamamie outrageously priced warranties are another story...THAT'S something to be defiant about!

NoelAV

 

[Matt_Stevens]

I used to be in insurance.


#1. Not having a renters policy is just stupid. Sorry, but that is a fact.


#2. Anyone coming in to install a DISH/DirecTV system should have THEIR OWN insurance and it they don't, do not let them in your place.

 

[kedelbach]

I've rented for about 8 years in Trenton and just got Renter's Insurance after spending ~$4000 on a HT. Covers up to $25,000 of stuff (I didn't think I had that much but add up clothes, furniture, computer, etc and I'm right there). $120/yr through State Farm, took about 20 minutes to sign up.

Amazing how many people I talk to in my 60 unit apt bld are just like I was:

"I know I should have RI, but just haven't got around to it yet..."


Covers theft, liability (I have parties frequently all it takes is one person to fall down the spiral stairs), fire, floods, etc but not riots.


get it.


Kurt

 

[lafar]

I never said it was a bad idea, I do have a problem with the whole "talk to the landlord so that everyone is required" thing.


Everyone should decide for themselves. This is America.

 

[Kipp Jones]

Quote:

Originally posted by BarryO Bottom line -- the landloard cannot single out the dish for "special" requirements. If he doesn't require liability insurance for your bbq, or your neighbor's patio furniture, he can't do it for the dish.

The landlord is requesting insurance on the "installers" part not the tenant. The law constitutes that the landlord has the right of refusal if any contractor does not meet the landlords minimum requirement of insurance.

 

[fredsal]

Quote:

#1. Not having a renters policy is just stupid. Sorry, but that is a fact.

Beware of blanket statements. This is not always true. My son, attending college, just rented an apartment. He has no expensive stuff, just a cheap boom box (value

 

[NefCanuck]

There's another issue that has to be considered as well, whether your local by-laws state anything about attaching objects to the outside of buildings.


Also, at least here in Ontario, Canada, the laws regarding rental apartments are much more restrictive as to what you can do with a landlord's property (Which when you think about it, makes some sense in that it is the landlord's property and not yours, you being only a renter) Up here if you were to attach a satillte dish to the dwelling the landlord could apply to evict you based on "damage" you have done to the property (Having said that, they would first have to prove to a tribunal that the installation of a dish is "damage").


All of these things make the wait for the settlement from my auto accident so I can buy a place and control my own destiny all the harder

 

[dmaneyapanda]

Quote:

Originally posted by kippjones The landlord is requesting insurance on the "installers" part not the tenant. The law constitutes that the landlord has the right of refusal if any contractor does not meet the landlords minimum requirement of insurance.

Clearly, posts in this thread are talking about 2 different things. Some are talking about renters/homeowners insurance, and some about having the installer have liability insurance.


I've re-read the original post, and I'm not clear that you are correct. He says his landlord wants HIM to get liability insurance. Most likely there is an error in there somewhere, but I don't know whether it's that his landlord wants him to ensure his INSTALLER has LIABILITY insurance, or whether his landlord wants HIM to have RENTERS/LIABILITY insurance (in case the dish blows down and rips a hole in the roof).


In any case, both questions probably deserve answers.


dinesh

 

[DTVDAD]

Quote:

Originally posted by lafar Hey, insurance salesman, let people make their own decisions. "I tell all the landlords to require..."

I'm just doing my job. It's to advise my clients what is best for them. In the mean time the tenants end up with low cost insurance that covers their liability and contents all for the price of a few pizzas a month. The tenants can always decide not to rent from that landlord. I've never had one of those tenants call & complain to me after they had a claim!


Best regards, Adam.