Boarder insurance coverage

[Draftmare]

A friend of mine is in a sad/scary situation where the barn she boards at burned down, with all of her tack and supplies inside. As of right now she is thinking that she is out of luck since she boards, I am praying that’s not true. It got me thinking about what I would do if the barn I board at burned down with my tack and supplies inside.

Is there such a thing as renters insurance, but for boarding? Does anybody have insurance on their big ticket items like saddles, bridles, etc? Or is this something that would somehow fall under my own personal house insurance?

[trubandloki]

Has she checked with your home owners insurance?

[Draftmare]

I am not sure if she has checked with her home owner’s insurance yet. It just happened this morning. She seemed to think that since she boards it would be the BO’s home owner’s insurance. I will remind her to check with her home owner’s insurance.

[trubandloki]

Disclaimer - I do not sell insurance and I have no inside insurance information.

I have always been under the impression that my stuff, be it at home or out camping or at the barn is covered by my home owner policy. (With some exceptions.)
I would say that it is covered by your friends insurance over a home owner policy the barn had, unless they had a policy for a commercial operation that some how covered contents not owned by them.

(For example, when a bunch of tools were stolen from my car they would have been covered by my home owner policy - if I had put a claim in, deductible made that not worth it.)

[charismaryllis]

her HO/renter’s policy should cover it. (and then her insco might try to go after the barn owner or BO’s insco under subrogation…)

[IronwoodFarm]

It depends. The BO could have coverage for the barn. I insure my barn separately from my farm house. I do have some coverage for personal items owned by my boarders. Also, one’s personal homeowners or renters insurance may afford some coverage.

I hope no horses were hurt in the fire and the only loss is of “stuff.” I’m sure this is quite a shock.

[IPEsq]

[QUOTE=charismaryllis;9005770]
her HO/renter’s policy should cover it. (and then her insco might try to go after the barn owner or BO’s insco under subrogation…)[/QUOTE]

This.

[Draftmare]

Thankfully, all the horses were turned out well away from the barn. Hay was also stored in a different barn that wasn’t effected, but they lost all the grain, and everything else.

[cherham]

Glad everyone was OK. As a BO I cannot insure something that I do not personally own. In the event of boarders tack that is most definitely not insurable by me. Either through my homeowner or horse business insurance.

I am sure the boarders home owner’s policy will cover this loss as a personal loss claim.

[SonnysMom]

I have checked with my home owner’s insurance agent about this in the past. My tack would be covered by my home owner’s insurance.

[PlanB]

If you own stuff, you should insure your stuff.

In most cases, you would have some coverage included with your horse’s insurance coverage. (anyone with a horse should have an insurance policy, even if it’s liability only.)

[Where_sMyWhite]

PSA

Check (all of you or at least most of you) to see if you need to put a rider on your homeowners to cover your expensive tack like saddles. Full value may not be covered under a standard homeowner policy.

[morsekg]

When I switched insurance a year and a half ago I asked this and got verification my tack (and particularly my two saddles) were covered under my personal HO insurance even when at the barn. Obviously companies can vary but that was the response I got.

Glad the horses are okay at least!

[Tee]

I asked specifically when I got my renter’s insurance, and my tack is covered even at the barn.

Glad there were no injuries!

[Ibex]

Glad there were no injuries!

And fair warning, a bit of a rant. I’m a volunteer with a team that assists those who are displaced by fires, floods etc, and I see over and over again an assumption by renters that their things are covered by the building owner’s insurance. THEY ARE NOT - THE OWNER’S INSURANCE COVERS THE FACILITY ONLY. YOU NEED YOUR OWN TENANTS INSURANCE.

Please repeat that to yourself, several times, out loud. I have seen too many people who have lost all their furniture, clothes etc and are struggling since those are expensive to replace all at once. I would assume the same goes for your personal tack and equipment stored at a boarding facility since you are in essence a type of tenant.

[Dutchmare433]

All of my big ticket items (saddles etc) are specifically listed under my home owner’s policy, or previously my renter’s insurance.

[Jsalem]

My Boarding Contract specifically states: “It is the responsibility of the Owner to carry full insurance, including Mortality and Major Medical coverage on their horse(s) and insurance coverage for all personal property brought to Patchwork Farm”.

[BalancingAct]

Same for any storage facility…

Always, always, always list your individuals items, photograph, keep receipts, etc. of your items. Keep a thorough inventory because insurance companies are notorious for offering you much much less than the value of your items.

I have become well-versed in insurance after my belongings placed in storage were stolen by a rogue employee who decided to help herself before disappearing in the night. A year later we are still in negotiations with insurance because I didn’t keep a “proper” inventory of my belongings. SMH.

[gottagrey]

I also checked with my insurance company years ago - my HO covers my belongings wherever they are. So the OP’s friend needs to check w/ her insurance to see what’s covered.

In addition to Ibex’s PSA about renter’s insurance, make sure to insure for replacement cost. If you don’t your belongings will be valued at their depreciated value, not the cost to replace them. You would also need to check w/ your insurance to see what the top dollar amount is per item without having to have a rider. If you have a $5,000 custom saddle the insurance might only cover $3,000 w/o rider.

[Draftmare]

I am having parents check with ours/see what I need to do to make sure my stuff is covered. I am living in one of my parent’s rental houses and we have never really talked about what would happen if the house burned down. And now this incident has me thinking long and hard about what would happen if the barn burned down with all of my valuable tack in it. :eek: