Guides for Texas property owners
Plain answers about insuring a home, a rental, or a short-term rental in Texas. Each guide names its sources and the day it was last reviewed. They explain how coverage generally works; your own policy decides what it covers.
How we write and review our guides
Landlord basics
- Homeowners vs landlord insurance in TexasRenting out your Texas house? How homeowners and landlord insurance differ, what changes when a tenant moves in, and when to tell your lender.Updated
- How to read a Texas rental declarations pageHow to read the declarations page on a Texas landlord policy: who is insured, the form, limits, both deductibles, your lender, taxes and red flags.Updated
- Landlord liability insurance in TexasThe standard Texas dwelling form has no liability section. How to tell if liability is on your landlord policy, what it covers, and how much to carry.Updated
- Landlord vs renters insurance in TexasYour landlord policy covers the building and your own things; your tenant's renters policy covers theirs. How the two fit, and what Texas law says.Updated
- LLC rental property insurance in TexasWho should be the named insured when an LLC owns your Texas rental, why the deed and policy should match, and what to ask about lenders, managers and series.Updated
- Texas landlord insurance glossaryPlain-English definitions of the terms on a Texas landlord policy, from actual cash value and fair rental value to surplus lines and the vacancy clause.Updated
- Texas landlord insurance: what a DP-3 coversHow a DP-3 landlord policy works in Texas, what it usually leaves out (liability, theft, flood, foundation), and what to check before your renewal.Updated
- Vacant rental property insurance in TexasUnder the standard Texas dwelling form, fire and vandalism aren't covered after 60 days vacant. Freezing, renovations, and what to tell your insurer.Updated
Deductibles
Short-term rentals
- Short-term rental insurance gaps in TexasGuest injuries, guest damage vs wear and tear, theft, cancelled bookings and condo rules: where platform host protection and a Texas STR policy fall short.Updated
- Short-term rental insurance in TexasDoes homeowners or landlord insurance cover a short-term rental in Texas? What host protection is and isn't, Austin's rules, and what to tell your insurer.Updated
Mortgage and escrow
- Force-placed insurance on a Texas rentalForce-placed (lender-placed) insurance on a Texas rental: why lenders buy it, what it may not cover, and how to get it cancelled and refunded.Updated
- How to switch rental insurance in TexasGet the new policy first, cancel the old one the same day. How the Texas pro rata refund works since Sept. 1, 2026, plus escrow and open claims.Updated
- Texas rental insurance: mortgage and escrowNo Texas law requires rental insurance, but your lender will. What a lender can and can't demand, how escrow pays, and what force-placed insurance is.Updated
Claims and coverage
- Does Texas landlord insurance cover tenant damage?Wear and tear, accidents and deliberate damage are treated differently. What a Texas landlord policy may pay, the vacancy limit, and deposit rules.Updated
- Loss of rent coverage for Texas landlordsLoss of rent (fair rental value) coverage pays rent you lose while a covered loss is repaired, not unpaid rent. Limits, how long it lasts, Texas lease rules.Updated
- Roof ACV vs replacement cost in TexasOn an older roof, actual cash value can pay little or nothing. How Texas rental policies settle roofs, the 80% rule, and what to check at renewal.Updated
- Texas storm and hail claims on a rentalStorm or hail damage to a Texas rental: photos, temporary repairs, filing with your insurance company, Texas claim deadlines, TWIA, tenants and contractors.Updated
- Water damage and flood on a Texas rentalA burst pipe is usually covered; flood, slow leaks, drain backups and slab movement often aren't. How a Texas landlord policy treats each kind of water.Updated
Texas rules and places
- How old can a roof be to insure in Texas?How a roof's age and condition affect whether a Texas rental can be insured, how a roof claim is paid, and what TDI's roof-age rule does and doesn't do.Updated
- Insurance not renewed or cancelled in Texas?Nonrenewal vs cancellation on a Texas rental policy, the notice and reasons the law requires, and how to replace coverage without a gap.Updated