How to Find Out if My Neighbor Has Homeowners Insurance?
Homeowner’s insurance is essential for every homeowner to protect their home and possessions in the case of a disaster. But what about your neighbor’s property? Is there a way to find out if my neighbor has homeowners insurance?
Homeowners insurance policies are not public records and cannot be used to determine whether a neighbor has homeowners insurance. You can however access other public records that may give some clues as to whether your neighbor may have homeowners insurance.
In this blog post, we’ll go over ways to find out if your neighbor has homeowners insurance, as well as how homeowners insurance works, and what happens if your neighbor doesn’t have homeowners insurance.
This post contains affiliate links. This means Yard Blogger may earn a commission should you make a purchase using any of our links. Please refer to our full affiliate disclosure policy for full details.
Here’s a Quick Pro Tip!
There’s a very real possibility your neighbor can accidentally cause damage to your property.
Without sufficient evidence, It’ll be your word versus theirs if things go wrong and your property gets damaged.
Having a decent security system like a Ring Video Doorbell or Outdoor Security Cameras (both on Amazon) is a smart thing to do in this case, and will prove your innocence.
What is Homeowners Insurance?
Homeowners insurance is a type of insurance policy homeowners purchase to protect the value of their home in case a disaster occurs. Homeowner’s insurance can also cover personal belongings, such as furniture and clothes, in addition to covering liability if a visitor gets hurt on your property or someone slips and falls.
Homeowner’s insurance policies can vary widely from company to company, and homeowners should compare homeowners insurance quotes before selecting a policy.
Who Needs Homeowners Insurance?
All homeowners need homeowners insurance. Homeowners insurance is required by lenders when a home is purchased with a mortgage, and this is why homeowners insurance reflects the value of your home.
If your house were to burn down, you would not receive any money from the lender until you provided them with a homeowners insurance policy during the claim process.
Homeowners insurance is also a good idea even if you do not have homeowners insurance requirements from your lender.
You never know when disaster might strike, and homeowners insurance provides protection for homeowners who find themselves in unfortunate situations.
You might also enjoy our post on How to Shut Down Your Neighbors VRBO
How Does Homeowners Insurance Work?
Your homeowners insurance policy provides coverage for homeowners if their home is damaged or destroyed by a disaster. In the event of a claim, homeowners should provide the homeowners insurance company with an itemized list of possessions and how much each one was worth at the time of loss.
In addition, homeowners should take photos of all belongings before purchasing homeowners insurance to prove that they owned everything that is being claimed.
Homeowners can also file a liability claim in the case that someone gets hurt on their property or slips and falls on their sidewalk.
Homeowner’s insurance will cover medical expenses associated with injury claims as well as any court costs incurred from an incident involving a slip and fall.
You might also enjoy our post on Does My Neighbor Have a Mortgage?
How to Find Out if My Neighbor Has Homeowners Insurance
Homeowners insurance policies are not public records. However, homeowners can access other public records to find out if their neighbor has filed certain types of claims that could be homeowners insurance related.
Property taxes that homeowners pay every year are public record, and homeowner insurance companies will use this information when determining homeowners insurance premiums.
If your neighbor’s property taxes have increased recently, this may mean they purchased a new home or had some sort of damage to their current residence.
If you believe your neighbor did file an homeowners claim recently, it is possible for you to ask them directly whether or not they have homeowners insurance.
Finding out whether or not your neighbor has homeowners insurance will help you determine what steps to take in the event that disaster strikes.
For instance, if your neighbor does not have homeowners insurance, you may need to find a temporary living situation or file an homeowners claim on your own.
If your neighbor has homeowners insurance, they may be able to put you up in a motel during the homeowners claim process until repairs are complete.
If disaster does strike, it is best to speak with your neighbor immediately to determine how you can work together through the homeowners insurance claims process so each party knows what steps they must take.
What Can Public Records Tell You?
In addition to homeowners insurance being unavailable as a public record, homeowners insurance policy documents are also considered proprietary and can’t be shared.
That said there is some information available about whether your neighbor may have homeowners insurance.
Public records can be used to find out if homeowners have filed claims related to homeowners insurance. For instance, homeowners will often file a homeowners claim with their homeowners insurance company when they need a new roof.
In this case, a public record search can be conducted on your neighbor’s property to see if any permits were pulled for roof repairs.
To conduct a property record search, head over to the official website of your county’s assessor and follow the instructions there.
Property record searches are most effective when you know exactly what you’re looking for because it is possible for homeowners insurance companies to pull homeowners insurance policy documents from sources other than public records as well.
The best way to find out whether or not an individual has homeowners insurance is to ask them directly.
However, homeowners may not be forthright about homeowners insurance claims for fear of being sued or having their homeowners insurance rates raised.
You might also enjoy our post on How to Find Out if Your Neighbor Is on Section 8
Is There a Home Insurance Claim Database?
There is no homeowners insurance claim database. Unfortunately, homeowners insurance claims are not public records and cannot be accessed by anyone other than the homeowners themselves.
To find out whether or not homeowners have homeowners insurance, you’ll need to contact them directly.
This is generally the best way to determine if homeowners have homeowners insurance because homeowners are likely to be more upfront about homeowners insurance claims rather than trying to cover up homeowners insurance claim history.
However, homeowners may not readily admit that they’ve filed homeowners insurance claims or that they have homeowners insurance.
It is possible for homeowners to be evasive about homeowners insurance claims because of potential litigation or fear of homeowners insurance rate increases.
If you are concerned about your neighbor’s homeowners insurance, the best thing to do is inquire with them directly.
How to Claim on Neighbor’s House Insurance
Before homeowners file a homeowners claim with their homeowners insurance, they may need to find somewhere else to stay.
This is because homeowners insurance claims often mean homeowners have to temporarily vacate their homes while repairs are completed.
If your neighbors don’t have homeowners insurance and disaster strikes, the best thing you can do is contact them immediately and explain the homeowners insurance claim process so both parties know what they need to do in order to get homeowners back in their homes.
If an individual does have homeowners insurance, they may be able to put you up in a motel during the homeowners claim process until repairs are complete.
The homeowners claim process can take some time (anywhere from weeks to months) so homeowners insurance may be able to help homeowners cover costs during this time.
Expect to pay out-of-pocket for food, lodging, and other expenses during homeowners claim repairs.
You might also enjoy our post on How to Find Out If My Neighbor Has a Building Permit
Suing Someone’s Homeowners Insurance Company
If homeowners did not have homeowners insurance at the time of the incident, homeowners may be able to sue their neighbors homeowners insurance for damages.
This is because homeowners generally make homeowners claims directly with their homeowners insurance company rather than filing an individual lawsuit against them.
However, homeowners are unlikely to win a lawsuit against someone else’s homeowners insurance policy.
If you would like to try filing a homeowners claim against another homeowners insurance policy, you can contact their homeowners insurance company for further advice on the matter.
In some cases, homeowners insurance policies may contain specific clauses on homeowners liability.
If homeowners have homeowners insurance, they should contact their homeowners insurance company to find out whether or not they are able to make a homeowners claim for this situation.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, homeowners insurance claim information is not public knowledge.
This means homeowners are generally unable to directly determine whether or not neighbors have homeowners insurance by looking up homeowners insurance claims filed by their homeowners insurer.
However, you can always try asking your neighbor directly to see if they’ve filed homeowners claims before. This is the best way to find out whether or not your neighbor has homeowners insurance.
