Definition of "Hazard insurance"

There’s a lot of confusion regarding the hazard insurance definition. Many people think it’s a synonym for homeowners insurance but they’re wrong. Hazard insurance is actually part of the homeowner’s insurance policy.

Hazard insurance refers to one of the coverages within homeowner’s insurance; the protection against perils like fire, severe storms, wind hails and other natural events to the dwelling. Whatever happens to the structure is considered hazard insurance. That is; the other parts covered by the policy – like liability insurance and personal property insurance – are not considered hazard insurance.

But it is more than that. Flood insurance and Earthquake insurance, for instance, are not typically included in a homeowner’s insurance policy and are considered hazard insurance. So it’s fair to say that hazard insurance is a definition of a type of peril to your home that can be insured, and that peril is natural hazards from the outside world to the structure of your property.

While it is in the owner’s best interest to preserve his interest in the house with this type of insurance, it’s the mortgage companies who require this policy most of the times. Here’s why: an accident inside the house, for instance, will hurt the homeowner financially and, in the long run, that’s bad for the lender, but not immediately. However, a hazard to the structure is immediately bad because it devalues the home. If the owner doesn’t fix it and later on defaults and the house goes on to foreclosure, the lender will now potentially have a house that’s worth less than what he borrowed –making the lender unable to recuperate the investment.

Real Estate Advice:

We understand there are a lot of insurances out there and it feels like it’s draining your money away. But there’s nothing more dangerous than living without coverage and 10 out of 10 real estate agents will tell you this one is the most important one. After all, if you don’t protect your asset, in the case of an accident it will literally make you lose a lot of money.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

Assemblage in real estate is the process of combining multiple small plots of land into one larger plot. This is accompanied by plottage, which is the increase in value that occurs when ...

Same as term government rectangular survey: Way in which the U.S. government uses to subdivide public land. Land is designated as either a base line (East-West) or principal meridian line ...

Opinion of a judge having no direct legal or binding effect on the outcome of a pending judicial decision. An obiter dictum is considered to be an incidental judicial remark about some ...

(1) Judgment against a defendant who does not respond to the plaintiffs lawsuit or fails to appear in court at the hearing or trial date. (2) Judgment issued by the court against the ...

(1) Methods that involve discounting the future cash flows generated by an income property. These techniques are used primarily for valuation. (2) Methods of selecting and ranking ...

Room that is fit for living in. the building in which the room is located conforms with the building code and has a certificate of occupancy. Usable for all purposes, but does not include ...

Existing state of affairs with respect to the real estate market and conditions. ...

The concept of a release can define various meanings in the financial and real estate business. Typically, it establishes a discharge or literal escape from a loan borrower's economic ...

Voluntary giving up of a right of a lien, usually on a temporary basis. The waiver may be explicitly stated or implied. An example is when a lender waives its right of lien against ...

Popular Real Estate Questions