See exactly what insurance your lease asks you to carry
Insurance requirements set the cover a tenant must buy and keep for the whole lease, and they often name the landlord as a party to that cover. Ask Search+ "What insurance must the tenant carry, at what limits, and who must be named?" and the answer cites the insurance clause, so you can hand the exact wording to your broker or insurer.
Commercial leases usually spell out several policy types. Residential leases may simply require renters insurance, or say nothing at all.
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Last updated October 2026
How to find insurance terms with Search+
- Upload the lease with its insurance exhibits
Some leases put required policies and limits in an exhibit or a separate insurance schedule. Add those, and any certificate requirements the landlord sent, to the same workspace as the lease.
- Ask about each policy separately
Ask about liability insurance, property insurance for your contents and improvements, business interruption and any other cover the lease names. Each usually has its own limit and endorsement wording.
- Read the related clauses too
Insurance terms work alongside indemnity, waiver of subrogation and damage or destruction clauses. Ask about each one so that its citation sits next to the insurance wording.
Questions to ask about lease insurance
What types of insurance does this lease require the tenant to carry, and from when?
What minimum limits does the lease set for each policy, and are they per occurrence or in the aggregate?
Who must be named as an additional insured on my liability policy?
When must I deliver a certificate of insurance, and what must happen if a policy is cancelled?
Does the lease include a mutual waiver of subrogation, and which policies must carry it?
What insurance does the landlord carry, and can its cost be passed on to tenants?
What to look for in lease insurance requirements
The lease decides what you must buy, but your insurer decides what a policy covers. Compare the two before you sign.
Commercial leases commonly require general liability cover and property cover for the tenant's own contents and improvements, and sometimes business interruption or other cover. Some residential leases require renters insurance.
Required limits are written into the lease and vary widely by property and landlord. Read the figures in the cited clause rather than assuming a standard amount.
Landlords often ask to be named as additional insureds, sometimes with their lender or managing agent, and may require notice before a policy is cancelled. Check the exact names and wording.
A waiver of subrogation stops an insurer that pays a claim from suing the other party to the lease. It usually needs a matching endorsement on the policy, so share the clause with your insurer.
Ask about insurance in everyday words and Search+ finds the passages by meaning, not only exact phrasing. AI answers can be incomplete, so read each cited excerpt before relying on it.
Insurance wording you may see, and what to ask
| Wording you may see | What it usually signals | A follow-up question |
|---|---|---|
| "commercial general liability" | Cover for injury and damage claims | What limit does the lease require for general liability? |
| "additional insured" | The landlord shares your policy's protection | Which parties must be named, and in what words? |
| "waiver of subrogation" | Insurers give up claims against the other side | Is the waiver mutual, and which policies does it cover? |
| "certificate of insurance" | Proof of cover the landlord can demand | When and how often must I provide a certificate? |
| "replacement cost" | How property cover must value losses | Which property must be insured at replacement cost? |
| "renters insurance" | A residential cover requirement | Does the lease require renters insurance, and from what date? |
What are insurance requirements in a lease?
Insurance requirements in a lease are the terms that oblige a tenant, and sometimes the landlord, to buy and maintain particular insurance policies during the lease, with stated limits, named insureds, endorsements and proof of cover.
Lease insurance questions
Can Search+ list the insurance my lease requires?
Will it find the required coverage limits?
Can it check my certificate against the lease?
Does it explain waiver of subrogation in my lease?
Can I review insurance terms across all my leases?
Is Search+ telling me what insurance to buy?
Give your broker the exact lease wording
Start a workspace, upload the lease and its insurance exhibit, and ask what cover it requires.
Start a workspace