Additional insured
An additional insured is a person or company added to a policy who receives some of the policyholder's coverage benefits. Property managers commonly add homeowners, HOAs, and municipalities as additional insureds on their liability policy.
By Andrew Bate, Co-founderReviewed by Stuart BateUpdated
Why this matters for property managers
Management agreements, HOA rules, and city permits increasingly require that the owner or the city be named as an additional insured, and they require a certificate of insurance to prove it. Being able to add additional insureds without a broker request — and without a per-endorsement fee — is what keeps onboarding and permit renewals moving.
Additional insured requirements for property managers
Three parties ask a property manager to name them as an additional insured. Owners want to be added to the manager's general liability so a guest injury claim at their home is defended under the manager's policy; most management agreements require it. Cities that condition a short-term rental permit on insurance, Chicago, Nashville, New Orleans and Denver among them, want the city named on the certificate. HOAs and lenders ask for the same when a home sits in a managed community. The mechanics are an additional insured endorsement on the liability policy plus a certificate of insurance that shows it; a blanket endorsement covers every owner in the portfolio without a separate filing per home.
Related terms
Browse every term in the insurance glossary for property managers.
Additional insured: common questions
Does adding an additional insured cost extra?
With many brokers it is an endorsement with a fee and a wait. Velaris includes additional insureds with the program and adds them from the dashboard.
Is an additional insured the same as a certificate holder?
No. A certificate holder simply receives proof of coverage. An additional insured has rights under the policy itself.
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