1. The form itself: DP-3, not HO-3

HO-3, HO-4, HO-5 and HO-6 are all owner-occupied forms. A long-term rental is normally written on a DP-3 (dwelling fire) policy. Insuring a rented house as owner-occupied is a material misstatement of occupancy: if the adjuster finds tenants living there at the time of loss, the claim can be denied outright, and in serious cases the policy rescinded back to inception.

2. DP-1 vs DP-3 is not a few hundred dollars of premium

DP-1 is a named-peril form settling at Actual Cash Value — depreciation comes off first. DP-3 is an open-peril form settling at Replacement Cost Value. On a hail-damaged roof costing $23,000 to replace, DP-3 pays the replacement cost; under DP-1 an older roof depreciates down to a fraction, and after the deductible the payment can reach zero.

3. Loss of Rent covers the months the mortgage does not stop

Also written as Fair Rental Value. When a covered loss makes the home uninhabitable and the tenant moves out, this pays the rent you are no longer collecting. It is typically 10%–20% of Coverage A, or "actual loss sustained" for up to 12 months. A $2,000/month home under repair for six months is a $12,000 gap — the endorsement itself usually costs a fraction of that per year.

4. The vacancy clause is where landlords get caught

Most policies define a dwelling as vacant once it has been unoccupied and substantially empty of furnishings for 30 or 60 consecutive days. After that threshold, vandalism, theft, glass breakage and water damage are commonly suspended — exactly the losses an empty house is prone to. Under the standard condition, a loss occurring after 60 consecutive days of vacancy also has the payable amount reduced by 15%. If a turnover or renovation will run long, ask the carrier for a vacancy permit endorsement in advance.

Six lines to check on a rental property policy

Open your declarations page and read these six lines in order:

• The form is DP-3, and Occupancy reads "tenant occupied".
• Loss of Rent / Fair Rental Value is present, with a workable limit.
• Landlord liability is included, and the limit is high enough.
• You know the vacancy threshold in days.
• The lease requires HO-4 renters insurance naming you as Additional Interest.
• Wind & hail deductible, separate flood coverage, and water backup are each confirmed.

Not sure what your policy actually says?

Send over your declarations page. We can walk through what each line means and compare the same property across multiple carriers — in English or 中文. The decision stays yours.

General educational information only. This is not legal advice, a coverage opinion, or a guarantee of any outcome. Form wording, depreciation schedules and vacancy conditions differ between carriers; actual coverage and claim results are governed by your own policy language and the carrier's underwriting decision.

一、表单本身：应该是 DP-3，不是 HO-3

HO-3、HO-4、HO-5、HO-6 都属于自住房系列。长期出租的房子，通常要写在 DP-3（Dwelling Fire）表单上。房子实际租出去却按自住承保，属于 occupancy（居住状态）重大不实告知：出险时理赔员一查是租客住的，可以整单拒赔，严重的直接追溯撤销保单。

二、DP-1 和 DP-3，差的不是那几百块保费

DP-1 是列明危险式，按实际现金价值（ACV）结算，先扣折旧；DP-3 是除外责任式，按重置成本（RCV）结算。以一个换新要 $23,000 的冰雹受损屋顶为例：DP-3 按重置成本赔；DP-1 下一个用了十几年的屋顶折旧后只剩零头，再扣掉免赔额，赔款可能归零。

三、租金损失，补的是房贷不会停的那几个月

保单上写作 Loss of Rent 或 Fair Rental Value。承保事故导致房子不能住人、租客搬走，这段收不到的租金由它来补。额度通常是 Coverage A 的 10%–20%，也有按「实际损失、至多 12 个月」写的。月租 $2,000 的房子修 6 个月，就是 $12,000 的缺口——而这项附加险一年的加价，通常只是其中很小一部分。

四、空置条款，是房东容易栽的一处

多数保单把「连续无人居住、且基本没有家具」的房屋定义为空置，门槛常见 30 天或 60 天。超过之后，破坏、盗窃、玻璃破碎、水管漏水通常被挂起——恰恰是空房子容易出的事。按标准条款，房屋连续空置超过 60 天后再出险，其他承保损失的赔付金额还要再扣 15%。换租客、装修或长时间找不到租客，预计会超过门槛，提前向保险公司申请空置批单即可。

出租房保单值得核对的六行

打开保单声明页，按顺序核对这六行：

• 表单是 DP-3，且 Occupancy 写的是「出租」。
• 有 Loss of Rent 租金损失，且额度够用。
• 含房东责任险，且额度足够。
• 知道自己保单的空置门槛是多少天。
• 租约要求租客买 HO-4 租客险，并把你列为 Additional Interest。
• 风雹免赔额、单独的洪水保单、下水道反水，三项都已确认。

不确定自己的保单到底写了什么？

把保单声明页发过来，我们可以一起把每一行的含义看清楚，并就同一处房产在多家保险公司之间做比较。中英文均可沟通，最终选择权在您。

以上仅为一般性科普信息，不构成法律意见、条款解释或任何结果承诺。各保险公司的表单措辞、折旧表与空置条款存在差异；实际保障范围与理赔结果，以您自己保单的条款及核保结论为准。