Roost Renters Insurance: The Basics
Since Roost Renters Insurance is sold in-house, we don’t have as much information as we do for other renters insurance companies. But here’s what we know:
What does Roost renters insurance cover?
Same as most standard renters insurance policies, Roost provides coverage for the many calamities that happen in and around homes, whether your money or personal property gets stolen, people get injured on your rental, or natural disasters damage the premises.
First, your stuff. Should your personal belongings get stolen or damaged, most companies reimburse the actual cash value of those items if you file a claim and the loss is covered. Roost wants to go above and beyond that standard. It promises to pay the full replacement cost for your things if those belongings are on your policy and damage is a covered loss.
This replacement cost coverage is hard to find elsewhere and a nice perk for Roost customers—though keep in mind that it maxes out at $75,000, so it depends on how much your most valuable items are worth.
Replacement cost coverage instead of actual cash value sounds like a big advantage for Roost over the competition, especially when you consider that Roost also insures against water damage to personal property. Most renters insurance companies leave this out or otherwise sell it to you as additional coverage.
As is typical of renters insurance policies, Roost provides liability coverage up to $100,000 for medical payments resulting from personal injuries that occur on your rental property. Roost renters insurance coverage includes additional living expenses incurred in the event of the loss of use of your property.
Two more relatively unique elements of Roost Rental Insurance are that you can easily add roommates to your policy and that California renters can purchase coverage against earthquakes. How’s that for peace of mind?
Special Deals and Discounts
Since Roost is owned by a corporation that primarily sells software to property management companies, instead of a large insurance company like State Farm or Metlife, Roost customers can’t access the savings that come with bundling their renters insurance with auto insurance and other coverage types. Too bad!
Additionally, since we don’t know what average renters with Roost pay for their deductibles or insurance rates, there’s not much more to say about discounts. Those types of deals are worked out between insurers and their customers, but without more detail on coverage options, we can’t report any with certainty.
Where does Roost offer renters insurance?
Though you have to live in a property owned by a management company that uses AppFolio software, there are over five million such housing units throughout all 50 states. They could be anywhere!
Roost Renters Insurance Ratings
Because it’s not a dedicated insurance company with a long track record and a wide customer base, the major financial reviewers haven’t scored Roost Renters Insurance. The handful of insurance corporations that handle insurance in varying states on behalf of AppFolio Inc., bundled under the brand Roost, have very few ratings and complaints online.
Interestingly, AppFolio has an F rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The BBB says this F rating is because the company hasn’t responded to complaints against it on the BBB website—and, importantly, because it’s gotten into trouble with the government.
In December 2020, the Federal Trade Commission fined the company $4.25 million for failing to verify the background checks it was receiving from third parties, ignoring customer complaints, and refusing to respond by changing its procedures. Not a great look.
| J.D. Power | Not rated |
| A.M. Best | Not rated |
| BBB (Better Business Bureau) | F (AppFolio Inc.) |
Roost Renters Insurance Customer Reviews
Given the scant evidence of customer feedback available for Roost Renters Insurance, the best info out there is on roostrentersinsurance.com. Maybe you can conduct an informal customer satisfaction survey by asking some of your neighboring tenants if they use the rental insurance and how they like it.
Average Cost of Roost Renters Insurance
Unfortunately, we don’t know the average cost of renters insurance that Roost customers pay. Because the personal liability and personal property coverage have relatively low ceilings, it would be fair to expect rates to be fairly low, below the industry average of $15. But again, we’re not sure.
Positives and Negatives of Roost Renters Insurance
There are some real potential benefits to buying rental insurance with Roost—and some potential drawbacks.
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| Solid baseline coverage; water damage covered and pays full replacement cost value instead of actual cash value | The parent company has a criminal history and potential instability, with a bad customer service record; affiliated insurance companies are also a bit of a wild card. |
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| Easy to add roommates | No possibility for bundling with car insurance or other coverage |
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| Convenient to use the same online portal you already use to pay rent and interface with your property manager | Pricing is opaque, and customer reviews are unavailable. |
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| More likely than not, it’s somewhat affordable. | $75,000 maximum on personal belongings coverage |
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Is Roost renters insurance right for me?
If you live in a building managed by AppFolio software, Roost Renters Insurance could be a great option for you. Contact your rental company for a quote and take a look at the coverage options. The price ought to be pretty low for Roost Renters Insurance to make sense.
Additionally, if you have a lot of roommates, are worried about water damage, and don’t have a lot of highly valuable personal items, you are an especially good candidate for Roost Renters Insurance.
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