Steadily Review (2026): Costs, Fees and Who It’s For

Who Steadily insurance suits, and who it doesn’t

Steadily is built for small investors who want to insure a rental online without a phone call. It fits:

• Single-family and small multifamily landlords who want a quote tonight and a policy in place before closing.
• Owners of properties other insurers avoid, like a vacant house between tenants or a fix-and-flip during a light-to-moderate renovation.
• Short-term rental hosts on Airbnb or VRBO.

It’s a poorer fit if you want a local agent who knows your claims history, if your lender has strict rules about carrier ratings, or if you need flood cover on the same policy. Also, if you prize claims service above everything, the mixed reviews below matter more than the quote.

What a Steadily landlord policy covers

What follows is general and based on Steadily’s own coverage descriptions. Your policy documents are what counts, and coverage varies by state and property.

The building

The dwelling coverage pays to repair or rebuild the structure after a covered loss. Steadily lists fire, water damage, storm and hail, wind and hurricane, vandalism and burglary, and riot and civil commotion. Wind and hail often carry their own deductible in coastal and storm-prone states, so read that line of the quote carefully.

Loss of rent

If a covered loss makes the unit unlivable, loss-of-rent coverage replaces the rent you would have collected while repairs happen. For a $1,500 rent and a three-month repair, that’s the difference between $4,500 lost and $4,500 paid. Check how many months the policy pays and whether there’s a waiting period.

Liability

Liability covers you if someone is hurt on the property and you’re found responsible, for example a guest who trips on a broken step. Steadily offers limits from $300,000 to $2 million per occurrence in all 50 states. It says liability typically adds $200 to $400 a year to the premium. If you have an umbrella policy, ask the umbrella insurer what underlying limit it requires before you choose.

Short-term rentals, vacant and renovation properties

Steadily writes policies for short-term rentals, for vacant homes, and for properties under light-to-moderate renovation. That matters because a standard landlord policy often limits or excludes coverage once a home sits empty for a set period, often 60 consecutive days. Builder’s risk quotes for heavier projects are available on request.

What it doesn’t cover

Flood requires a separate policy. Like any landlord policy, it won’t cover normal wear and tear, slow neglect or your tenant’s own belongings. Ask tenants to carry renters insurance for their possessions and their own liability.

How Steadily quotes work

You start on Steadily’s site with the property address and fill in an online quote form. Steadily describes it as a quote in about two minutes. Expect questions about the building (age, size, roof, construction), how it’s rented, and your claims history, plus a choice of deductible and liability limit. Those two choices are the levers you control, so price a couple of combinations before you buy.

Have these ready before you start: the property address, approximate rebuild cost, roof age, whether it’s occupied, any mortgage lender details for the mortgagee clause, and the date you want coverage to start. If you’re closing on a purchase, your lender will want the declarations page with the right mortgagee wording.

What drives the price

Steadily doesn’t publish a starting price, and we won’t print one. Your premium depends on:

• Location. Hail, wind, wildfire and hurricane exposure move the price more than anything else.
• Rebuild cost. The dwelling limit is set by what it would cost to rebuild, not the market value.
• Roof age and condition. Older roofs cost more to insure and may get limited coverage.
• Deductible. A higher deductible lowers the premium.
• Liability limit. Steadily puts the cost of liability at $200 to $400 a year.
• How it’s rented. Long-term, short-term and vacant properties are priced differently.

As a benchmark, landlord (DP-3) policies typically cost about 15% to 25% more than a homeowners policy on the same house, because tenants and lost rent add risk. A quote is the only real number.

Insuring 1, 5 or 20 units with Steadily

One rental. One property, one policy, one quote. Compare it with at least two other quotes on the same coverage limits, deductible and liability limit, or you’re comparing different products.

Five units. Whether that’s five houses or a duplex and three houses, you’ll usually get a policy per property, each with its own renewal date and deductible. Put all renewal dates in one calendar and review them together each year.

Twenty units. At this size, the number of separate policies becomes its own chore. Ask Steadily whether it can write the properties together, and get a quote from a broker that offers portfolio or master policies, which bundle many properties under one renewal and one bill.

Claims and service, as reported

Public reviews and forum threads are mixed. Some landlords report straightforward claims. The recurring complaints are denials judged as wear and tear or cosmetic damage, and uneven speed and service on claims.

The second issue to know about is the carrier. Forum threads and review sites note that Steadily policies are underwritten by Fortegra, and that some lenders and umbrella insurers have objected to the carrier’s financial-strength rating. Before you bind, ask your lender (and your umbrella insurer, if you have one) whether they accept the carrier named on your quote.

You can protect yourself with any insurer. Take dated photos and video of the property at every move-in and move-out, keep repair and maintenance receipts, and report damage promptly. That record is what decides a wear-and-tear argument.

Is Steadily insurance worth it

It’s worth a quote for almost any small landlord, because quoting online is quick and costs nothing. Whether it’s worth buying depends on what you compare it with.

For a standard long-term rental, treat Steadily as one of three quotes. Line them up on the same dwelling limit, deductible, liability limit and loss-of-rent period. If Steadily is close on price, the deciding factors are your lender’s view of the carrier and the claims reviews.

For a vacant house, a light rehab or a short-term rental, Steadily is more likely to be one of only a few online options that will write the policy at all. That’s where it’s most useful.

For a portfolio, ask whether Steadily can bundle your properties. If not, a broker with a master policy may save you more in admin time than you’d save in premium.

Ways to lower any landlord insurance quote

• Raise the deductible to the most you could pay from savings without strain.
• Replace or document a newer roof. Roof age moves prices and coverage terms.
• Fix known hazards first: loose railings, trip hazards, old wiring, missing smoke detectors.
• Ask about discounts for monitored alarms, water-leak sensors and claims-free years.
• Don’t over-insure. Set the dwelling limit to rebuild cost, not purchase price, which includes land.
• Require renters insurance so tenant belongings and many tenant-caused liability claims sit on their policy, not yours.

Questions to ask before you bind

1. Which carrier issues the policy, and does my lender accept it?
2. Is the dwelling covered on an open-peril or named-peril basis?
3. Is the dwelling covered at replacement cost or actual cash value?
4. Is there a separate wind or hail deductible?
5. How many months of lost rent does it pay?
6. What happens to coverage if the property sits vacant between tenants?

Alternatives to consider

• Obie is an online broker that quotes landlord, short-term, vacant and portfolio policies with partner carriers such as Markel and MSI.
• A local independent agent can shop several carriers at once and may know which ones handle claims well in your area.
• Large national insurers like State Farm, Allstate and Farmers sell landlord policies through agents, often with a discount if you bundle with your own home and auto.
• The insurer on your own home may write the rental too. Ask before you shop elsewhere.