Landlord Insurance Cost Calculator
Landlord insurance usually costs about 15% to 25% more than a homeowners policy on the same house. In Ohio, where the 2026 homeowners benchmark is $2,080 a year, that suggests roughly $2,390 to $2,600. Enter your state, dwelling value, building age, units and deductible for an estimated range, then compare quotes using our guide to landlord insurance for small landlords.
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How to use the landlord insurance cost calculator
Enter:
- State. The calculator starts from that state’s homeowners benchmark.
- Dwelling value: the cost to rebuild the house, not its market value. Your current policy or a contractor’s estimate is a better guide than a sale price.
- Building age. Older roofs, wiring and plumbing usually raise premiums.
- Units: a single-family home, duplex, triplex or fourplex.
- Deductible.
The result is an estimated yearly premium range for a landlord (dwelling) policy. It’s an estimate built from published averages, not an offer of insurance.
Where the numbers come from
Our starting point is NerdWallet’s 2026 analysis of homeowners insurance costs, which uses sample rates from Quadrant Information Services. The benchmark for each state is the median yearly premium for an HO-3 homeowners policy with $400,000 of dwelling coverage, for a 40-year-old nonsmoker with good credit, across all ZIP codes. The national figure is $2,490.
Landlord policies, usually written on a DP-3 dwelling form, are priced separately. They typically run around 15% to 25% above a homeowners policy on the same house. The calculator applies that range, then adjusts for your inputs.
- Estimated landlord range = state benchmark x 1.15 to state benchmark x 1.25, then adjusted for dwelling value, age, units and deductible
A worked example
You own a single-family rental in Ohio with about $400,000 of rebuild cost, which matches the benchmark’s coverage level.
- Ohio homeowners benchmark: $2,080
- Low end: $2,080 x 1.15 = about $2,390
- High end: $2,080 x 1.25 = $2,600
The same house in Texas starts from a $4,915 benchmark, which puts the range at about $5,650 to $6,140. Texas has more hail, wind and hurricane risk, and premiums show it.
| State | 2026 homeowners benchmark | Estimated landlord range |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $900 | $1,040 - $1,130 |
| Ohio | $2,080 | $2,390 - $2,600 |
| National | $2,490 | $2,860 - $3,110 |
| Texas | $4,915 | $5,650 - $6,140 |
| Oklahoma | $7,255 | $8,340 - $9,070 |
What a good result looks like
A good quote comes in at or below the low end of your range with the coverage you need: dwelling coverage at full rebuild cost, loss of rent coverage, and liability limits that match your assets. A cheap quote that comes from actual cash value instead of replacement cost on the roof, or from a low liability limit, isn’t a good deal.
Ways to bring the premium down:
- Raise the deductible if you have the cash to cover it.
- Update the roof, electrical panel or plumbing, and tell the insurer.
- Add water-leak sensors, deadbolts and monitored smoke alarms, and ask about discounts.
- Bundle several rentals on one policy, or ask about an umbrella policy for liability instead of raising limits on each one.
- Require renters insurance from tenants, which covers their belongings and some of their liability.
Limits and caveats
- Not a quote. Insurers price your ZIP code, your claims history, credit-based insurance scores where allowed, and the building’s details. The real number can be well outside the range.
- Flood and earthquake are excluded from standard policies and priced separately.
- Wind and hail deductibles in coastal and hail-prone states can be a percentage of dwelling coverage.
- Lenders set minimums. If the property has a mortgage, the lender will require certain coverage.
Questions landlords ask
The questions we get most, each answered in a paragraph.
How much is landlord insurance per year?
It depends heavily on the state, the building and the coverage. Using NerdWallet's 2026 homeowners benchmarks plus the typical 15-25% landlord markup, a $400,000 house would run about $2,860 to $3,110 at the national level, about $1,040 to $1,130 in Hawaii and about $8,340 to $9,070 in Oklahoma. Your quote can be well above or below these figures.
Why does landlord insurance cost more than homeowners insurance?
Insurers treat rented homes as a higher risk, partly because the owner isn't there to spot a leak or a problem early. Landlord policies also cover loss of rental income while the home is being repaired, and they include liability coverage for injuries to tenants and visitors. Contents coverage is limited to what you own, such as appliances.
Does a higher deductible lower landlord insurance?
Usually. Raising the deductible from $1,000 to $2,500 or $5,000 often lowers the premium noticeably, because you take on the small claims yourself. Only do it if you have enough cash set aside to pay the deductible. In hurricane and hail states, wind deductibles are often a percentage of the dwelling coverage, which can be far larger than a flat deductible.