Renters, home, landlord, flood and auto insurance in Troy
Half of Troy rents from the other half, and both halves need a policy that fits a 120-year-old building. Here's how I handle renters, landlords, historic homes, flood and auto for people in the city, and what I check that a quote engine doesn't.
Troy insurance is renters, landlords and the river. Thousands of RPI, Sage and HVCC students rent from small landlords in North Central, Lansingburgh and the Hill; the brownstones around Washington Park and the Victorians of the Eastside cost far more to rebuild than they sell for; and the Hudson has flooded the low streets downtown and in South Troy within living memory. Add hillside streets that punish cars in winter and a downtown of restaurants and shops. I'm a New York P&C agent and broker in Clifton Park, twenty minutes away, quoting across the carriers I represent.
What's different about insuring Troy
- Students and renters. RPI, Russell Sage and HVCC fill the apartments of the Hill, North Central, Lansingburgh and downtown. Renters policies are cheap, required by leases, and the parents' homeowners policy is not a substitute for the liability piece.
- Two- to four-family landlords. A large share of Troy's housing is small multi-family owned by local landlords. The policy form, loss of rents, tenant liability and lead paint are where claims are won or lost.
- Historic housing. Washington Park's brownstones, the Eastside Victorians, the Stockade-era buildings downtown: rebuild cost far above market value, and materials that need the right carrier.
- The Hudson. The river has flooded the low streets. Flood is a separate policy with a 30-day wait; backup in old basements is a separate endorsement.
- Hills and winter. Troy's streets climb; winter driving and on-street parking make comprehensive and collision terms matter.
Line by line
Renters
Replacement-cost contents, at least $100,000 of liability (leases increasingly ask for $300,000), the landlord as interested party, and a certificate the day you sign. A policy per roommate. Renters insurance.
Landlord
Dwelling-fire policies for two- to four-families with loss of rents, liability sized for student and family tenants, and the lead-paint conversation for pre-1978 buildings; one carrier for a portfolio where it fits. Landlord insurance.
Homeowners
Current replacement-cost estimate for an old house, ordinance-or-law, roof settlement terms, water backup, and a high-value form for the houses that outgrow a standard one. Homeowners insurance.
Flood
NFIP or private flood for the riverfront and the low ground, priced by zone; preferred-risk policies elsewhere. Thirty-day waiting period, so not the week before the spring melt. Flood insurance.
Auto and umbrella
Liability above the state minimum, SUM matched, comprehensive for cars on the street, and for landlords an umbrella that sits over the rental properties as well as the car. Auto · Umbrella.
Business
Downtown's restaurants and bars (liquor liability), the shops on River Street, contractors working the city's old buildings, the salons and studios: general liability, workers' comp from the first employee, DBL/PFL, and certificates for landlords. Business insurance · business gap check.
How this works
Send your declarations pages and I quote like for like across the carriers I represent, then show the fixes alongside: the dwelling limit, the backup endorsement, the flood question answered from the map. If what you have is right, I'll say so. The coverage gap check is the three-minute place to start.
- Minimum auto insurance requirements (NY DFS)
- Help for homeowners and renters (NY DFS)
- Flood map service center (FEMA) — look up any Troy address
- Flood insurance (FEMA) — 30-day waiting period
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask before they call.
I'm an RPI student renting off campus. Do I really need renters insurance?
The lease almost certainly requires it, and it's the cheapest policy you'll ever buy: your laptop and bike, your liability if a party guest is hurt, a hotel if the place becomes unlivable. Check first whether your parents' homeowners policy extends to a student away at school; many do for contents, not for liability. Roommates each need their own policy.
I own a four-family in North Central. What's the right policy?
A dwelling-fire (DP-3) landlord policy with loss of rents and liability sized for four units of tenants; three- and four-families are not homeowners-policy buildings. Pre-1978 buildings (nearly all of them) bring the lead-paint question, and student tenants bring a liability conversation. One carrier for a small portfolio usually beats a policy each.
Which parts of Troy need flood insurance?
The low ground along the Hudson: parts of downtown, South Troy and the riverfront. Check the address on FEMA's flood map; in a high-risk zone a mortgage lender will require it, and outside one a preferred-risk NFIP policy is inexpensive. Sewer and drain backup, a different coverage, is the more frequent claim in old Troy basements.
My brownstone is insured for what I paid for it. Is that enough?
Almost certainly not. A Washington Park brownstone or an Eastside Victorian costs far more to rebuild than its market value: masonry, plaster, slate, millwork, and the code upgrades a rebuild triggers. Dwelling limits should follow a current replacement-cost estimate, with ordinance-or-law coverage and, for the best houses, a high-value form.
Do you meet in Troy?
Yes, at your home or by phone; the office is in Clifton Park, about twenty minutes via Route 7 or I-787. Weekend hours are Saturday and Sunday 9 to 1.
Get an auto or home quote
Your current declarations page is all I need to compare like for like. If you're already well placed, I'll say so.
Where I work
I'm based in Clifton Park and work across four Capital Region counties, in person or by phone.
Auto, home and business insurance by town: Albany · Clifton Park · Latham · Saratoga Springs · Schenectady · Troy. Medicare has its own county and town pages.
Close to the office: Clifton Knolls, Country Knolls, Rexford, Vischer Ferry, Jonesville, Groom's Corners and Halfmoon across Route 9 — I'll come to you at home.