Are you being asked to pay for tenant insurance? Here’s what to do
In the rapidly evolving and competitive real estate landscape of Ontario, renting within budget can be a herculean task....
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The first rule of saving money is to shop around for the best price. Make sure you’re not overpaying for home insurance by comparing insurance providers before you settle on one. LowestRates.ca makes comparing multiple home insurance companies a snap. We don’t sell insurance — we’re completely independent — but we can show you which insurer is offering the lowest price. Just enter your postal code and in 3 minutes we’ll show you rates from Canada’s big banks and independent lenders. Best of all? It’s free.
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When you find the best quote, secure your rate by talking to a licensed broker or agent.
Being an RBC Home Insurance customer means doing business with one of the largest banks in Canada—the Royal Bank of Canada. Founded in Montreal in 1864, it is now a global financial services company and one of this country’s most-profitable firms, with total earnings of $12.4 billion in 2018. It also has the largest brick-and-mortar footprints of any bank in Canada, with more than 1,300 individual branches and a physical presence in every province and territory.
In 2016, RBC sold its home and auto insurance operations to Aviva Canada for $582 million. The deal included a 15-year agreement under which RBC markets home and auto insurance products and provides insurance advice through its sales network. Aviva takes care of the coverage and claim-handling process. This is a common practice among Canadian banks that sell insurance. Most work with insurance industry partners to provide core services while using their brand and marketing networks to sell products.
As is the case for all banks in Canada, RBC is not allowed to sell insurance through its regular branches. That rule has been in force since the 1990s when Canadian banks first entered the insurance market. Its purpose is to maintain competition between banks and traditional insurance agents and brokers.
If you are interested in buying insurance from RBC, you can visit an RBC Insurance Store or agent. You can also start the quote process online and complete your purchase with an RBC insurance agent by phone.
RBC Home Insurance placed second on J.D. Power’s 2019 Home Insurance Satisfaction Survey for the Atlantic Canada and Ontario regions, behind The Co-operators. There were not enough customers in Quebec or Western Canada to register on J.D. Power’s surveys in those regions.
Province | User satisfaction rating |
---|---|
Atlantic Canada/Ontario |
|
Quebec | — |
Western region | — |
Your home insurance policy will be customized to suit your needs and the property you’re insuring.
Home insurance premiums are determined by dwelling type (is it a single-detached home, a house with a basement tenant suite, or a condo?). Insurance companies also try to predict the kind and size of claim you might make in the future.
Here are some of the criteria insurance companies look at when calculating your premium.
Home Repair Bundle - For an additional premium ($125 per year in 2019), RBC Home Insurance’s Home Repair Bundle covers minor repairs to household items and systems, such as water heaters and plumbing, to prevent more expensive breakdowns in the future. The insurance pays up to $2,000 in parts, service and labour for each claim, up to a total of $5,000 over the term of the policy. This RBC program also provides up to $2,500 to cover the cost of loss-prevention devices such as security systems, sump pumps, fire alarms and automatic water shut-off devices. Note: This coverage can only be accessed after a claim has occurred.
HALO Assist - Home Repair Bundle purchasers also have free access to HALO Assist, a phone-based service that provides advice on home repair, referrals and real estate. Using the Home Repair Bundle will not affect your premiums or your claims-free status.
Other endorsements - For additional premiums, RBC Insurance will provide coverage for concerns such as sewer back-up, overland water, personal valuables, home business, earthquakes and costs associated with recovery from identity theft.
No. RBC Insurance doesn’t currently offer an app to help customers manage their home insurance policy.
If you want to make a claim on your RBC Insurance home policy, call as soon as possible and send in the appropriate forms. Telephone services are available 24-7 and forms can be downloaded online. On a Rogers cell phone, punch in #722 to instantly connect with a claims advisor.
Unsure if you should make a claim? Call the Anonymous Claims Advice line to discuss you situation. You won’t have to give your name or policy number, so your premiums and claims-free status will not be affected (call 905-608-8945). Note, this service is not available in Quebec.
Alexandra Bosanac
About the Author
Alexandra Bosanac is the Core Content Manager for LowestRates.ca. Her reporting has appeared in Canadian Business, the Toronto Star, the National Post, and the CBC.
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