Cal. Civ. Code § 55.1-1206

Landlord may obtain certain insurance for tenant.

In Force
Verified 10/22/2026 · Next check 11/21/2026
effective 10/22/2026VirginiaRenter Insurance Mandates

Operative Text

Cal. Civ. Code § 55.1-1206
A. A landlord may require as a condition of tenancy that a tenant have damage insurance and pay for the cost of premiums. As provided in § 55.1-1200 , such payments shall not be deemed a security deposit, but shall be rent. However, as provided in § 55.1-1208 , the landlord shall not require a tenant to pay both a security deposit and the cost of damage insurance premiums if the total amount of any security deposit and damage insurance premiums exceeds the amount of two months' periodic rent. The landlord shall notify a tenant in writing that the tenant has the right to obtain a separate policy from the landlord's policy for damage insurance. If a tenant elects to obtain a separate policy, the tenant shall submit to the landlord written proof of such coverage and shall maintain such coverage at all times during the term of the rental agreement. Where a landlord obtains damage insurance coverage on behalf of a tenant, the insurance policy shall provide coverage for the tenant as an insured. The landlord shall recover from the tenant the actual costs of such insurance coverage and may recover administrative or other fees associated with administration of a damage insurance policy, including a tenant opting out of the insurance coverage provided by the landlord pursuant to this subsection. If a landlord obtains damage insurance for his tenants, the landlord shall provide to each tenant, prior to execution of the rental agreement, a summary of the insurance policy or certificate evidencing the coverage being provided and upon request of the tenant make available a copy of the insurance policy. For a tenant that opts out of the landlord's damage insurance program, the landlord shall allow such tenant to either provide their own damage insurance policy or pay the full security deposit.
B. A landlord may require as a condition of tenancy that a tenant have renter's insurance as specified in the rental agreement. A landlord may require a tenant to pay for the cost of premiums for such renter's insurance obtained by the landlord, in order to provide such coverage for the tenant as part of rent or as otherwise provided in this section. As provided in § 55.1-1200 , such payments shall not be deemed a security deposit but shall be rent. The landlord shall notify a tenant in writing that the tenant has the right to obtain a separate policy from the landlord's policy for renter's insurance. If a tenant elects to obtain a separate policy, the tenant shall submit to the landlord written proof of such coverage and shall maintain such coverage at all times during the term of the rental agreement. If a tenant allows his renter's insurance policy required by the rental agreement to lapse for any reason, the landlord may provide any landlord's renter's insurance coverage to such tenant. The tenant shall be obligated to pay for the cost of premiums for such insurance as rent or as otherwise provided herein until the tenant has provided written documentation to the landlord showing that the tenant has reinstated his own renter's insurance coverage.
C. If the landlord requires that such premiums be paid to the landlord prior to the commencement of the tenancy, the total amount of all security deposits, insurance premiums for damage insurance, and insurance premiums for renter's insurance shall not exceed the amount of two months' periodic rent. However, the landlord shall be permitted to add a monthly amount as additional rent to recover additional costs of renter's insurance premiums.
D. Where a landlord obtains renter's insurance coverage on behalf of a tenant, the insurance policy shall provide coverage for the tenant as an insured. The landlord shall recover from the tenant the actual costs of such insurance coverage and may recover administrative or other fees associated with the administration of a renter's insurance program, including a tenant opting out of the insurance coverage provided to the tenant pursuant to this subsection. If a landlord obtains renter's insurance for his tenants, the landlord shall provide to each tenant, prior to execution of the rental agreement, a summary of the insurance policy prepared by the insurer or certificate evidencing the coverage being provided and upon request of the tenant make available a copy of the insurance policy. Such summary or certificate shall include a statement regarding whether the insurance policy contains a waiver of subrogation provision. Any failure of the landlord to provide such summary or certificate, or to make available a copy of the insurance policy, shall not affect the validity of the rental agreement.
If the rental agreement does not require the tenant to obtain renter's insurance, the landlord shall provide a written notice to the tenant, prior to the execution of the rental agreement, stating that (i) the landlord is not responsible for the tenant's personal property, (ii) the landlord's insurance coverage does not cover the tenant's personal property, and (iii) if the tenant wishes to protect his personal property, he should obtain renter's insurance. The notice shall inform the tenant that any such renter's insurance obtained by the tenant does not cover flood damage and advise the tenant to contact the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or visit the websites for FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program or for the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation's Flood Risk Information System to obtain information regarding whether the property is located in a special flood hazard area. Any failure of the landlord to provide such notice shall not affect the validity of the rental agreement. If the tenant requests translation of the notice from the English language to another language, the landlord may assist the tenant in obtaining a translator or refer the tenant to an electronic translation service. In doing so, the landlord shall not be deemed to have breached any of his obligations under this chapter or otherwise become liable for any inaccuracies in the translation. The landlord shall not charge a fee for such assistance or referral.
E. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the landlord from recovering from the tenant, as part of the rent, the tenant's prorated share of the actual costs of other insurance coverages provided by the landlord relative to the premises, or the tenant's prorated share of a self-insurance program held in an escrow account by the landlord, including the landlord's administrative or other fees associated with the administration of such coverages. The landlord may apply such funds held in escrow to pay claims pursuant to the landlord's self-insurance plan.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Va. Code § 55.1-1206 governs how landlords in Virginia may require tenants to carry damage insurance and/or renter's insurance as a condition of tenancy, treating premium payments as rent rather than security deposits. The law caps the combined total of security deposits and upfront insurance premiums at two months' periodic rent and requires landlords to notify tenants in writing of their right to obtain their own separate policies. When a landlord obtains coverage on a tenant's behalf, the tenant must be named as an insured and provided a policy summary or certificate before signing the rental agreement; if no renter's insurance is required, the landlord must give written notice that the tenant's personal property is not covered by the landlord's policy.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 22, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under Va. Code § 55.1-1206, compliant operators who require damage insurance or renter's insurance as a condition of tenancy treat premium payments as rent and ensure that the combined total of any security deposit plus upfront insurance premiums does not exceed two months' periodic rent. Before a rental agreement is executed, landlords provide each tenant with a written notice of the tenant's right to obtain a separate policy, along with a policy summary or certificate prepared by the insurer if the landlord is obtaining coverage on the tenant's behalf. When no renter's insurance requirement exists, landlords provide the required written disclosure that the landlord's coverage does not extend to the tenant's personal property and that the tenant should consider obtaining their own renter's insurance, including the FEMA flood insurance notice specified in the statute.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Va. Code § 55.1-1206 gives Virginia tenants the right to be notified in writing that they may obtain their own separate damage insurance or renter's insurance policy rather than being enrolled in a landlord-arranged plan. If a landlord does obtain coverage on a tenant's behalf, the tenant is entitled to be named as an insured and to receive a policy summary or certificate before signing the rental agreement, and may request a full copy of the policy at any time. Tenants who believe a landlord has not complied with the notice, cap, or disclosure requirements of § 55.1-1206 may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid provider to understand the options available to them.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated October 22, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Oct 22, 2026
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Related Rules

§ 90.222
Renter’s liability insurance.
§ 90.527
Renter’s liability insurance in park.

Source Information

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Fetched:Oct 22, 2026, 05:21 PM UTC