Crime & Employee Dishonesty — For the Money That Passes Through Hands.
Rent collection, security deposits, vendor payments — a landlord's operation moves money, and the people who handle it are an exposure standard policies don't address. Crime coverage protects the funds.
What crime coverage covers
| Employee dishonesty / fidelity | Theft of money, securities, or property by an employee or property manager. |
| Forgery & alteration | Loss from forged checks or altered financial instruments. |
| Theft of money & securities | Loss of funds inside the premises or in transit. |
| Computer & funds-transfer fraud | Loss from fraudulent electronic transfers — increasingly relevant with online rent portals. |
Property and liability policies don't cover an inside theft of your funds — that's exactly the gap fidelity/crime coverage fills.
Who needs it
Any landlord whose money is handled by someone other than themselves: a bookkeeper, an office manager, a third-party property manager collecting rents and paying vendors on your behalf. The more hands between the tenant's payment and your account, the more this matters.
Associations and property managers
For condo and HOA associations, crime/fidelity coverage protecting association funds from theft by a manager or board member is often required by the bylaws — and it's a standard part of a well-built association program. If you use a third-party manager, confirm whether their crime coverage extends to your funds or whether you need your own.
What it typically costs
- Rated on the limit, the number of people handling funds, and controls in place
- Often an inexpensive endorsement relative to the funds at risk
- Associations frequently size the limit to the reserves and annual budget
FAQ
My property manager handles all my rents. Am I protected if they steal?
Not automatically. Their crime policy may or may not extend to your funds. We help you confirm whether you're named on their coverage or need your own fidelity coverage for the money they hold.
Isn't theft covered by my property policy?
Property covers theft of physical property by outsiders, generally — not an inside theft of your money or securities by an employee or manager. That's what crime/employee-dishonesty coverage is for.
Does my HOA need this?
Usually yes — many association bylaws require fidelity coverage protecting member funds, and it's standard in a complete association program. We size the limit to the association's reserves and budget.
Protect the money that moves through your operation.
If anyone but you touches your rents, deposits, or vendor payments, crime coverage closes a gap property and liability leave open. We'll right-size it.