Kin home insurance review: Top-rated coverage for homeowners in 4 high-risk states
Kin home insurance earns a perfect Policygenius rating thanks to its slew of coverage options, discounts, and availability in four states at high risk of wildfire or hurricane damage.
By
Jessica OlivoJessica OlivoFreelance contributorJessica Olivo is a writer living in Connecticut. She specializes in web and blog content in a variety of topics such as parenting, business, and culture, as well as serialized and short fiction.After working in publishing and book publicity for many years, she transitioned to freelance writing full time.
Edited by
Jennifer GimbelJennifer GimbelSenior Managing Editor & Home Insurance ExpertJennifer Gimbel is a senior managing editor and home insurance expert at Policygenius, where she oversees our homeowners insurance coverage. Previously, she was the managing editor at Finder.com and a content strategist at Babble.com.
Expert reviewedExpert reviewedThis article has been reviewed by a member of ourFinancial Review Council to ensure all sources, statistics, and claims meet the highest standard for accurate and unbiased advice.Learn more about oureditorial review process.
Our proprietary ratings methodology takes multiple factors into account, including customer satisfaction, cost, financial strength, and policy offerings. See the “Ratings methodology” section for more details.
5.0
AM Best rating
A.M. Best is a global credit rating agency that scores the financial strength of insurance companies on a scale from A++ (Superior) to D (Poor).
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Cost
Using a mix of internal and external rate data, we grade the cost of each insurance company's premiums on a scale from least expensive ($) to most expensive ($$$$$).
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The bottom line
Kin homeowners insurance is ideal for homeowners in California, Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina who aren’t afraid to work with a company based solely online. Since it sells policies directly to consumers without brokers or middlemen, it’s able to cut down on company costs and pass on its savings to customers. And as a member-owned company, Kin pays out dividends to policyholders if claims are lower than expected each year.
Kin offers quotes, claims filing, and customer service entirely online or over the phone, so it might not be the right fit if you’re used to visiting a local agent in person. We also like that the insurer partners with reliable home service providers to make repairs easier after filing a claim.
Available in Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina, and California — states at high risk of weather-related damage and often difficult to find coverage in
Claims to save homeowners an average of $730 when they switch to Kin
Offer private flood insurance endorsement — rare among other insurance companies
Cons
No local agents to meet with in person
Can’t bundle your home and auto insurance
Basic coverages offered
Kin home insurance policies include these six standard coverages to protect your home, belongings, and personal liability:
Dwelling coverage: Pays to repair or rebuild the structure of your home after a covered loss.
Other structures coverage: Pays to repair or rebuild other structures on your property not connected to your home, including detached garages, storage sheds, and fencing.
Personal property coverage: Pays to repair or replace your personal belongings after a covered loss, including furniture, clothing, tech gadgets, and other stuff you own.
Loss of use coverage: Pays for hotel stays, restaurant bills, pet boarding fees, and other temporary living expenses after a covered loss if you need to live elsewhere while your home is being rebuilt.
Personal liability coverage: Pays for legal and medical expenses if someone is injured or their belongings are damaged while at your home and you’re found legally responsible.
Medical payments coverage: Pays for small-dollar medical bills if someone is injured while at your home — regardless of who is at fault.
Additional coverages offered
You can add these additional coverages to your Kin homeowners insurance policy for even more protection:
Flood endorsement: Damage from floods is not covered in your base policy, but a private flood insurance endorsement can be added to your Kin policy for an additional premium.
Condo insurance: Purchased as a supplement to your condo association’s master policy, condo insurance covers your personal belongings, the interior structure of your condo unit, and personal liability.
Landlord insurance: Covers your rental property against fire, windstorms, and other covered perils. It also includes loss-of-rent coverage if your rental property becomes uninhabitable after a covered loss, as well as liability coverage if a tenant or visitor is hurt on your property and files a lawsuit.
Vacation home insurance: Protects your vacation home and personal belongings against fire, theft, hail, windstorms, and other covered perils.
Ratings methodology
Price
5.0/5
Our price rating scale looks at home insurance rates for a policy with $300,000 in dwelling coverage, as well as the total number of discounts offered. We didn't have cost information available for Kin as of February 2023, so its score is based solely on the discounts the insurer has available.
Customer experience
4.8/5
Our customer experience scale uses data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaint index. Kin has a score of at 1.25, which means it receives slightly more complaints than expected for a company of its size. (The expected number would be 1.0.)
Coverage options
5.0/5
Our coverage options rating is based on both the number and quality of additional coverage and policy options offered by the company. Kin earns a perfect score compared to other regional home insurance companies thanks to its slew of coverage add-ons available.
Financial strength
4.4/5
Our financial strength rating is a weighted combination of three industry-leading metrics to measure a company’s financial health: A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s, and Moody’s.
Since Kin is not rated by any of these companies, we based its score on its A (Exceptional) rating from Demotech, another rating firm that measures the financial strength and stability of insurance carriers.
In addition, its business in California is backed by Falls Lake Fire and Casualty Company, which has an A (Excellent) rating from A.M. Best.
How much does Kin home insurance cost?
Kin claims to have saved homeowners an average of $730 when they switched to Kin home insurance, according to June 2022 data. However, how much you pay for home insurance with Kin will vary depending on a variety of factors including:
Where you live
Your home’s age, condition, and claims history
Discounts you qualify for
Your coverages and policy limits
Your credit score
Compare home insurance quotes with top insurers in minutes
You can save on the cost of Kin home insurance if you qualify for any of these discounts:
Fire and security alarm: If you have smoke alarms, sprinklers, burglar alarms, or deadbolt locks installed in your home.
Water leak detection and mitigation device: If you have systems that detect water leaks and provide automatic shutoff.
Wind mitigation: If you have wind-resistant features installed on your roof to prevent damage during windstorms.
Fire mitigation: Available to California homeowners who add fire-resistant features to their home.
Claims-free: If you haven’t filed a claim in the past seven years.
Responsible repair: By agreeing not to sign claim benefits over to a contractor, Florida customers can receive a discount.
Accredited builder: If your home was built within the last six years and you have a warranty protecting it from certain defects.
Electronic policy: If you move to a paperless policy.
Community: If you live in a gated community, secured mobile home park, or community with a homeowners association.
Mature homeowner: If you’re over the age of 55.
New homeowner: Customers purchasing their first home can receive a discount for the first 12 months of their policy.
LEED-certified home: California homes that meet theLeadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System can receive a discount as an incentive to shift to sustainably, efficient energy.
Pay-in-full: If you pay your policy in full each year, rather than on a monthly or quarterly basis.
How to file a claim: You can file a Kin home insurance claim by calling 866-204-2219, emailing claims@kin.com, or reporting a claim on their website.
How to cancel your policy: You can cancel your Kin home insurance policy by calling your Kin agent (their contact info should be on your policy declarations page) or by calling 855-717-0022.
Kin home insurance in the news
In January 2023, Kin announced it will be expanding its insurance business into South Carolina. (Businesswire)
In November 2022, Kin reported that policyholders who renewed their coverage in 2022 saw an average rate increase of 8%. (Yahoo! Finance)
In September 2022, Kin dealt with the wake of Hurricane Ian, assuring customers that all claims will be paid out and describing how the company is situated to handle the impact of extreme weather. (Businesswire)
In March 2022, Kim announced new funding and plans for expansion. (Built In Chicago)
Kin vs. other home insurance companies
Compare Kin home insurance to other insurers in the industry:
Kin was founded in 2016 and has recently moved into both South Carolina and California as the company continues to expand coverage availability.
Does Kin Insurance have an office in Florida?
While Kin’s corporate office is located in Chicago, the insurer’s subsidiary Kin Interinsurance Network has an office in St. Petersburg, Florida.
What kind of insurance does Kin offer?
Kin specializes in homeowners insurance and offers policies for houses, mobile homes, condos, and landlords.
Is Kin insurance expensive?
We didn’t have home insurance rate data available for Kin Insurance as of February 2023. In general, the company markets itself as a tech-friendly insurer that sells policies directly to consumers without brokers or middlemen to cut down on the company’s costs and pass on savings to its customers. It claims to save homeowners an average of $730 if they switch their home insurance policy to Kin.
Jessica Olivo is a writer living in Connecticut. She specializes in web and blog content in a variety of topics such as parenting, business, and culture, as well as serialized and short fiction.
After working in publishing and book publicity for many years, she transitioned to freelance writing full time.
Jennifer Gimbel is a senior managing editor and home insurance expert at Policygenius, where she oversees our homeowners insurance coverage. Previously, she was the managing editor at Finder.com and a content strategist at Babble.com.
Ian Bloom, CFP®, RLP®, is a certified financial planner and a member of the Financial Review Council at Policygenius. Previously, he was a financial advisor at MetLife and MassMutual.
