Buildings and syndicates
Rental buildings, co-ownership syndicates, mixed-use property.
Full legal name
The policy has to be issued in the exact name that appears on your licence or your deed. A nickname or an initial can delay the policy or cause a claim to be questioned.
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Date of birth
Age is a rating factor on every personal line in Quebec, and it confirms your driving experience. Insurers verify it against SAAQ records.
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Email address
Phone number
Language you want your documents in
Current address
How long have you lived at this address?
Several insurers give a stability credit after three years at the same address.
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Do you own or rent your home?
Homeowners usually qualify for a multi-policy and an owner discount on auto, even when the two policies sit with different insurers.
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The insured is
The named insured has to hold title. If the building is owned by a company and the policy names an individual, there is no insurable interest and a claim can be refused.
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Exact legal name of the owner
Property manager, if there is one
Does the board carry directors and officers coverage?
Board members of a Quebec syndicate can be sued personally over decisions about the building. D and O coverage is what answers that, and it is separate from the building policy.
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Is the self-insurance fund established and funded?
It is a legal requirement, and insurers now ask for the amount when they quote a syndicate building.
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Address
Number of units
Use of the building
A commercial tenant on the ground floor changes the whole risk. A restaurant or a garage below apartments can be the reason an otherwise clean building is declined.
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What do the commercial tenants do?
Year built
Number of storeys
Year the roof was last redone
On a multi-unit building the roof is the single largest maintenance item an insurer will underwrite. Over 20 years old and most markets close.
If they don't know: We have to present it as the year of construction. On an older building that alone can take the file from several competing quotes down to one, or to none.
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Year the electrical was last updated
Year the plumbing was last updated
Heating
Is there indoor or underground parking?
Underground parking adds a water and a fire exposure, and slab or membrane repairs are among the most expensive claims in a Quebec building.
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Is there an elevator?
Fire protection
How many units are vacant right now?
Vacancy above a set threshold suspends parts of the coverage, typically water damage and vandalism. Insurers need the current count, and they need to be told when it changes.
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Any short-term rentals in the building?
Replacement value of the building
An appraisal under five years old is what keeps this defensible. Without one, a coinsurance clause can reduce a partial claim payment by the same percentage you are underinsured.
If they don't know: We will use the insurer’s costing tool. On a building of any size, that is an estimate and we would recommend a formal appraisal before renewal.
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Date of the last appraisal
Annual rental income
Loss of rental income is what pays the mortgage while the building is unusable. It is rated on the annual figure and it is commonly set too low.
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Liability limit
Deductible you want
On a syndicate building the deductible you choose is the amount a unit owner may be charged after a loss. Raising it lowers the premium and raises what your owners personally carry.
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Any known defects, ongoing litigation or major work planned?
A known problem you do not declare is the clearest form of misrepresentation there is. Declared, it is usually manageable; undeclared, it can void the contract.
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Have you had any insurance claim in the last 6 years?
Insurers pull your claims history from the industry database regardless of what you declare. Declaring it yourself is what keeps the quote accurate and protects you: an omission is a misrepresentation, and under article 2408 of the Civil Code of Quebec it can void the policy at claim time.
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Date of loss
Type of loss
Amount paid by the insurer
The size of the claim matters more than the count. Two small claims rate very differently from one large one.
If they don't know: We will quote on the range shown in the industry database, which may be higher than what you recall.
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Were you held responsible?
What has been done to prevent it happening again?
A corrective measure you can describe, a replaced water heater or a new backwater valve, often moves an insurer from declining to accepting.
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Are you insured right now?
Continuous coverage is one of the strongest rating credits there is. A gap of even a few weeks moves most insurers to a higher tier.
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Current insurer
Policy number
If they don't know: We can work without it, but we will need your declaration page before binding.
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Renewal date
We quote to line up with your renewal so you are not paying two policies or cancelling mid-term at a short-rate penalty.
If they don't know: We will work from the date on your declaration page once you send it. Until then we cannot guarantee the quoted premium will still be available.
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How long with that insurer?
Has an insurer ever cancelled, refused or declined to renew you?
This is a question we are required to ask and you are required to answer accurately. A cancellation for non-payment is workable; hiding one is not, because the insurer will find it and can void the contract.
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What made you shop around?
Attach anything you have on hand
A photo of your current declaration page answers about half of these questions on its own and is the fastest way to get an accurate quote. Photos taken with your phone are fine.
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Your own questions
Anything specific to this client. Marked in the file as asked by you.
A note to your client
Optional. Sits at the top of their first screen.
Buildings and syndicates
48of 48 questions selected
Send it
Email address.