Golf Cart Usage by Renters
 

I have some neighbors and friends who rent their properties and allow those folks to use their golf cart. I don't understand it. Villages insurance will not cover under homeowners. Not worried about damage to the cart as much as traumatic injury to driver/passenger. any thoughts?

I rent my home out and do not supply a golf cart for this exact reason.

We also do not rent with a cart for the same reason. Too much liability & see who wins when the injured sues you.

I also inquired of The Villages insurance agency when I was renting out a home. They said that "technically" I had to sell the golf cart to the renters and then buy it back when rental period ended. The renter than SHOULD insure the golf cart for damages, liability, etc.
I will not rent my villa out including a golf cart. Way too much risk.

Thanks, you have validated my concerns

We rented twice, for a month at a time, before finally buying.

We only looked at rentals that supplied carts, because we didn't want to hassle with finding a rental cart (availability/delivery/pickup/etc.).

I have no idea on the actual liability to the renters and how it applied to the cart they furnished (never had an instance to find out), but surely there is a way to protect themselves as it seems there are a whole lot of rentals that supply a cart.

On the flip side, I can also see the concern if I were the one renting a place with a cart and what my liability would be.

I'll be curious to hear how others rent homes with carts and what they do (if anything) to protect themselves.

Maybe they have insurance with other companies (not The Villages) who do cover the carts?

According to the people who give presentations at the VHA golf cart safety seminars, everyone who rents golf carts are at risk as no one will cover them with insurance. And, home owners who have rentals will not be able to obtain insurance coverage for the golf carts they provide to their renters.

Not true. My insurance company covered my home and my cart while I was renting the home out and loaning the cart.

Not sure why so many posts opining about what other people choose to do with their golf cart. As my daddy always said, "If you worry about your self, you'll have your hands full".

“When one has too great a dread of what is impending, one feels some relief when the trouble has come.”
– Joseph Joubert

The problem is that if a accident happens the insurance company will not consider the cart "loaned" to a stranger who is paying rent for the home .


I rent a home and have made numerous calls to insurance companies. All told me there is no way to insure that cart . One company said that I should LOAN them the cart but would not give me that in writing .

Its just a gamble that I am not willing to make. I reduce the price on the rental and give the guest a list of companies for them to call .

Good Luck

[emoji1303]

I just talked to The Villages Insurance about insurance for my new cart. They told me the insurance does not cover rentals.

This topic has been covered several times. Insurance is only available to golf cart rental companies, not homeowners. Any type of scheme to circumvent an insurance policy will only end bad for the owner and the renter, if an accident occurs.

I'd say the reason why is because WE are affected if some clueless renter (who has no idea what it is to drive a golf cart in city-street traffic) hits the brakes suddenly, or hits a curb or grate in the gutter and a passenger gets ejected onto the pavement in front of a driver behind them who can't avoid running over them.

The reason for opining is to alert people we are surrounded by people who put their heads in the sand to get a few more bucks out of a rental home.

:ohdear:

If they aren't smart enough to figure out what's best for themselves, it's still none of your business.

Oh, but it IS my business if a person gets ejected onto pavement when I'm driving behind or beside them and can't avoid running over them.

Tell me, how many times in the history of TV has a renter caused someone else harm with a golf cart?
If you are following so closely that you can't stop when someone falls out of a golf cart in front of you , then it is you who would be at fault.
I'm going to get out and enjoy the day. Somehow sitting at home wringing my hands and trying to dream of ways someone else could inadvertently cause me harm doesn't sound like too much fun.

LOL.....

...if the risks of personal injury/accidental death/maiming from golf cart accidents in TV were so non-existent as you proclaim, the insurance companies would be writing the policies and making a fortune off the premiums raked in compared to the few or no claims and lawsuit judgements they'd have to pay out.

I think renters in the past had a cart included and now expect a golf cart to be part of the deal adding an expensive burden if the owner has to rent one for them in order to lease out their home....and some do...or foolishly, take a risk, and let them use their existing cart that is knowingly or unknowingly uninsured. As the previous poster said, get the word out. It's safer for all of us. Hand would be renters a list of the all too eager golf cart rental people who are insured and disentangle yourself completely. Even if it has a minor breakdown, you are out of it, the rental company has loaners ready to go. Who needs the hassle.

Doesn't that also apply to those who own their own homes and carts?

I'm also guessing that there are a large number of owners living here (full and part-time) that don't insure their carts, so aren't they just as likely to cause the problem in your scenario(s)?

I guess I'm missing your point that somehow renters are, or might be, more dangerous than existing owners or part-timers.

The Villages Insurance advise based on the companies they represent and have contracts to write business.

On the flip side if the rate of incidents were as high as some would like to project the insurance companies couldn't write policies (liability) for $60/year.

I can see an insurance company insuring the cart but not the occupants. I would personally help my renters to secure a cart rental.

Those policies are for us home-cart owners assuming our own risks, not renters who are putting the landlord cart owners at risk for huge liability lawsuits.

As for $60/year premiums, "you get what you pay for" in the fine print.

If they were putting us at such a high risk and can't be stopped (thus your plea to not let renters use the carts) wouldn't the insurance companies be charging us a much higher fee for our policies ? Does your policy cover you against other uninsured cart drivers. Mine does. Do you have to insure your cart in Florida ? I don't believe so. That's probably a more productive battle to take on. I don't really care if a landlord is covered or not - it's their risk. One thing I'm pretty certain of if they want to believe they are covered they will find some hearsay somewhere and latch on to it. If they were so concerned they would call their attorney. If they are taking legal advice off TOTV well they get what they pay for like you said. This subject which is very old and smells a little bit like I'm here and now it's time no one else comes.

To me it sounds like some landlords don't want to hear the truth about the liability risks they face by providing a rental cart they don't have a specific rental cart policy for.

I think landlords and renters looking for homes to rent here need to be aware of this. If they were aware, the original question would not have been posted here.

Use the search for rentals and golf carts, it's been a topic for years, nothing new

I always assume that if something happens the potential is everyone will get sued, the renter driving the cart, the cart manufacturer and the person that provided the cart. There are some attorneys that would be honored to represent the injured party. Why anyone would elect to not have their "butt" covered is beyond me.

Call Grandpa and Grandma's Buggies or Don Cunningham Rent Me carts or any other rental cart company and ask them if you rent a cart are you covered on their insurance. Let me know what you find out.

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We were told when we rented a cart that the cart was covered but not the drivers so you still are on your own for liability

:thumbup:

As was stated at the VHA golf cart safety clinic.

Grandma & Grandpas definitely offers insurance for a small extra fee. Most do not have insurance at least they didn't.

After reading all of the posts in this thread, it appears to me that some people are upset that some owners are supplying golf carts with their rentals.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, I specifically looked for a rental that included a cart (as I'm sure many others do also).

I'm still trying to grasp why anyone would be mad at those owners who supply a cart (or how/why it even affects them), unless perhaps they are landlords also, don't supply a cart and have more problems renting their places.

Maybe I'm the only one, but it is a bit perplexing to me. :shrug:

I think I can help. It's like living on a lake. Now that I'm here let's not let anyone else in. Next step after that is I got here first so I have more entitlement than you. Let me tell you how this ends. The guys who write these policies work is some ivory tower like in Chicago. They know squat about golf carts but do know the algorithm predicts a profit based upon historical data. Now some of the Villagers get into the act by sighting number of accidents, no seat belts, renters, kids etc. News media hears we have something unique. Let's broadcast their story in a snippet - no data. Guess what happens everyone rates go up or you won't be able to find a company to insure you. Next big brother steps in to help and the majority of the world that don't drive golf carts around their hometown want to know what is going on there. New traffic laws - no golf carts on public roads.

You make a good point.

I dont think people are "mad" I have a rental property --I do not offer a cart --as stated earlier I reduce my price enough for a guest to rent a cart ---I have no problem renting my villa.

The reason I post this is to let renters know that when they rent a home with a cart they are NOT covered by any insurance--I would like to know if I were renting. Now on the flip side do landlords tell the renter that they are not covered ? some add a rider that states the renter is solely responsible for anything that happens. Well, get to court and see if that stands up .Its about information not anger. I just have a problem giving a cart to someone I dont know... with my investment at stake.

Golf Cart Usage by Renters
 

Grandpa charges 5 bucks for a 1M policy during the rental period , if you want it.

I think that is a great point - so how do the cart rental companies work? Same way Ski Hills, Sky diving operators, Dive boats, Scooter Rental places, and any other non-insurable entity does it - By having the participant sign a waver of liability contract. All my renters sign a total waver or liability, that includes if the cart is faulty to begin with. I have discussed this with several lawyers and had my lawyer review the contract and he is fine with it. On top of it, I carry 2 million in umbrella liability.. Yeesh, you people worry too much.

Your renters can't waive liability for somebody they hit with your cart or for any passenger in the cart not part of the agreement. Great between you and the renter but no protection against anybody else.

Under Florida's dangerous instrumentality doctrine the owner of the cart will be held liable for any injury to others caused by the permissive operator. So your stuck and your $2million umbrella doesn't apply to the cart while rented to others. Standard exclusionary policy language.

Yeesh, good luck!

Golf cart insurance
 

Wow! Can't wait for the insurance company to open tomorrow. We were sold a motorcycle /off road vehicle policy by Progressive for our golf cart. ...for the very concern voiced over and over here. I will certainly check into the validity of it tomorrow.
Thanks for all the input everyone.