Rented a golf cart but can't find anywhere to insure it for 1 week.
 

We just rented a golf cart for a week as my kids are coming for a visit. We want to get some insurance in case of an accident or whatever. But we can't find any place that does insurance for a renter. The Villages ins says there minimum policy is for 6 months.

What do people do???

Pay for the 6 months, then cancel when you don't need it. However, my insurance company requires a VIN and such.

Check with your insurance agent. May be covered like a car rental

Who did you rent it from?

See if you can get a rider on your car insurance, do NOT use homeowners insurance.

Why ?

I ran into the same issue when I was renting a home for the winter months here. It actually came with a cart included, but the language specifically stated that the cart came with no liability insurance for me. I would have to find that on my own. I checked out places that rented carts out, like The Villages Golf Carts, but not just them, and nobody offered insurance with the cart. I called my homeowner's insurance agent, who also does my cars. Nope. He could insure me if I bought a cart, but not if I rented one.

I was very nervous about the idea of risking everything I'd worked my whole life for, just to ride around in a cart. We all know how it is. Someone on a bike does something stupid and I nail them, it's going to cost me. And, to be honest, I make mistakes. I'm not careless at all, but I goof up sometimes.
My solution, as crazy at it sounds, was to buy a cart. At the time I had to find winter storage for it, and now we have our own place, and it all worked out, but it seemed really crazy at the time.

This was 4 years ago, so maybe it's different now, but I doubt it.

Previous discussion indicated the hang up is insuring something you don't knows. YMMV

Progressive and Foremost have been brought up in the past.

Florida Golf Cart Insurance Requirements | Progressive

Golf Cart Insurance: Get a Quote Online | Progressive

In general the homeowners polices only cover the cart when it is in the garage or driveway (think theft), from what I have seen they offer no liability or medical, etc.

Consider adding an umbrella policy to your auto insurance. I added $1Million for about $100/year. Let me tell you why that is a good idea. Most auto policies have $50,000 medical coverage (injury). That will be used up by you or the other driver in about 2 days. It will be used up in hours if there are multiple occupants of either car. Hell, an ambulance ride eats about 10% of that and you're not even at the hospital yet.

So what, I pay 13 months of auto insurance every 12 months, I pay an extra $100 a year for a million dollars additional coverage. That's my recommendation.

Great ? Appears that you are renting from an individual. Cart insurance is around $200 a year. If this was pro rated for the year, cost would be $4.00 a week. Even if an entity charged 25X more the cost would be $100 for that week. Tough to make money off of that potential premium. Administrative costs would be out of sight.

Check with whoever you are renting from to see what is needed.

I have looked extensively for this type of insurance but without any luck. You have to own the cart to get insurance. Even now that we have moved here and own a cart (& car) that we insure, we couldn't get coverage for a cart rented from a company or extend the coverage to covers a friend's cart. Perhaps the umbrella policy ???

Every insurance company I checked, when i was renting with golf cart included, would not write a policy unless you owned the cart.

My insurance company, through Allstate, told me in very specific terms, that my umbrella policy would NOT cover any liability I incurred while driving a rented cart.

Rental cart insurance.
 

Agree excess policy not applicable. Try renting from a business renting carts and confirm they have coverage. Don’t risk being uninsured

The easiest solution is to leave the cart at home and drive your car.

We have lived here 7 years and do not own a cart. We can easily go anywhere we want in our car.

I am going to include a cart with my 3 month rental. Am I protected? Should I require the renter to be responsible?

Reduce the price of your home rental by $25 a day, write a separate rental agreement for golf cart for $25 a day.

When we rented the first year we came here we ‘bought’ the cart for the going price, paid $1 down, with the stipulation that we could return the cart within the rental period for a full refund of the ‘purchase price’ if we were ‘dissatisfied’ with it. The rent for the cart was in the rent for the house. Then we insured ‘our newly purchased’ cart. We of course returned the cart at the end of our house rental period. I don’t remember if we got our $1 back, but that has never been a concern.

Yes I have a policy through USAA.

The place you rented from doesn't offer insurance (like when you rent from Hertz)?
If not ty your auto insurance provider. See if they will add it.

I am not a golfer; how does it work when you go to a golf course and rent a cart?

You don’t “rent” the cart as it’s considered part of your greens fees.

You’re covered by them while operating the golf cart while on the golf course .

It will still need coverage and you or the renter must provide it. If an accident happens both of you are liable.

You don't need it. Your car insurance should cover it.

No reason to sell something if you can not cover your costs. My Allstate policy is about 70 a year. My guess is you will have to buy an annual policy.

That is an insurance/legal question. In Florida owner of the car is responsible for damages that a driver causes. Not sure if same applies to the golf cart.

Was in the insurance biz. Umbrella coverage pays for damages OVER an existing policy limit. Do not know of any umbrella policy which will pay for damages if there is not ANY coverage for the cart. OP needs to check with a professional on this question.

OP - you are probably aware so many wrong guesses and incorrect responses here...

Have your children rent the cart on their own then you do not have the liability.

Florida's Dangerous Instrumentality laws apply.


Vehicle Ownership and Florida's Dangerous Instrumentality Doctrine — Florida Injury Attorney Blawg — June 8, 2012


Golf Cart Injury and Accident Claims in Florida

I'd highly recommend a conversation with your agent before taking this advice. It is completely contrary to what my insurance agent told me.

I question if umbrella policy will cover golf cart liability. For my umbrella it only kicks in after the primary coverage is exhausted. With a rented cart there is no primary policy, so does umbrella respond at $1, no. You may be able to get a rider on umbrella, but you’re going to have to come up with what uou will pay first.

My brother uses Progressive Insurance for short term golf cart rental!

I am currently with Progressive and they won't cover me.
I also called Foremost and they won't cover it because it is rented.

You need to be the owner of the golf cart to get their insurance.

I can't believe all the wrong answers to this simple question. According to The Villages Insurance "about one half of all Golf Carts being driven around the Villages DO NOT have liability insurance because it isn't available to renters." There are what, about 55,000 Carts here? That sure makes for a huge problem.

I’m a retired auto claims manager - Most auto have fairly similar and standard definitions of what constitutes a “vehicle” - it must be licensed for use on public roads and highways. That excludes most golf carts. So unlike when you rent a car, and your insurance transfers to the rental (as long as you are driving the rental at time of loss), the same does NOT hold true for a golf cart rental, that is not licensed to be driven legally on public roads. Your claim would be denied.

bingo