Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Net savings choosing higher deductible
-$700
Total premium savings over horizon
$3,300
Breakeven number of claims
0.82
Annual premium savings
$330
Expected extra out-of-pocket cost
$4,000
Psst — share this and help Rex grow
One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter lower deductible option ($).
- 2Enter annual premium at lower deductible ($).
- 3Enter higher deductible option ($).
- 4Enter annual premium at higher deductible ($).
- 5Enter expected claims over 10 years.
- 6Enter time horizon (years).
- 7Read your net savings choosing higher deductible on the right — it updates as you type.
- 8Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Raising your landlord insurance deductible from $1,000 to $2,500 or $5,000 lowers your annual premium, but it also raises what you pay out of pocket on every claim you file. This calculator compares the premium savings over a chosen time horizon against the extra out-of-pocket cost you'd absorb if you file a typical number of claims, so you can see the breakeven number of claims where the higher deductible stops paying off. Landlords with multiple properties often carry higher deductibles deliberately, self-insuring small losses and reserving insurance for the catastrophic ones, since filing small claims also raises future premiums and can trigger non-renewal.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Lower deductible option: 1000 $
- Annual premium at lower deductible: 1450 $
- Higher deductible option: 5000 $
- Annual premium at higher deductible: 1120 $
- Expected claims over 10 years: 1
- Time horizon: 10 years
Results
- Net savings choosing higher deductible: -$700
- Total premium savings over horizon: $3,300
- Breakeven number of claims: 0.83
- Annual premium savings: $330
- Expected extra out-of-pocket cost: $4,000
What each field means
Inputs
- Lower deductible option ($)
- The lower deductible option used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Annual premium at lower deductible ($)
- The annual premium at lower deductible used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1450 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Higher deductible option ($)
- The higher deductible option used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 5000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Annual premium at higher deductible ($)
- The annual premium at higher deductible used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1120 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Expected claims over 10 years
- The expected claims over 10 years used in the calculation. Starts at 1 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–10.
- Time horizon (years)
- The time horizon used in the calculation, measured in years. Starts at 10 years so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 1–30 years.
Results
- Net savings choosing higher deductible
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total premium savings over horizon
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Breakeven number of claims
- Returned as a decimal number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Annual premium savings
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Expected extra out-of-pocket cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
How many claims does the average landlord file?
Most landlords with well-maintained properties file a claim far less than once every ten years for anything beyond routine maintenance, since small damage typically costs less than the deductible to bother filing. High-risk areas for wind, hail, or water damage see materially more frequent claims, which changes this math a lot.
Does filing a claim raise my premium regardless of the deductible?
Often yes — many insurers apply a claims-frequency surcharge or non-renew policies after two or more claims within a few years, independent of the deductible level. This is a strong argument for a higher deductible: it discourages filing small claims that hurt your insurability more than they help your wallet.
Should every property in a portfolio use the same deductible?
Not necessarily — properties in high-risk zones (coastal wind, wildfire-adjacent, older roofs) may warrant a lower deductible or specialized coverage, while stable, newer, low-risk properties can carry a higher deductible without much added risk. Match the deductible to each property's actual loss profile.
What's a typical hurricane or wind deductible?
In coastal states, wind/hurricane deductibles are often percentage-based rather than flat dollar amounts — commonly 1-5% of the dwelling's insured value — which can mean $5,000-$25,000+ out of pocket on a single claim, a very different risk profile than a flat $1,000-$5,000 deductible on standard perils.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Landlord Insurance Deductible Choice Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/insurance-deductible-choice-rental
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/insurance-deductible-choice-rental" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Landlord Insurance Deductible Choice Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Landlord Insurance Deductible Choice Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/insurance-deductible-choice-rental) (2026).