Use dotted terms for definitions. You can also browse the glossary.
Before you decide
- Unavailable gross rent and continuing expenses describe different parts of the same situation.
- Do not count lost gross rent again when calculating the cash needed to pay continuing bills.
- A modeled cash gap does not establish an insurance benefit.
First identify why income stops
A property damaged by an insured event, ordinary tenant turnover and tenant nonpayment are different circumstances. Do not assume rental-income protection addresses all three. Ask about the actual trigger, excluded causes, conditions and time limits.
Travelers’ landlord product describes fair-rental-value protection subject to covered loss and policy terms. NFIP guidance excludes business interruption/loss-of-use financial losses from building and contents cover. These distinctions are reasons to ask, not proof that a particular claim will be paid.
List what still needs to be paid
Use continuing cash expenses: debt service, property tax, insurance, security, utilities or other bills that remain during the selected interruption. Exclude costs that stop, and avoid entering the same expense in more than one field.
List repair/deductible cash separately and decide when it is due. A large cost in the first month can create a cash squeeze even when reimbursement is assumed later. Enter a reimbursement only as a scenario with an amount and receipt month; the tool does not determine eligibility.
Worked example: four months without rent
Assume rent is $2,000 monthly, the interruption lasts four months, continuing bills are $1,600 monthly and a $5,000 repair deductible is paid in month one. No reimbursements are assumed.
| Item | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Unavailable gross rent | $2,000 × 4 | $8,000, reported separately |
| Continuing cash expenses | $1,600 × 4 | $6,400 |
| One-time deductible cash | Month one | $5,000 |
| Peak cumulative cash need | $6,400 + $5,000 | $11,400 |
| Additional reserve with $6,000 available | $11,400 − $6,000 | $5,400 |
Adding $8,000 gross rent to all $11,400 cash outlays would double-count the missing revenue in the reserve question. It is useful to report the income reduction separately from cash needed to pay bills.
Compare durations and reimbursement timing
Load the example in the stress test, then choose a shorter and an extended duration. Keep assumptions visible. A longer modeled period is not a prediction of restoration time.
Move a hypothetical reimbursement later and observe the highest cumulative outflow before it arrives. The peak, not just the final balance, helps frame a reserve discussion. Do not assume insurer processing times or policy benefits from this scenario.
Questions for the licensed partner
- Which cause of damage triggers any income cover?
- How is the amount measured and what expenses are deducted?
- What waiting period, restoration period and dollar limits apply?
- Are flood and other excluded causes addressed separately?
- What records support an income claim and when should notice be given?
Keep rent rolls, leases, expense records and damage documentation in an appropriate private record. Use the general inquiry form to request follow-up, not to upload confidential financial documents.
Sources & scope
- Travelers: Landlord coverage and fair rental value
Product description, subject to covered loss, terms and limits; not a promise of payment.
- FEMA / NFIP: Types of flood insurance coverage
NFIP building, contents and excluded financial-loss context. Form and building class matter.
Sources checked October 24, 2026. General descriptions do not replace the policy, endorsements, declarations or an insurer’s coverage determination. Examples are hypothetical unless explicitly identified otherwise.
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