Kin Home Insurance Review 2024

Kin Insurance sells homeowners policies in a handful of disaster-prone states.
Sarah Schlichter
By Sarah Schlichter 
Updated
Edited by Caitlin Constantine

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Kin

3.0

NerdWallet rating 
Provides homeowners insurance in high-risk states.

Coverage options

Below average

Discounts

Great set of discounts

NAIC complaints

More than expected
insurance-product-card-logo

Kin

3.0

NerdWallet rating 
Provides homeowners insurance in high-risk states.

Coverage options

Below average

Discounts

Great set of discounts

NAIC complaints

More than expected

About Kin home insurance

3.0

NerdWallet rating 

Kin homeowners insurance earned 3 out of 5 stars for overall performance. Founded in 2016, Kin Insurance seeks to lower costs for high-risk homes by relying on technology and selling directly to consumers instead of through agents. Its home insurance is currently available in only a handful of states, but it's worth considering if you live in one of them.

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Our star ratings are based on consumer complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners; financial strength grades from AM Best; coverage and discounts available; and the overall consumer experience. See our criteria for evaluating home insurance companies.

Our writers and editors follow strict editorial guidelines that ensure fairness and accuracy in order to help you choose the financial products that work best for you. Here is a list of our partners and here’s how we make money.

Where Kin stands out

User-friendly website. You can get quotes, file claims and find information without having to work with an agent, though personalized assistance is available as well.

Private flood insurance option. Kin offers private flood insurance with more generous coverage limits and shorter waiting periods than policies from the federal government.

Where Kin falls short

Availability. The company's limited reach is the biggest drawback, as most Americans don't live in a state where they can buy a Kin policy.

Bundling. Because Kin doesn’t offer auto, boat or many other types of insurance, you’ll need to seek that coverage elsewhere.

State availability

Kin currently offers new homeowners policies in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.

Availability may change at any time. Coverage may not be available to all homeowners in a given state.

Kin home insurance coverage

You can customize your homeowners policy with numerous add-ons, but below are the types of coverage that generally come standard:

Type of coverage

What it does

Pays to repair or rebuild the structure of your home.

Covers damage to unattached structures such as sheds or fences.

Pays to repair or replace personal belongings such as furniture or clothing.

Pays for hotel stays, restaurant meals or other expenses if you have to live elsewhere while your home undergoes covered repairs.

Covers legal expenses and damages if you're responsible for injuries to other people or their property.

Covers injuries to guests in your home, regardless of fault.

In addition to the basic coverage above, Kin may also offer:

Replacement cost coverage for personal property. Many insurance companies cover your belongings on an “actual cash value” basis unless you choose otherwise. For example, if a fire destroys your 15-year-old sofa and you have actual cash value coverage, your insurer will pay out only enough to buy another 15-year-old sofa. With replacement cost coverage, you’d receive enough money to buy a brand-new sofa.

Ordinance or law coverage. This pays expenses associated with rebuilding your home to comply with the latest building codes.

Extended dwelling coverage. If you select this option, Kin will pay more than your dwelling coverage limit if rebuilding your home after a disaster costs more than expected.

Identity fraud insurance. This coverage pays for fees and lost income associated with recovering your identity.

Animal liability coverage. If your dog bites someone outside your household, many insurance companies would pay for ensuing medical or legal expenses as part of their standard liability coverage. But with Kin, you have to add this coverage to your policy as an endorsement if you need it.

Water backup coverage. This type of insurance pays for damage due to backed-up drains or sump pump failures.

Hurricane screen enclosure coverage. This endorsement provides coverage for the frame of a swimming pool’s screen enclosure.

Personal injury liability coverage. This endorsement expands your liability coverage to include scenarios such as libel or slander.

Discounts

Discounts vary by state, but you may be able to save on your Kin premium by:

  • Having security or fire alarms.

  • Taking wind mitigation measures.

  • Having a new or hip-shaped roof.

  • Going without a claim for a set amount of time.

  • Opting to get your insurance documents electronically.

  • Having a water detection device.

  • Agreeing not to turn over your claims benefits to contractors.

  • Living in a neighborhood with a security guard.

  • Being a new homebuyer.

  • Living in an area with a private fire company.

  • Having a newly constructed home.

  • Being a senior or retiree.

Consumer complaints

Kin received more home insurance complaints to state regulators than expected for a company of its size, according to NerdWallet's analysis of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. (NAIC home insurance complaints also cover other home policy types, including mobile home, renters and condo insurance.)

Consumer experience

Website: It takes only a couple of minutes to get a quote on the Kin website. Its FAQ section offers useful information on homeowners coverage. You can also make payments, file claims and view policy information on the Kin website.

Claims: You can file a homeowners claim online or by phone. If you choose the online option, you can upload damage photos and other documentation. Learn more about how to file a home insurance claim.

Customer service: You can get help from Kin's support staff by submitting an email form on the website, calling 855-216-7674 or using the site's chat feature. Customer service is available every day but Sunday.

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The bottom line

If you live in Kin's coverage area and are looking for an insurer with a strong online presence, Kin may be a good choice. However, it may not be a good fit if you’re looking to buy multiple insurance policies from the same place, such as auto, home and umbrella.

Other home insurance companies to consider

Not ready to make a decision? You may be interested in these other homeowners insurance companies:

Current Product

Kin Home Insurance
State Farm Homeowners Insurance
Allstate Homeowners Insurance
NerdWallet rating 

3.0

/5
NerdWallet rating 

4.5

/5
NerdWallet rating 

4.0

/5

Complaints to NAIC 

More than expected

Complaints to NAIC 

Fewer than expected

Complaints to NAIC 

More than expected

Coverage 

Below average

Coverage 

More than average

Coverage 

About average

Discounts 

Great set of discounts

Discounts 

Average set of discounts

Discounts 

Great set of discounts

Bottom line 

Provides homeowners insurance in high-risk states.

Bottom line 

Well-established insurer with a lengthy list of coverage options.

Bottom line 

Widely available across the U.S. with lots of ways to customize your policy, but receives more complaints than expected.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, Kin sells flood insurance as an add-on to its homeowners policies. Most flood insurance policies in the U.S. are underwritten by the National Flood Insurance Program, but Kin offers its own private flood insurance. Unlike NFIP coverage, which generally requires a 30-day waiting period, Kin’s flood insurance takes effect as soon as you purchase it.

Kin sells mobile home, landlord and second home policies in both Florida and Louisiana. It also offers condo insurance in Florida. In Alabama, South Carolina and Mississippi, your policy can cover a primary home, a vacation home or a property you rent out to others. In Arizona and Virginia, your policy can cover a primary home or one you rent out.

The roof surface payment schedule endorsement could help you save money on your Kin homeowners insurance policy — if you’re willing to take a little risk. (An endorsement is an addition to a policy that changes its original terms.)

Say a hailstorm destroys your roof. Without the roof surface payment schedule endorsement, Kin would pay enough for you to buy a brand-new roof made of similar materials to the old one. But if you’ve chosen the endorsement, your home’s roof will be covered only for its actual cash value — which, on an older roof, could be significantly less than what it would cost to replace it. The endorsement applies only to hail and wind damage.

Adding a roof surface payment schedule endorsement to your policy could lower your premium or even help you get coverage when you might otherwise be denied for having too old a roof. But you’ll want to weigh the chance of not having enough coverage for your roof after a disaster.

Kin may deny or restrict coverage for homeowners with any of the following dog breeds:

Akita, American Staffordshire terrier, Beauceron, Belgian Malinois, bull mastiff, Caucasian mountain dog, chow, Doberman pinscher, German shepherd, great Dane, keeshond, pit bull, Rottweiler, Staffordshire bull terrier and any wolf hybrid.

Learn more about dog liability insurance.

Methodology

Homeowners insurance star ratings methodology

NerdWallet’s homeowners insurance ratings reward companies for customer-first features and practices. Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including financial strength, consumer complaints, coverage, discounts and online experience. These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our full ratings methodology for home insurance.

Insurer complaints methodology

NerdWallet examined complaints received by state insurance regulators and reported to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in 2020-2022. To assess how insurers compare to one another, the NAIC calculates a complaint index each year for each subsidiary, measuring its share of total complaints relative to its size, or share of total premiums in the industry. To evaluate a company’s complaint history, NerdWallet calculated a similar index for each insurer, weighted by market shares of each subsidiary, over the three-year period. NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC. Ratios are determined separately for auto, home (including renters and condo) and life insurance.

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