Kin Insurance Review
- With 2.2/5 stars in 2023, Kin is a decent insurance company.
- Read Kin reviews, complaints and prices before you buy.
Kin insurance: Ratings and reviews
Kin is a tech-savvy home insurance company that provides coverage in risk-prone areas. Based in Chicago, Kin is unique in that it sells policies specifically in states susceptible to hurricanes, wildfires, and other severe weather events.
Kin prides itself on offering affordable home insurance coverage in states where many insurers are reticent to write policies. While still only selling coverage in a handful of states, the company claims the average homeowner can save up to $500 by switching to Kin. For those struggling to find coverage in high-risk areas, Kin may be a good option for basic coverage.
In our review of Kin’s homeowners insurance, we’ll detail discounts, coverage options, and other notable standouts so that you know what to expect as a Kin client.
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Good for homeowners in high-risk zones or areas prone to hurricanes
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Good for customers looking for basic coverage options at affordable prices
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Digital-first approach makes online purchasing easy
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Limited availability
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Not a wide array of coverage options including lack of bundling home with auto
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Not great for customers who prefer working with an agent
Is Kin a good insurance company?
The majority of The Zebra's review incorporates how well Kin scores in terms of customer service. In order to determine that we looked at the following third-party ratings.
Trustpilot Reviews: 4.6/5
- Kin earned 4.6/5 stars from Trustpilot[1]
BBB Customer Reviews: 4.7/5
- Kin has a 4.7/5 rating from Better Business Bureau customers[2]
Complaint Index: Average
- The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) receives Average customer complaints for Kin[3]
Financial Stability: A (Exceptional)
- Kin received an A (Exceptional)Â financial stability rating from Demotech[4]
The Zebra Customer Satisfaction Survey
In addition to third-party ratings, we like to incorporate the results from our own consumer survey where we ranked which home insurance companies are the best based on feedback from real customers. However, we did not collect a sufficient amount of data on Kin for it to be included.
How much does Kin insurance cost?
Being a newer insurance company, Kin's pricing data is not widely available, which unfortunately is something else we use to calculate our review.
However, based on rate-increase filings in the state of Florida — a state that has long suffered from homeowners insurance issues — we know the company has been dramatically increasing prices in that state. According to Insurance Journal, the company is seeking a 61.5% rate increase for an HO-3 policy and a staggering 103% for one of its condo policies[5].
While this doesn't guarantee that their prices will be more expensive than those of competitors since many insurers are struggling in areas prone to extreme weather, these trends are concerning which is why it's always worth getting a quote on homeowners insurance in your area to see if the company can offer coverage within your budget.
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Discounts offered
In an effort to stay competitive with home insurance discounts offered by various companies, Kin offers the following cost-cutting measures for policyholders. Note that these discounts may vary by state.
Discounts based on your home:
- Home security - equip your home with home security systems or fire alarms to receive this discount
- Wind mitigation - this is a home inspection that evaluates and certifies your home’s resilience to windstorms, and can lead to some savings
- Fire mitigation -Â available for California homeowners, Kin offers a discount if you take measures to make your home more resilient to fire damage, like ember-resistant venting or an annual brush removal contract
- Water detection - qualify for this discount by installing water leak detection systems in your home to prevent water damage
- Accredited builder - if your home is a new construction backed by a builder’s warranty, Kin offers a lower premium
- Responsible repair - this is Kin’s response to Florida legislation making it harder for contractors to take advantage of homeowners making claims. If you agree not to sign over the benefits of your claims to a contractor should you need repairs, you can be eligible for this discount
- LEED-certified home -Â applicable to those in California whose home meets the environmental standards of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, Kin offers some savings if your home is energy efficient
Discounts based on your policy or policyholder:
- Claims-free - a common discount for home insurance, you can expect a cheaper premium if you haven’t made a claim in 7+ years
- New homeowner -Â ask about this discount if you bought your home sometime this past year
- Mature homeowner - get a senior discount if you’re over the age of 50
- Pay in full -Â take care of your premium in full to avoid paying monthly processing fees commonly charged by insurance providers
- Electronic policy -Â save $10 by enrolling in paperless policy management
- Home community -Â see some savings if you live in an HOA-managed or secured community
Read more about all the discounts Kin offers here.Â
Search, compare and buy all on one site. Start saving today!
What types of coverage does Kin offer?
Another key component of Kin's review is the types of coverage options they offer.
All of the standard home insurance coverages can be found at Kin, including coverage for your dwelling, other structures, personal property, personal liability, loss of use, and medical payments. But unlike most insurance companies, Kin only offers insurance based on replacement cost rather than actual cash value, which deducts depreciation from your claim payout. This is beneficial in the event you suffer covered property damage, as it will ensure you get the full amount required to replace what you lost.
As an insurance carrier willing to face the risks of insuring clients vulnerable to natural disasters, Kin conveniently offers:
- Flood insurance - this option is independent of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), the typical default option for most homeowners seeking flood insurance
- Hurricane insurance - in states that have separate hurricane deductibles, Kin lets policyholders choose between the typical 1% to 10% of your dwelling coverage or a flat rate, depending on your state’s regulations
- Wildfire coverage - while Kin's policies do cover wildfires, there are some perils that could result from such fires that may not be covered
Note Kin does not offer many endorsements or riders to supplement home insurance, however scheduled property and identity fraud protection are two optional coverages they do offer.
Additional lines of insurance
Kin’s pillar insurance product is homeowners insurance, but the company offers other property-specific coverages:
It may be worth inquiring as to whether any of these additional lines of coverage would make you eligible for a bundling discount.Â
Kin insurance review: Summary
In short, Kin is a forward-thinking insurance company offering a wide range of home coverage options and reasonable prices. Its innovations in data and direct-to-consumer approach helps it stand out among the pack. Yet, it's important to remember that 'one-size-fits-all' rarely applies in insurance — individual needs and circumstances can significantly influence the suitability of a policy.Â
Our analysis shows that Kin has the potential to cater to a specific type of customer given its unique approach and availability in areas less covered by major insurers. However, as with any insurance decision, we at The Zebra encourage potential clients to fully evaluate their individual needs, the coverage options available, and the company's services before finalizing their choice.
Methodology — how The Zebra reviews insurance companies
The team of insurance experts at The Zebra considers the company's standing in five main categories to come up with an overall rating. These metrics are weighted according to importance and are detailed below:
- Price (20%): Using the base profile detailed below, we compared the company's average rate with the national average. If it surpassed this average, we gave a lower rating; if it fell below, we awarded a higher rating.
- Coverage (20%): The highest-scoring companies offer a variety of coverage options, including bundling options, roadside assistance, telematics, beyond-basic coverage levels, and a variety of other coverage types.
- Customer service (30%): We averaged ratings from JD Power, the NAIC complaint index to come up with a rating for the company's customer service. In instances when a company is not rated, we may use alternative rating agencies such as the Better Business Bureau and Trust Pilot.
- Financial strength (10%): We use AM Best to determine a company's financial standing. In some cases when a company is not rated by AM Best, we may use an alternative measure such as Demotech.
- The Zebra's Customer Satisfaction Survey (20%): The Zebra conducts an annual survey measuring customer satisfaction for many of the top insurance companies with the goal of ranking both the best auto insurance companies and best home insurance companies. Read more below.
For our auto insurance review, we analyzed more than 83 million insurance rates spanning every U.S. ZIP code using a sample user profile: a 30-year-old single male driver with a Honda Accord, good credit and full coverage at these levels:
- $50,000 per person/$100,000 per incident for bodily injury liability
- $50,000 per incident for property damage liability
- $500 deductibles for collision and comprehensive coverage
For our home insurance review, rates are based on a sample user profile: a 45-year-old married homeowner living in a 2,500-square-foot single-story home built in 2011 with these coverage levels:
- $200,000 for the dwelling
- $20,000 for other structures
- $100,000 for personal property
- $100,000 for personal liability
- $1,000 deductible
These sample premiums are dynamic and automatically refresh whenever the newest data is made available.
To generate pricing for particular rating factors, we adjusted this profile based on common pricing factors used by major car insurance companies. These factors include credit score, coverage level and others.
For The Zebra's Customer Satisfaction Survey, findings are based on an online quantitative survey of 4,134 current U.S. auto and home insurance customers, with Census-balanced sampling by age, gender and region. Categories with n=<20 responses are considered insufficient sample size and are not reported. This survey was developed by The Zebra and executed by independent research firm Maru/Blue in 2023.
Kin insurance: Frequently asked questions
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About The Zebra
The Zebra is not an insurance company. We publish data-backed, expert-reviewed resources to help consumers make more informed insurance decisions.
- The Zebra’s insurance content is written and reviewed for accuracy by licensed insurance agents.
- The Zebra’s insurance content is not subject to review or alteration by insurance companies or partners.
- The Zebra’s editorial team operates independently of the company’s partnerships and commercialization interests, publishing unbiased information for consumer benefit.
- The auto insurance rates published on The Zebra’s pages are based on a comprehensive analysis of car insurance pricing data, evaluating more than 83 million insurance rates from across the United States.