The Best Home Warranty Companies for Rental Properties (June 2023)

If you are a landlord, chances are you have already invested a lot of time, money and energy into your rental property. Rental property owners have to budget for operating expenses, vacancies, maintenance, and upgrades. It can be easy to overlook another option that can provide further peace of mind — a home warranty.

The best home warranty companies can help you be prepared if the water heater goes on the fritz or the roof gets a leak, especially if you don't have the savings to immediately address an unexpected breakdown.

We at the Guides Home Team have researched the top home warranty companies for your needs as a rental property owner.

We determined that American Home Shield (AHS) is our top recommendation for property management due to its extensive coverage and widespread availability. It offers a generous $3,000 coverage cap per covered system and appliance in its ShieldSilver and ShieldGold Plans. Its ShieldPlatinum plan increases the coverage cap to $6,000 per covered item.

Check out our list of pros and cons for American Home Shield coverage:

+ Provides annual discounts for HVAC system tune-ups+ Covers qualified items with unknown preexisting conditions+ Offers high coverage caps in each plan ($3,000 for ShieldSilver and ShieldGold, $6,000 for ShieldPlatinum)

– Charges high monthly premiums per plan– Provides roof-leak coverage only as an add-on in ShieldSilver and ShieldGold plans

American Home Shield offers three tiered plans: ShieldSilver, ShieldGold and ShieldPlatinum. Here is a breakdown of coverage options each plan offers.

While AHS does not have an appliance-only plan option, the company's coverage of systems and appliances with pre-existing conditions may be appealing to landlords, since the turnover of tenants can often lead to issues that are not always easily identified.

AHS will cover issues that cannot be determined through a simple mechanical inspection, like turning an appliance on and off or completing a visual check to see if any parts are missing. AHS’ coverage is not limited by the age of an appliance or system, and service records are not required to be covered.

American Home Shield also offers an adjustable service call fee, allowing you to choose one of three amounts — $75, $100 or $125 — to set your monthly payment amount. A higher service fee will reduce your monthly bill and a lower service fee will increase it.

We requested a quote from American Home Shield for a single-family home under 5,000 square feet in Montgomery, Ala. The company estimated that coverage would range from $19.99–$89.99 per month, depending on the plan and choice of service call fee. Keep in mind that plan costs will vary depending on where you live and the size of your home. Below is a plan and pricing breakdown for American Home Shield.

Plan

Monthly Cost

ShieldSilver

$19.99–$39.99

ShieldGold

$39.99–$59.99

ShieldPlatinum

$69.99–$89.99

Get a quote: Fill out American Home Shield's quote form or call 844-529-9298 for your free quote.

To learn more: American Home Shield review

Liberty Home Guard is a newer company, but it has quickly built a positive reputation with its customizable plans and customer service. A highlight of Liberty Home Guard for rental property owners is its menu of more than 30 add-on options. A large selection of add-on coverage — more than any other provider on our list — means you can create coverage that fits your specific needs for a rental warranty without going over budget or paying for coverage you don't need.

Liberty also has an easy-to-use online portal for filing and tracking claims, making policy changes and paying bills. On top of a convenient online portal, it includes a 60-day workmanship guarantee for all completed repairs.

Review our pros and cons for Liberty Home Guard coverage:

+ Covers two heating and air conditioning systems in its Systems Guard and Total Home Guard plans+ Offers discounts on select new appliance purchases+ Provides flexible coverage with more than 30 unique add-ons

– Doesn't allow customers to choose service providers– Excludes pro-series appliance coverage in standard plans

Liberty offers an appliances-only plan, a systems-exclusive plan and a comprehensive plan that includes appliances and in-home systems.

Liberty Home Guard's plans consist of the following:

Add-ons such as gutter cleaning, pest control and floor and carpet cleaning may be especially helpful for rental property owners in terms of keeping the home maintained through tenant turnover.

The cost of a home warranty plan with Liberty Home Guard ranges from approximately $49–$60 per month for a single-family home of less than 5,000 square feet in Raleigh, N.C. Liberty selects the exact service fee customers pay, although the company does not provide its rationale, beyond location and plan selection, for setting that fee. This amount will range from $65–$125, according to our quote from the company.

Customers can receive discounts for signing up for multi-year contracts and paying in one installment. For example, an annual payment on a one-year contract includes two months of free coverage. An up-front payment on a five-year contract includes six months of free coverage. Below is a plan and pricing breakdown for Liberty Home Guard.

Plan

Monthly Cost

Appliance Guard

$49.99

Systems Guard

$54.99

Total Home Guard

$59.99

Get a quote: Fill out Liberty Home Guard's quote form or call 866-452-9107 for your free quote.

To learn more: Liberty Home Guard review

Select Home Warranty is on our list of top home warranty providers for rental property owners because of its budget-friendly approach to coverage, particularly with roof-leak coverage.

Select offers limited roof-leak repairs on single-family homes with all plan tiers, and each plan costs $50 a month or less. Select is also known for its quick turnaround on claims, typically providing same-day responses.

Check our our key pros and cons for Select Home Warranty coverage:

+ Includes $400 roof-leak coverage in every plan+ Offers a low $75 service call fee+ Provides $3,000 coverage cap for HVAC systems (both heating and cooling)

– Excludes tankless water heater systems coverage– Offers low coverage caps ($500 for electrical, plumbing and appliances, and $400 for add-ons)

Select Home Warranty offers three coverage options:

Select Home Warranty's three plans range from $44–$48 per month, according to our quote for a Dover, Del., home of less than 5,000 square feet. While Select has a service call fee on the low end of the industry standard, the company may charge that fee multiple times for one visit if multiple home repairs are needed. Select's service call fee is $75, and the industry average is between $75 and $125. Below is a plan and pricing breakdown for Select Home Warranty.

Plan

Monthly Cost

Bronze Care

$44.42

Gold Care

$44.42

Platinum Care

$47.75

Get a quote: Fill out Select Home Warranty's quote form or call 888-370-3956 for your free quote.

To learn more: Select Home Warranty review

America's 1st Choice Home Club (AFC Home Club) has the largest selection of plans of any provider on our list. While most home warranty companies have two or three plans, AFC Home Club has four.

The variety of options, as well as AFC Home Club's standout workmanship guarantee, which lasts the length of your contract, may be appealing to landlords looking for comprehensive coverage of essential home appliances and systems.

Review our pros and cons for AFC Home Club coverage:

+ Allows you to choose your service provider+ Offers plan variety (four plans compared to the typical two or three)+ Provides a plan-length workmanship guarantee on repairs

– Charges a $75 cancellation fee after your first 30 days– Limits all covered items older than five years to a coverage cap equal to its depreciated value

AFC Home Club offers an appliances-only plan, an in-home systems-only plan and two higher-coverage combination options. Those plans consist of the following:

Ductwork is included in all four plans. AFC Home Club also allows customers to select any contractor in their area for repairs, provided that contractor is licensed and insured.

Additionally, AFC Home Club has a workmanship guarantee that is significantly longer than the industry standard of 30 to 90 days. The company will guarantee repairs for the entire length of your one- or three-year contract.

Coverage with AFC Home Club for a single-family home in Cheyenne, Wyo. ranges from $37–$61 per month, depending upon your selected plan and service call fee. Three service call fee amounts are available: $75, $100 and $125. The higher the service call fee you select, the lower your monthly premium. Below is a plan and pricing breakdown for AFC Home Club.

Plan

Monthly Cost

Silver Plan

$37.17–$41.83

Systems Plan

$44.17–$48.92

Gold Plan

$51.25–$56.00

Platinum Plan

$56.00–$60.67

Get a quote: Fill out AFC Home Club's quote form or call 877-755-1115 for your free quote.

To learn more: AFC Home Club review

Cinch Home Services covers 28 systems and appliances and offers some unique customer perks, such as a homeowners insurance reimbursement in the top-tier plan. Cinch will reimburse customers up to $500 if they have to file a homeowners insurance claim during the length of their home warranty contract.

The company will also cover pre-existing conditions that aren't easily detectable as well as damage due to rust and corrosion. American Home Shield is the only other provider on our list that includes rust and corrosion damage in its pre-existing condition coverage. While Liberty Home Guard covers pre-existing conditions, that coverage does not extend to rust and corrosion. The remaining providers in this review — AFC Home Club and Select Home Warranty — do not cover pre-existing conditions.

The company's claims process includes a 180-day (six-month) guarantee on repairs and replacements, which is longer than most competitors’ range of 30–90 days, though not as long as AFC Home Club.

Check out Cinch Home Services’ key pros and cons:

+ Offers a 180-day workmanship guarantee for all completed repairs+ Includes coverage for rust and corrosion damage+ Covers appliance components like knobs, doors and drawers

– Offers a limited amount of add-on coverage options– Charges slightly higher service fees than others on this list

Cinch Home Services offers three plans: Appliances, Built-in Systems and Complete Home. Here is a coverage breakdown of each plan below.

The company also offers discounts of up to 30% on the purchase of a new name-brand appliance.

Cinch Home Services plans range from $65–$97 per month for a single-family home in Albany, N.Y. New customers receive one month of free coverage when they opt for monthly billing.

Cinch offers three service call fees of $100, $125 and $150. Depending on which amount you choose, your monthly bill will be higher or lower. Below is a plan and pricing breakdown for Cinch Home Services.

Plan

Monthly Cost

Appliances Plan

$65.99–$75.99

Built-in Systems Plan

$69.99–$81.99

Complete Home Plan

$84.99–$96.99

Get a quote: Fill out Cinch Home Services quote form or call 855-435-0489 for your free quote.

To learn more: Cinch Home Services review

We have thoroughly evaluated the providers on this list based on coverage, pricing and customer satisfaction, among other considerations, but it is important that you consider what needs you have for your rental property. We also recommend seeking quotes from at least three providers to compare services and cost.

You may want to start your search for a home warranty provider for your rental property by checking out American Home Shield, Liberty Home Guard or AFC Home Club. American Home Shield and Liberty Home Guard are great choices for homeowners with a guest suite on their property because both providers offer coverage as an add-on. AFC Home Club is a good choice for landlords who live out of state or don't always have time to stop by their rental properties because the workmanship guarantee is valid for the entire length of your plan.

We recommend reading each company's sample contract or talking to a company representative to fully understand the terms and conditions of your policy.

See how our top picks for rental property home warranty providers compare on costs and ratings:

Having a home warranty in addition to homeowners insurance can provide more comprehensive protection for your rental home. Homeowners insurance only covers major structural damage caused by unforeseen events, such as natural disasters or theft, but it won't help you if there is damage to your appliances or systems due to use, age or malfunction.

A home warranty, therefore, could save you considerable money on your investment property over the long run, since any damage caused by tenants will only cost you a small portion of the total cost of repairs or replacements.

To learn more: Home Warranty vs. Home Insurance: What's the Difference?

Most home warranty companies have a 30-day waiting period before purchased plans are effective, while some companies may offer warranties that go into effect immediately or have longer waiting periods.

Always be sure to read the fine print of sample contracts for providers from which you request a quote to determine how quickly you will be able to utilize your home warranty coverage.

Crucial to your plumbing system, the main water line is typically covered in most home warranty company's systems-only and comprehensive plans. However, you should speak with a customer service representative if you are not sure. You can also review a sample service contract for most providers either online or by requesting one through a customer service rep.

Coverage of older appliances and built-in systems will depend upon the home warranty provider. American Home Shield and Cinch Home Services are both good options for homeowners who have older or under-maintained appliances or systems, since both companies extend coverage to appliances and systems regardless of age.

Our team created a comprehensive rating system to rank providers based on objective factors. We researched each company by speaking with company representatives, reading sample contracts, and analyzing and comparing consumer reviews. We deepened our research by gaining homeowner insights through surveys and focus groups.

After collecting data, we scored each provider in the following categories: plan options, cost, trustworthiness, customer service, state availability, additional benefits and coverage specifics.

Jesus Sanchez Garcia is a writer specializing in home warranties and related insurance products. He holds a particular interest in research and understanding his readers, and he has facilitated focus groups to gain deeper insight into homeowners’ needs. Jesus has a bachelor's degree in business administration and marketing. In his spare time, Jesus can be found cheering on Arsenal or spending time with his cat, Nevi.

Rebekah Young is an editor with a decade of experience in educational content and editing. Before joining the Guides Home Team to focus on home services content, she guided content strategy and edited in the insurance, venture capital, financial and health care fields. Rebekah has a bachelor's degree in communication and English.