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Office Insurance
If someone is injured at your office, you may be sued due to their bodily injury or property damage, even if you did nothing wrong. Protect yourself with general liability insurance.
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APOLLO and Gallagher Partner to Protect Your Business
We've partnered with Gallagher, one of Canada's leading insurance brokers, to provide insurance designed for businesses and business professionals. Get professional liability, general liability, and/or contents insurance designed specifically for your profession.
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Three Kinds of Insurance an Office Needs
General Liability Insurance
General liability insurance for offices covers lawsuits related to bodily injury or property damage. If a client or third party sues after slipping or tripping in your office, a general liability policy can cover any legal expenses or cost awards that result.
Commercial Property Insurance
Commercial property insurance for offices protects your business whether you lease or own your office space. If a fire, flood, vandalism, or other perils hit your office, you can rest assured your commercial property policy can cover the cost of repairs or replacements.
Contents Insurance
Contents insurance for offices can repair or replace the items inside your office. Suppose your building is burglarized or a flood damages your computers and servers. In this case, a content insurance policy can cover the cost of replacing or repairing any and all of your tools and furniture.
Offices Are the Center of Many Businesses
As a business owner, you provide valuable services and products to customers and clients across the country and world.
Especially if you’re a small business, most of this magic happens from a single office. Operating an office is inherently risky, and you need the proper insurance to mitigate risks. A customized policy helps protect you from unexpected costs, lawsuits, or property damage—so you can keep your business running with peace of mind.
You can try to mitigate risks without insurance, but there are some things you can’t prepare for.
No matter what you do, it’s hard to prepare for a lightning strike that causes a tree to fall into the roof of your office. Or, suppose a fire starts from an adjacent building and causes damage to your office. These are perils that you can’t mitigate yourself. But the right insurance can ensure you won’t need to pay out-of-pocket repair costs. Insurance is a wise business decision that provides entrepreneurs like yourself peace of mind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does an office need insurance?
You may believe insurance only pays its dues when you make a claim. But when you’re insured, you actually use it daily. The proper insurance plan for your office provides peace of mind, reminding you that you’re financially protected if there’s ever damages, theft, or a lawsuit that strikes your business. This ultimately lets you sleep easy at night so you can focus on what matters to your company.
Office insurance may also be mandatory. As a tenant, it’s not uncommon for landlords to require you to be insured. Your insurance mitigates additional risks to your landlord, so it’s can be a no-brainer for them to demand it of you. The proper office insurance may ultimately mean less conflict between you and your landlord when a crisis erupts because you can claim your insurance policy to remedy the issue.
What risks does leasing or owning an office space entail?
Office insurance is critical to any business with a physical space. Clients or third parties, like custodians or package deliverers, always have the chance to injure themselves or their property whenever they visit your office. In this case, they may sue you for bodily harm or property damage, leaving you with substantial legal fees to pay out-of-pocket. Having the right insurance plan mitigates such financial consequences.
If you keep sensitive client information in your office, and a third party either steals or learns of this information, you could also face a lawsuit from your client. A court may find that an inability to keep information private is a negligent provision of services, resulting in a damage award to your client. This can be a substantial amount, especially when it’s in addition to the legal fees required to fight the lawsuit.
Offices are also prone to disasters such as floods, fires, or vandalism. This can leave your office space unusable for a duration and require significant capital to repair damages. Additionally, such perils can mean the contents of your office are also damaged or stolen and need to be repaired or replaced. Ultimately, it’s going to cost a lot to get everything up and running again.
How Much Does Office Insurance Cost in Canada?
Short answer? Not as much as you think—and definitely less than one unexpected claim. Most small businesses in office spaces can expect to pay between $40 to $120 per month for a comprehensive office insurance policy, depending on factors like your location in Canada, the size of your space, the value of your equipment, and your coverage needs.
Just like your business plan, your insurance should be tailored to fit how you actually operate.
Here's What Impacts the Cost of Your Policy
The Services You Provide
Do you stick to one core service, or offer multiple products and client solutions under one roof?
Each additional offering may introduce new liabilities, especially if they involve client interactions, physical products, or specialized equipment.
Your Liability Coverage Limits
Do you lease your office space, own it, or operate out of a shared coworking hub?
The more exposure your business has to property damage, lawsuits, or third-party incidents, the more comprehensive your insurance needs to be.
Size of Your Organization
Running a single office with a small team, or managing multiple locations with dozens of employees?
The size of your company—based on your number of employees and business locations—can significantly impact your insurance costs.
Claims History (or Lack Thereof)
No past claims? That works in your favour.
A history of claims doesn’t mean you can’t get coverage, but it can influence your rate..
Three Misconceptions About Office Insurance
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“If I rent my office, the landlord’s insurance covers everything.”
Your landlord’s policy only covers the building itself—not your business property, equipment, or liability.
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“Office insurance is only for big companies.”
Even small businesses with a single employee can face unexpected losses—like stolen laptops, slip-and-falls, or equipment damage.
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“General liability covers all my risks.”
General liability is a great start, but it doesn’t cover everything. You may also need other coverages depending on how your office operates.
Liability Quiz
Is general liability insurance enough for my business?
Not always. While it's a strong foundation, you may also need coverage like tenant’s legal liability, commercial property, or business interruption insurance—especially if you have a physical office, staff, or valuable equipment.
I rent my office space—if I accidentally cause a fire, am I covered?
Only if you have tenant’s legal liability insurance. This coverage protects you if you're found responsible for damage to the rented space, like a fire or water leak.
Am I liable if a visitor or client gets injured at the office?
If you have a general liability insurance, it typically covers injuries to third parties (like clients or visitors) that occur on your premises, as well as damage you might accidentally cause to someone else's property. It doesn’t cover employee injuries or damage to your own business property.
What if an employee uses their personal car for work and gets into an accident?
That’s where non-owned auto liability comes in. It covers legal liability if an employee driving their own vehicle for work-related tasks causes an accident.
The Cost of Not Having Office Insurance
Scenario | Out-of-Pocket Cost (Without Insurance) | Covered By Insurance? |
|---|---|---|
A water pipe burst at the office causing a lot of damage to company infrastructure | $10,000 – $50,000+ (repairs, equipment replacement, lost income) | ✔ Contents Coverage |
A client trips and falls in your office | $5,000 – $100,000+ (medical bills, legal fees, settlement) | ✔ General Liability |
A faulty microwave starts a fire in the office and damages the space | $15,000 – $100,000+ (tenant liability, repairs, furniture, downtime) | ✔ Tenant's Legal Liability |
An employee runs out on an office errand with his personal car but meets with an accident | $10,000 – $50,000+ (legal costs and liability damages) | ✔ Non-Owned Auto Liability |
Your office is broken into in the night and a lot of office equipment go missing. | $3,000 – $25,000+ (hardware, software, data recovery) | ✔ Contents Coverage |
PRO TIP: Review and update your office insurance annually—or anytime your business changes.
Adding new equipment, hiring staff, offering new services, or moving to a new location? These changes can affect your coverage needs. Keeping your policy up to date ensures you're not underinsured when it matters most.
Office Insurance Is a Business Essential, Not Just a Safety Net
Secure lease agreements – Most commercial landlords require proof of insurance, especially tenant’s legal liability, before they hand over the keys. Without it, you may not even qualify for the space.
Build client confidence – A Certificate of Insurance shows you’re professional and prepared. It tells clients, investors, and vendors you’re serious about protecting your people, assets, and reputation.
Operate in more spaces – From coworking offices to multi-tenant buildings, many require businesses to carry $1–2M in general liability and list them as an “Additional Insured.”
Grow with confidence – Adding staff? Opening new locations? Hosting events or collaborating with partners? Insurance is part of the foundation that supports sustainable expansion.
Be ready when things go wrong – Fires, theft, slip-and-falls, even cyber attacks—things you can’t always prevent. The right policy helps cover legal costs, equipment replacement, and lost income, so you don’t take the hit alone.
Top 5 Mistakes Office Renters Make (And How to Avoid Them)
1. Assuming the Landlord’s Insurance Covers Everything
It doesn’t. Landlord insurance typically covers the structure only, not your business property or third-party claims.
2. Not Understanding Their Lease Obligations
Some leases require renters to carry specific insurance — like tenant's legal liability or a minimum general liability limit. Failing to meet these terms can lead to breach of contract or even eviction.
3. Underinsuring Equipment and Contents
Businesses often underestimate how much it would cost to replace office infrastructure. Keep an up-to-date inventory and insure everything at full replacement value.
4. Not Updating Coverage as the Business Grows
Many businesses stick with the same policy year after year—until a claim shows they were underinsured. Review your policy annually or whenever your business changes significantly.
5. Skipping Business Interruption Coverage
If a fire, flood, or power outage shuts down your office, you could lose weeks—or months—of income. Add business interruption coverage to help cover lost revenue and temporary relocation costs.