Slide Insurance review: Can this startup solve Florida's home insurance crisis?
As home insurers in Florida exit the state or go out of business, Slide is taking over their policies and aiming to stabilize the state's home insurance market. However, their business practices aren't without controversy.
By
Jessica OlivoJessica OlivoFreelance contributorJessica Olivo is a writer living in Connecticut. She specializes in web and blog content in a variety of topics such as parenting, business, and culture, as well as serialized and short fiction.After working in publishing and book publicity for many years, she transitioned to freelance writing full time.&Pat HowardPat HowardManaging Editor & Licensed Home Insurance ExpertPat Howard is a licensed insurance expert and former managing editor at Policygenius. Pat has written extensively about the home insurance industry and his insights as a subject matter expert have appeared in several top tier publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and Reuters. Pat has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Michigan State University.
Edited by
Jennifer GimbelJennifer GimbelSenior Managing Editor & Home Insurance ExpertJennifer Gimbel is a senior managing editor at Policygenius, where she oversees all of our insurance coverage. Previously, she was the managing editor at Finder.com and a content strategist at Babble.com.
Our proprietary ratings methodology takes multiple factors into account, including customer satisfaction, cost, financial strength, and policy offerings. See the “Ratings methodology” section for more details.
3.9
AM Best rating
AM Best is a global credit rating agency that scores the financial strength of insurance companies on a scale from A++ (Superior) to D (Poor).
NA
Cost
Using a mix of internal and external rate data, we grade the cost of each insurance company's premiums on a scale from least expensive ($) to most expensive ($$$$$).
NA
The bottom line
If you're a Florida resident and your home insurance provider went insolvent or left the state the last couple of years, there's a decent chance that Slide Insurance is now insuring your home or, at the very least, offered to renew your policy.
The Tampa-based startup, which launched in 2021, has acquired over 200,000 home insurance policies and hundreds of millions of dollars in premiums from St. Johns Insurance Company and UPC Insurance — two former Florida insurers that have gone insolvent since 2022. And most recently, Slide acquired renewal rights to 86,000 Farmers home insurance policies after the insurer announced they were leaving the state.
This has left many Florida homeowners confused as to why they're getting a renewal offer (in some cases with higher premiums) from a company they've never heard of before. Additionally, Slide's strategy of "cherry picking" policies that carry the least amount of risk from other insurers as well as Citizens — the state's insurer of last-resort — isn't without controversy, as some view this practice as an opportunistic way for insurers to rake in profits by increasing premiums on homes with little-to-no risk of total losses.
However, Slide has said it's intent on bringing "stability and solvency" to the Florida and South Carolina home insurance markets. According to Slide's website, it leverages AI and advanced data analysis to provide customers with a "hyper-personalized" insurance experience, which means everything from your policy coverages to the rate you pay should be fairly accurate.
Additionally, Slide received an "A" financial stability rating with Demotech, a leading financial analysis firm focused on the insurance industry. This means Slide is well-positioned to pay out the claims of its customers in the event of a disaster.
Offers coverage to Florida homeowners who may not have other options
Earns A (Exceptional) rating from Demotech for its financial strength and stability
Cons
Still too new to gauge customer service around claims and policy management
Website lacks detailed information about all of its coverage and discount options available
Doesn’t offer a mobile app, access to an online account, or online quotes
Basic coverages offered
Slide home insurance policies include these six standard coverages to protect your home, belongings, and personal liability:
Dwelling coverage: Pays to repair or rebuild the structure of your home after a covered loss.
Other structures coverage: Pays to repair or rebuild other structures on your property not connected to your home, including detached garages, storage sheds, and fencing.
Personal property coverage: Pays to repair or replace your personal belongings after a covered loss, including furniture, clothing, tech gadgets, and other stuff you own.
Loss of use coverage: Pays for hotel stays, restaurant bills, pet boarding fees, and other temporary living expenses after a covered loss if you need to live elsewhere while your home is being rebuilt.
Personal liability coverage: Pays for legal and medical expenses if someone is injured or their belongings are damaged while at your home and you’re found legally responsible.
Medical payments coverage: Pays for small-dollar medical bills if someone is injured while at your home — regardless of who is at fault.
Additional coverages offered
You can add these additional coverages to your Slide homeowners insurance policy for even more protection:
Pet liability: Protects you in case of a lawsuit resulting from your pet injuring someone.
Condo insurance: Purchased as a supplement to your condo association’s master policy, condo insurance covers your personal belongings, the interior structure of your condo unit, and personal liability.
Our price rating scale looks at home insurance rates for a policy with $300,000 in dwelling coverage, as well as the total number of discounts offered. We didn't have cost or discount information available for Slide Insurance as of February 2023, so we didn’t rate the insurer on price.
Customer experience
NA
Our customer experience scale uses data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaint index. Since NAIC’s current scores are based on 2021 data, we do not have a customer experience rating for Slide Insurance as of February 2023.
Coverage options
3.2/5
Our coverage options rating is based on both the number and quality of additional coverage and policy options offered by the company. Slide Insurance earns an average score compared to other regional home insurance companies based on the information available on its website.
Financial strength
4.5/5
Our financial strength rating is a weighted combination of three industry-leading metrics to measure a company’s financial health: AM Best, Standard & Poor’s, and Moody’s. Since Slide Insurance is not yet rated by any of these companies, we based its score on its A (Exceptional) rating from Demotech, another rating firm that measures the financial strength and stability of insurance carriers.
How much does Slide home insurance cost?
The average cost of home insurance with Slide Insurance will vary depending on a variety of factors, including:
Where you live
Your home’s age, condition, and claims history
Discounts you qualify for
Your coverages and policy limits
Your credit score
Compare home insurance quotes with top Florida insurers in minutes
What discounts does Slide Insurance offer?
Most insurers offer ways to help you save on the cost of home insurance. Contact a Slide Insurance agent to find out if you qualify for eligible home insurance discounts.
Slide Insurance state availability
Slide Insurance offers home insurance policies in Florida.
What to expect with Slide home insurance
How to get a quote: You can submit your information on the Slide Insurance website to receive a quote from a local agent.
Customer service options: You can get in touch with a Slide Insurance customer service rep by calling 800-748-2030 or emailing customerservice@slideins.com.
How to file a claim: You can file a Slide Insurance home insurance claim by calling 866-230-3758 or completing an online form.
How to cancel your policy: You can cancel your Slide Insurance home insurance policy by calling your agent (their contact info should be on your policy declarations page), by mail, or by visiting your local agent in person.
Slide Insurance in the news
In February 2023, Slide Insurance CEO Bruce Lucas discussed starting a new business in Florida’s struggling insurance market. (Insurance Business America)
In February 2023, Slide Insurance acquired renewal rights to UPC Insurance's Florida home insurance policies. (Business Observer)
In March 2022, Slide acquired $400 million in home insurance premiums from St. John’s Insurance Co. (Business Observer)
Slide Insurance vs. other home insurance companies
Compare Slide Insurance to other Florida home insurance companies:
Jessica Olivo is a writer living in Connecticut. She specializes in web and blog content in a variety of topics such as parenting, business, and culture, as well as serialized and short fiction.
After working in publishing and book publicity for many years, she transitioned to freelance writing full time.
Pat Howard is a licensed insurance expert and former managing editor at Policygenius. Pat has written extensively about the home insurance industry and his insights as a subject matter expert have appeared in several top tier publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and Reuters. Pat has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Michigan State University.
Jennifer Gimbel is a senior managing editor at Policygenius, where she oversees all of our insurance coverage. Previously, she was the managing editor at Finder.com and a content strategist at Babble.com.
