Property · Insurance Term
Personal Property of Others
Definition
Personal property of others is coverage for things that belong to someone else while they are in your care, custody or control at your property. Examples are a tenant's equipment, a guest's luggage or a customer's goods you are holding.
In Plain English
A standard property policy covers your own business personal property. Many forms also cover other people's property in your care, but often only a little. For example, the policy may give a small extra amount unless you buy a higher limit.
This comes up when you store a tenant's equipment, hold guest luggage at a hotel or keep a customer's goods. It usually pays only for physical damage from a covered cause of loss. Your policy's wording controls how payment is made.
If you hold other people's property as a regular part of your business, you may need more specialized coverage. Examples are bailee's customers coverage and warehouse legal liability.
Not sure how your policy handles this? Have us review it, or get a quote.
Example
Hypothetical and simplified: a hotel stores $15,000 of a conference group's display materials in a meeting room. A pipe bursts and soaks them. If the hotel's policy has only a $2,500 extension for property of others, most of the loss may fall outside it.
What to Watch For
- Check the limit for personal property of others and whether it is a small extension or a full limit.
- List the kinds of others' property you regularly hold and their typical values.
- Ask whether you need legal liability coverage when you are responsible for others' goods.
- For hotels, ask how guest property coverage fits with innkeepers liability.
Last updated October 14, 2026 · Primesure editorial team · How We Write