Certificate of Insurance

A Certificate of Insurance (COI) is a document that shows a vendor, contractor, tenant, or supplier has active insurance coverage. In multifamily operations, it is commonly used to confirm required coverage such as general liability, workers’ compensation, and professional liability before work begins. COIs are part of vendor credentialing because they help teams collect, verify, and maintain compliance documents.

Before an HVAC contractor starts work at a community, the property team requests a current COI showing the required liability and workers’ compensation coverage. If the certificate is expired or missing required coverage, the team delays the work until the contractor provides updated documentation.

COIs help operations leaders reduce liability exposure and keep vendor compliance consistent across properties. Tracking current COIs also supports safer vendor onboarding, clearer accountability, and better protection for owners, residents, and onsite teams.