Small commercial landlords — strip malls, mixed-use buildings, small office parks — face the same COI headaches as large PM firms, often without a dedicated admin team. You still need proof that HVAC, roofing, and renovation vendors carry adequate insurance before they work on your asset.
Who needs to provide COIs
- Your direct contractors (roof, parking lot, signage)
- Tenant improvement vendors (verify via lease requirements)
- Shared service providers (snow, landscaping for common areas)
- Utilities and low-voltage contractors when accessing building systems
Minimum standards for commercial landlords
- $1M general liability per occurrence
- Workers comp for vendors with employees
- Landlord LLC named as certificate holder
- Additional insured on GL for major capital projects
- Auto liability for contractors with on-site vehicles
When spreadsheets break down
At 5–10 vendors, a spreadsheet works. At 15+ across multiple properties, expirations slip. One missed roofing COI during a leak repair creates outsized exposure relative to rent roll. Software pays for itself vs one hour of admin monthly.
Affordable tracking without enterprise sales calls
Enterprise platforms require demos and $500+/mo contracts — overkill for a 20-unit commercial portfolio. CertGuard starts free (5 vendors), Pro trial included, paid plans from $59/mo with PDF extraction and compliance rules. Built for operators who self-manage without a risk department.
Related: COI software buyer’s guide · Minimum GL limits · Start free