The man behind a Facebook group that advocates for the rights of landlords and tenants says policies by some home insurance companies are discriminatory towards students.

Sherwin Flight is the administrator for the Newfoundland Tenant and Landlord Support Group. He says several landlords and tenants have come forward with concerns about practices which they say discriminate against students.

They say insurance companies are refusing to cover homes if any part of it is rented to students, and that some landlords have been told their policies will be canceled completely if they do not comply.

In a letter emailed to Memorial University’s Alumni Department, Flight specifically points to Johnson Insurance, who partners with the university to offer discounts to alumni, as a company that has such a policy.

He says he hopes MUN and Johnson Insurance can work together on a solution that will benefit students and landlords. He wants both parties to look at their policies and see if they can be amended.

Case-by-case basis for insurance

Meanwhile, Johnson Insurance is responding to the claims Flight has made.

In a statement emailed to VOCM News, the company says they do provide insurance to some landlords who rent to students and that all applications are handled on a case-by-case basis.

They say their focus is providing coverage to people who occupy or rent their primary property, but they do have a network they use to provide coverage to those not within that category.