Choice Home Warranty vs Old Republic Home Protection for Landlords (2026)
- Can I buy a home warranty for a rental property I don't live in? Yes — both Choice and Old Republic sell to landlords for non-owner-occupied properties. You'll be the contract holder; just make sure the service address is the rental property and that your lease gives you (or your…
- Who schedules the service visit — me or my tenant? You file the claim and pay the service fee; then someone has to coordinate access with the tenant. In practice that's you or your property manager. Put a clause in your lease requiring tenants to provide reasonable…
- Are tenant-caused damages covered? No — at both companies and across the industry. Home warranties cover breakdowns from normal wear and tear. If a tenant breaks an appliance or fixture, that's a security-deposit or tenant-billing matter, not a…
A home warranty on a rental property is a bet: you pay a predictable monthly premium plus a fee per claim, and in exchange someone else handles the 2 a.m. water heater failure and the dead refrigerator. For landlords, the math is different than for homeowners — you care about per-claim costs across multiple properties, how service visits get scheduled around tenants, and whether coverage caps are high enough to matter on a full appliance replacement.
Two of the most compared names in the space are Choice Home Warranty and Old Republic Home Protection. Choice is the budget-friendly challenger with aggressive pricing and frequent promotions. Old Republic is the 50-year incumbent with higher coverage limits and a reputation for claims handling. Here's how they compare for rental property owners in 2026.
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General information only: This article is educational content for rental property owners, not legal or financial advice. Plan pricing, coverage, and terms change and vary by state — confirm current details with each provider before buying. A home warranty is a service contract for repairs and replacements, not a substitute for property maintenance.
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The quick verdict
Choose Choice Home Warranty if you want the lowest monthly premium, like promotional pricing (recent offers have included $50 off plus the first month free), and your rentals have newer systems where you mostly need catastrophic-failure protection. It's the budget play.
Choose Old Republic Home Protection if you want higher coverage caps per item, the flexibility to pick your trade call fee ($100 or $125), and a provider with five decades of claims history. It costs more per month but covers more per claim — which matters when a full HVAC or appliance replacement is on the line.
At a glance: Choice vs Old Republic
| Category | Choice Home Warranty | Old Republic Home Protection |
|---|---|---|
| Plans | Basic, Total | Basic, Deluxe, Elite |
| Monthly cost (directional) | ~$47–$68/mo depending on plan and billing | ~$50–$80/mo depending on plan and fee (third-party estimates) |
| Service/trade call fee | $100 per claim | Choice of $100 or $125 per call |
| Coverage caps | ~$3,000 per item (Total plan) | Up to $3,500 systems; up to $6,500 appliances |
| A/C coverage | Total plan only | Optional add-on (Basic); included (Deluxe, Elite) |
| Refrigerator | Total plan only | All three plans |
| Washer/dryer | Total plan only | Deluxe and Elite |
| Rekey service | Not included | Included on all plans |
| Waiting period | 30 days after payment | Confirm on their site — varies |
| Monthly billing fee | $2.50/month | Confirm on their site |
| Best for | Budget-conscious landlords, newer systems | Higher-value appliances, maximum per-claim coverage |
Pricing is directional from 2026 third-party estimates and our own plan research — both companies price by state and run promotions, so confirm current pricing on their sites.
Pricing breakdown
Choice Home Warranty pricing
Choice keeps it simple with two plans. The Basic Plan covers 7 systems and 7 appliances (heating, electrical, plumbing, water heater, oven, dishwasher, microwave, garbage disposal, ductwork, garage door opener, fans) and runs roughly $47/month on annual billing, with sample quotes landing around $59–$60/month depending on location. The notable gaps: no air conditioning, no refrigerator, no washer/dryer.
The Total Plan adds air conditioning, refrigerator, clothes washer, and dryer, at roughly $55–$57/month on annual billing, with sample quotes around $67–$68/month. For a landlord, the Total Plan is almost always the relevant comparison — a rental without refrigerator and A/C coverage is a rental where the two most expensive appliance failures aren't covered.
Two Choice quirks to know: paying monthly (instead of annually) adds a $2.50/month billing fee, and plans auto-renew unless you cancel in writing at least 30 days before the term ends.
Old Republic Home Protection pricing
Old Republic doesn't publish list prices — you request a quote, and pricing varies by state, plan tier, and the trade call fee you select. Third-party estimates put plans at roughly $50–$80/month: one published estimate (Texas ZIP) showed Basic at $55, Deluxe at $60, and Elite at $80/month with the $100 trade call fee, or $50/$55/$75 with the $125 fee. Treat these as editorial estimates, not guaranteed prices — Old Republic's own materials direct you to request a quote for current pricing.
The fee choice is a nice bit of flexibility Choice doesn't offer: pick the $125 trade call fee and your monthly premium drops about $5; pick $100 and you pay less per claim. If your properties rarely need service, the higher fee + lower premium wins. If you expect multiple claims a year, take the $100 fee.
Old Republic's brochures are state-specific, and coverage details can differ by state — always read the brochure for your property's state before buying.
Pricing verdict: Choice is cheaper per month at every comparable tier, especially with a promotion active. Old Republic costs more but gives you the fee-flexibility lever and higher caps. For a single rental with mid-range appliances, Choice's Total Plan is usually the lower annual outlay; for properties with expensive systems, run the per-claim math below.
Coverage comparison: what actually gets fixed
Systems
Both cover the big-ticket systems landlords worry about: heating, electrical, plumbing, and water heaters. The differences show up at the edges:
- Air conditioning: included in Choice's Total Plan; at Old Republic it's an optional add-on to Basic but included in Deluxe and Elite. In hot markets, this single line item decides the plan tier for both companies.
- Ductwork, garage door opener, ceiling fans: covered by both at comparable tiers.
- Code violations and permits: Old Republic's brochure shows enhanced coverage limits here — $500 on Deluxe, $1,000 on Elite, for code-violation corrections, haul-away, permits, and improper-installation issues. Choice's published limits are lower. This matters on older rentals where a repair uncovers a code problem.
Appliances
- Refrigerator: Old Republic covers it on all three plans. Choice covers it only on the Total Plan — Basic Plan buyers are exposed.
- Washer/dryer: Old Republic covers one set on Deluxe and Elite (not Basic). Choice covers them on Total only.
- Oven, dishwasher, microwave, garbage disposal: both cover these at comparable tiers.
- Rekey service: included in all three Old Republic plans — a genuinely landlord-relevant perk, since rekeying between tenants is a recurring cost. Choice doesn't include it.
Coverage caps: where Old Republic pulls ahead
This is the most important number in the whole comparison. When a covered item can't be repaired and must be replaced, the cap decides whether the warranty actually saves you:
- Old Republic: up to $3,500 per appliance on Basic/Deluxe and $7,000 on Elite; systems coverage up to $3,500 (per 2026 third-party plan data).
- Choice: roughly $3,000 per item on the Total plan.
On a $2,500 refrigerator replacement, both cover it. On a $5,000+ HVAC-adjacent replacement or a premium appliance, Old Republic's higher caps — especially Elite's $7,000 appliance limit — are the difference between "covered" and "here's a partial credit, good luck." If your rentals have high-end appliances, caps matter more than the monthly premium.
The claims process: how service actually works with tenants in place
The claims experience is where landlord-specific friction lives, and the two companies handle it similarly on paper:
1. You (or your tenant) request service — online or by phone, 24/7 at both companies.
2. You pay the service fee — $100 per Choice claim; $100 or $125 per Old Republic trade call, depending on the fee you selected.
3. They dispatch a technician from their contractor network. You generally don't choose the tech.
4. The tech diagnoses and repairs (or the company authorizes replacement up to the cap).
Landlord-specific questions to ask before buying either plan:
- Who schedules with the tenant? You or your property manager will usually coordinate access — the warranty company dispatches the tech, but the tenant has to let them in. Build this into your lease or management agreement.
- One fee per visit or per issue? Typically one service fee covers one trade visit; if the plumber finds three problems, clarify whether that's one fee or three. Get the answer in writing.
- Tenant-caused damage is excluded at both companies (and everywhere else in the industry). If the tenant broke it, the warranty won't fix it — that's what the security deposit is for.
- Pre-existing conditions and improper maintenance are excluded. On a newly acquired rental, document the condition of systems and appliances at purchase; a failure in the first 30 days will get extra scrutiny.
- Vacant units: coverage generally continues between tenants, but confirm the vacancy terms — some contracts limit coverage on long-vacant properties.
Old Republic advertises a 90-day workmanship warranty on repairs, which is a meaningful tenant-relations point: if the fix fails two months later, the rework is covered. Confirm it's in your state's current brochure.
The landlord math: when does a warranty beat paying out of pocket?
Run this per property, per year:
Choice Total Plan: ~$660–$816/year in premiums + $100 per claim. Two claims in a year = roughly $860–$1,016 all-in before any repair value is delivered.
Old Republic Deluxe: ~$720/year (editorial estimate) + $100–$125 per claim. Two claims = roughly $920–$970 all-in.
Now compare against your actual repair spend. If you self-manage and your average annual repair bill per property is under ~$800, the warranty is likely a net cost — you're buying peace of mind and contractor dispatch, not savings. If you own older properties where a single HVAC or appliance failure runs $2,000+, one covered replacement can pay for years of premiums.
The honest landlord answer: track your real repair costs per property for a year in your landlord bookkeeping records, then decide. Warranties make the most sense on properties with aging systems you didn't choose (inherited appliances at purchase) and the least sense on newly renovated units with manufacturer warranties still active.
Who should choose Choice Home Warranty?
- You want the lowest monthly premium and will take the Total Plan for full appliance coverage
- Your rentals have standard (not luxury) appliances where $3,000/item caps are sufficient
- You like promotional pricing — Choice's rotating offers ($50 off + first month free recently) can make year one meaningfully cheaper
- You prefer a simple two-plan lineup over tiered choices
- You can live with the $2.50/month billing fee or pay annually to avoid it
Who should choose Old Republic Home Protection?
- Your properties have expensive systems or appliances where $6,500–$7,000 caps beat $3,000 caps
- You want the trade call fee choice ($100 vs $125) to tune premium vs per-claim cost
- Rekey service included appeals to you — it's a real recurring turnover cost
- You value a 50-year track record and the 90-day workmanship warranty on repairs
- You buy at real estate closing — Old Republic's deep roots in the transaction market (seller/buyer coverage) mean agents know the product
For more on how warranties stack against just budgeting for repairs, see our appliance replacement costs vs home warranty breakdown.
The bottom line
Choice Home Warranty is the price leader: lower monthly premiums, frequent promotions, and a simple two-plan structure. For a standard rental with mid-range appliances, the Total Plan is usually the cheapest way to get full system + appliance coverage — and the recent $50-off-plus-first-month-free style promotions make year one hard to beat on price.
Old Republic Home Protection is the coverage leader: higher per-item caps, the $100/$125 fee choice, rekey service baked in, and five decades of claims history. You pay more per month, but when a $5,000 appliance dies, the higher caps are what actually protect your cash flow.
The deciding question isn't "which company is better" — it's "what's the most expensive single failure this property is likely to have?" If the answer is under $3,000, buy on price (Choice). If it's over $3,000, buy on caps (Old Republic).
For the full landscape, see our best home warranty companies for landlords roundup and our Choice Home Warranty review.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy a home warranty for a rental property I don't live in?
Yes — both Choice and Old Republic sell to landlords for non-owner-occupied properties. You'll be the contract holder; just make sure the service address is the rental property and that your lease gives you (or your manager) the right to authorize service visits.
Who schedules the service visit — me or my tenant?
You file the claim and pay the service fee; then someone has to coordinate access with the tenant. In practice that's you or your property manager. Put a clause in your lease requiring tenants to provide reasonable access for warranty service visits.
Are tenant-caused damages covered?
No — at both companies and across the industry. Home warranties cover breakdowns from normal wear and tear. If a tenant breaks an appliance or fixture, that's a security-deposit or tenant-billing matter, not a warranty claim.
What happens if I sell the property mid-contract?
Both contracts are tied to the property address and the contract holder. Ask each provider about transfer or cancellation terms before you buy — Choice auto-renews unless you cancel in writing 30 days before term end, so calendar that date if a sale is possible.
Does coverage apply while the unit is vacant between tenants?
Generally yes, but long vacancies can have special terms. If a property will sit empty for months during renovation, confirm the vacancy rules in writing — a failure discovered after a 90-day vacancy gets questioned more than one found with a tenant in place.
Can I choose my own contractor?
Usually no. Both companies dispatch from their own vetted contractor networks — that's how they control costs. If you have a trusted handyman, you can still use them for non-covered work, but warranty claims go through the network tech.
Is there a waiting period before coverage starts?
Choice has a 30-day waiting period after they receive your payment before coverage begins — standard anti-adverse-selection practice. Old Republic's waiting period varies; confirm it for your state's plan before you buy, and don't schedule a claim for a known issue in week one.
Which is cheaper per year for a landlord with one property?
On premiums alone, Choice's Total Plan (~$660–$816/year) typically undercuts Old Republic's Deluxe (~$720/year at editorial estimates) — and Choice promotions can widen the gap in year one. But "cheaper" flips if you have a claim above $3,000: Old Republic's higher caps can save you thousands on a single replacement. Compare your property's realistic worst-case failure, not just the monthly premium — our Choice cost breakdown walks through the full math.
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