Sonnet Insurance is an online-only insurance company that offers lower insurance rates than many of its competitors. It does this by having no physical presence, passing those savings on to its customers. This could be great if you’ve just bought a house and are primarily concerned about premiums, but if you’re looking for a more personal touch, Sonnet probably isn’t the company for you.
While Sonnet's house insurance rates are great, their customer reviews are middling at best, and there have been reports that Sonnet bumps their rates significantly at unexpected intervals. All of this said, the company still offers a full spectrum of coverage options.
Sonnet house insurance features
Let’s take a quick look at what Sonnet offers in terms of house insurance.
Why You Want It
Become insured in only 5 minutes + Convenient 24/7 customer service.
Special Features
- Identity theft coverage included
- Sonnet Connect provides discounts, promotions, and freebies from partnering businesses
- Above and Beyond coverage
Provinces
ALL
Features
Liability Insurance
Personal Valuables Coverage
Actual Replacement Cost Of Home And Personal Belongings
Full Sewer Backup
Overland Water Coverage
Hail Coverage
First Claim Forgiveness
Replacement Cost Guarantee
Enhanced Deductible Waiver
Green Coverage
Additional Living Expenses
Home Sharing
Home Security Savings
Multi Home Savings
Newly Built Home Savings
Sonnet home insurance product rating: 4.3 stars
Sonnet’s house insurance products covers all the basics, plus has a decent selection of bells and whistles. They've improved significantly from when we first reviewed this product a few years back and now offer extra coverage for things like rebuilding with more eco-conscious materials.
Coverage for home shares is a bit odd, though. Some situations are covered while others aren't. We gave them credit for even having this coverage at all, but you'll want to keep an eye on your policy if you plan to do any short term renting.
Rating methodology
To calculate our Genius Ratings, we compare the features of the account or product in question with other similar products in Canada. We give each feature a score out of 5 based on that comparison. Once we’ve rated all the features, we run them through our proprietary algorithm to produce a final rating out of 5.
Learn more about our rating methodology.
The pros of Sonnet home insurance
Let’s go over what Sonnet has going for it.
Pros
Often one of the lower rates you’ll find
Sonnet is working to become a disruptor of the insurance industry, and it’s doing this by having no physical offices or presence at all. This allows them to significantly reduce their operating costs and they then pass the savings along to their customers. They also base their rates on factors such as what neighbourhood your house is in, and what the local crime rate has been recently. This is great if you’re in a desirable neighbourhood because it can help reduce your insurance premiums.
Initial quotes are precise, once you go through the process
Once Sonnet gives you a quote, that’s the rate you will pay until it is time to renew your policy. This is excellent, and helps you avoid any surprises when actually signing on the dotted line. But hold that thought – there are reports that your Sonnet premiums can jump significantly down the road.
Nice website and a very user-friendly app
Being an online-only company means that Sonnet spends a lot of time working on their online presence and mobile apps. With a more modern design, more features, and more attention to a streamlined user experience, their apps help you stay on top of your policies and premiums.
24/7 customer service by phone
And while Sonnet doesn’t have any offices you can go and visit, they do have a 24/7 call centre to handle your house insurance inquiries and claims.
The cons of Sonnet home insurance
So what is there to watch out for with Sonnet?
Cons
Customer reviews are mixed, at best
If you spend any time researching Sonnet as an insurance provider, you’re pretty quickly going to come across some forums and threads where people don’t seem very happy with Sonnet. There are multiple reports of people having their insurance coverage unexpectedly dropped because they missed an email. Others complain that it has taken weeks or longer to see any action on their claim. It’s definitely a mixed bag in terms of customer reviews.
Insurance rates are reported to change unexpectedly
There are multiple reports of Sonnet bumping insurance premiums significantly even when the policy holder has made no claims or made any other changes. There may be a number of reasons this could happen, but this sort of surprise is never pleasant and is something to be wary of.
Sonnet home insurance isn’t available in all provinces
Sonnet does not yet offer house insurance across all of Canada. Currently they offer this insurance in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I., and British Columbia. If you live in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, or Newfoundland and Labrador, you’re out of luck.
While owned by Economical, Sonnet is a very young company
Sonnet started in 2016, so it’s a relatively new company without a lot of customer trust in their products and services right now. Combined with their middling customer reviews, this seems to be having an impact on how much goodwill they are able to build around their brand.
Sonnet home insurance alternatives
So, how does Sonnet stack up compared to some of its more traditional competitors?
 |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Account | Sonnet Home Insurance | Square One's home insurance | Allstate Home Insurance | RBC Home Insurance |
| Genius Rating | ||||
| Why You Want It | Become insured in only 5 minutes + Convenient 24/7 customer service. | Rates start as low as $12 per month + Coverage is fully customizable and online. | Get a disappearing deductible + Extra discount options. | Free online quotes available + Innovative home repair bundle. |
| Liability Insurance | | | | |
| Personal Valuables Coverage | | | | |
| Actual Replacement Cost Of Home And Personal Belongings | | | | |
| Full Sewer Backup | | | | |
| Overland Water Coverage | | | | |
Show More | ||||
| Get a quote See more Sonnet products Compare | Get a quote See more Square One products Compare | Learn More See more Allstate products Compare | Learn More See more RBC products Compare |
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FAQ
Is Sonnet Home Insurance available across all of Canada?
No. Sonnet only offers house insurance to people living in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I., and British Columbia.
How does Sonnet offer lower prices than most insurance companies?
Sonnet doesn’t have any offices or other physical locations where you can go talk to their agents. This is an online insurance company only, save for a call centre that handles inquiries and claims on a 24/7 basis. Sonnet also has an algorithm that adjusts insurance premiums based on things like your neighbourhood and local crime rates, which can also potentially lead to savings for you.
Who owns Sonnet, and how long have they been in business?
Sonnet is owned by Economical, a larger and more traditional insurance company. Sonnet itself has been in business since 2016, so is a relatively young entrant into the insurance market.
Editorial Disclaimer: The content here reflects the author's opinion alone, and is not endorsed or sponsored by a bank, credit card issuer, rewards program or other entity. For complete and updated product information please visit the product issuer's website.
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