When shopping for tenant insurance in Canada, one name you’ll likely come across is Sonnet. Owned by Economical Insurance, one of Canada’s largest property and casualty insurance providers, Sonnet tenant insurance brings a lot to the table. But are the advantages enough to trust your home and belongings with? That’s a decision only you can make.
In this article, we’ll outline a list of pros and cons of Sonnet tenant insurance for you to consider. Be sure to complement this with your own research and consider shopping around to compare quotes from other providers, like YouSet, since Sonnet doesn’t compare multiple carriers as a broker does.
| Pros | Cons |
| Identity theft coverage included | Restricted to Sonnet products |
| Basic offering of insurance products | Limited regional availability |
| Part of a broader insurance network | Mixed customer reviews |
| Discounts for recent graduates | Bundling savings potentially limited |
✅ Identity theft coverage included
Sonnet tenant insurance includes identity theft coverage as part of the standard policy. While this type of coverage is often optional and requires an additional step to add, Sonnet includes it automatically, offering you extra protection against identity theft without any extra effort.
❌ Restricted to Sonnet products and pricing
Sonnet refers to themselves as a “direct writer,” which simply means that they (Sonnet Insurance Company) are the underwriters of all their own policies. Unlike brokers such as YouSet, which scans a network of multiple carriers to find you the best price, with Sonnet you’re limited to the products, prices, and discounts they offer.
✅ Basic offering of personal insurance products
Sonnet offers a range of insurance products, including coverage for tenants, homeowners, condo owners, cars, and pets. However, the availability of these products may be limited based on your location within Canada.
❌ Limited regional availability
Sonnet home insurance is available in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, British Columbia, and Alberta. While they no longer offer car insurance in Alberta, they say they “remain committed to serving Albertans by offering home insurance.”
✅ Part of a broader insurance network
Sonnet Insurance was launched by Economical Insurance in 2016. In 2021, following Economical’s transition from a mutual to a publicly traded company, it became part of Definity Financial Corporation. This structure aligns Sonnet with other established companies, creating a sense of stability as part of a broader insurance group.
❌ Mixed customer reviews
As of January 2025, Sonnet’s ratings vary among online review websites, with just 1.5 out of 5 stars on InsurEye and a much higher 4.4 out of 5 on TrustPilot. While reviews are mixed, some customers report frustration with procedural inefficiencies and communication issues when dealing with Sonnet’s customer service team on both sites.
✅ Discounts for recent graduates
Sonnet offers discounts for alumni of select universities and colleges, helping graduates save on tenant insurance. Given that young adults aged 18 to 29 are more likely to be renters (15.2% of renters aged 25 to 29 and 13.1% of renters aged 18 to 24), these savings can be especially helpful for those just starting out.
❌ Bundling savings potentially limited
Bundling tenant and car insurance with Sonnet can save you money, as advertised. However, bundling with a single carrier doesn’t always offer the most savings possible. Rather, a mix-and-match approach to bundling, where products and pricing from multiple carriers are considered and combined, can help you maximize your savings and find the most cost-effective solution.
Sonnet vs. YouSet tenant insurance
After getting a quote from Sonnet and doing your own research, it’s always wise to compare the quoted price to a policy from an alternative provider, such as YouSet, to see if that’s truly the best price you can get or if there’s a better deal available.
Since 2017, YouSet has been making it easier for Canadians to buy home and car insurance online. Why spend hours manually comparing quotes when our proprietary technology can do it all for you in less than 4 minutes? Not only that, but we’ll also have Canada’s top insurance providers competing for your business, ensuring you get the best price year after year. With over 300,000 users and an average online review rating of 4.9 stars, YouSet is a broker well worth considering.
Best price year-after-year
YouSet’s algorithms are designed to do one thing - find you the best price. Not just the first time you buy, either. If your price increases at renewal, we’ll alert you and even help you re-shop with another carrier.
Highly reviewed by Canadians
With an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars on Google, the general consensus among YouSet users is that YouSet is making it easier to find affordable insurance and buy it online at the best price year after year.
Transparent renewals
Anytime a YouSet insurance policy comes up for renewal, our team will make sure you’re paying the best price possible for your policy. If that’s no longer working, we’ll help you re-shop another carrier for a better deal.
Buy, manage, and renew your policy online
How much easier would it be if you could purchase a policy, personalize it to fit your needs, make modifications to it, and renew it, all without having to make any phone calls or wait on hold? With YouSet, you can do all that and more with our self-serve features.
Mix-and-match approach to bundling
YouSet is the only digital broker in Canada that automatically compares the cost of bundling home and car insurance from a single carrier against the cost of mix-and-matching home and car carriers. Whichever option offers the maximum savings is the one we present to you.
