Certificates Of Insurance- Worthless?

Many leases require tenants to carry insurance for their personal property and, quite possibly, the property that they occupy. Part of this requirement is to provide the landlord with proof that the tenant's insurance is current and that the policy meets the landlord's requirements. To satisfy this requirement the tenant will often provide the landlord with a "certificate of insurance". This is usually a one page standard form that is issued by the tenant's insurance agent. The form provides basic information about the insurance policy and the effective dates of the policy.
However, it is important to note that many of these certificates of insurance contain disclaimer language such as:

THIS EVIDENCE OF PROPERTY INSURANCE IS ISSUED AS A MATTER OF INFORMATION ONLY AND CONFERS NO RIGHTS UPON THE

ADDITIONAL INTEREST NAMED BELOW. THIS EVIDENCE OF PROPERTY INSURANCE DOES NOT AMEND, EXTEND OR ALTER THE COVERAGE

While there is no reason to believe that the certificate is inaccurate or fraudulent, the landlord needs to be aware that these certificates do not guaranty the information they contain is correct or, in fact, an insurance policy exists at all. Keep in mind, most of the time these certificates are issued by the agent and not the insurance company itself.
To be sure, a landlord should contact the insurance company directly and request a certified copy of the actual policy.