TL;DR: Your lease type determines what insurance you're responsible for. Every gym owner needs Gym Liability and Business Personal Property coverage regardless of lease type. If your lease puts building insurance or maintenance costs on you (double net or triple net), a Business Owners Policy that bundles everything is usually the smartest move.
Your lease doesn't just determine your rent. It determines what insurance you're on the hook for.
Sign a triple net lease without understanding the insurance clause? You could be paying for building coverage on top of your own liability policy, and not even realize it until something goes wrong. Sign a gross lease and assume your landlord's policy covers your equipment? It doesn't.
We're PushPress. We've spent 20+ years in the fitness industry and built software for thousands of gyms. When we launched Gym Insurance by PushPress, one of the first things we heard from gym owners was: "My landlord is asking for something called an additional insured endorsement and I have no idea what that means."
Here's the breakdown. Five lease types, what each one means for your insurance, and what you actually need.
You pay one flat monthly amount. Your landlord covers property taxes, building insurance, and maintenance out of that rent.
Why gym owners like it: Predictable costs. No surprises.
The catch: Your rent is higher because all those expenses are baked in. And "building insurance" only covers the structure. Your equipment, buildout, and liability? That's still on you.
What insurance you need:
You pay base rent plus property taxes. Your landlord still covers building insurance and maintenance.
What's different: You're picking up one extra bill (taxes), but insurance-wise it's similar to a gross lease. The landlord still carries the building policy.
What insurance you need:
You pay base rent, property taxes, and building insurance premiums. Landlord handles maintenance.
This is where it gets tricky. You're now responsible for the building insurance premium, but the policy is usually in the landlord's name. You're paying for coverage that protects their asset, not yours.
What insurance you need:
You pay base rent, property taxes, building insurance, and maintenance. This is the most common lease type for standalone gym spaces.
The reality: You're responsible for basically everything except the mortgage. That means more insurance responsibility, but also more control over your coverage.
What insurance you need:
Takeaway: If you're on a triple net lease, a BOP is almost always worth it. You're already carrying all the risk. Bundling your coverage into one policy is simpler and usually cheaper than buying everything separately.
A hybrid. You and your landlord negotiate which expenses each side covers. It's somewhere between a gross lease and a net lease.
Common in strip malls and shared commercial spaces where gym owners lease a unit alongside other businesses.
What insurance you need: Depends entirely on what your lease says. Read the insurance clause carefully and make sure you understand what you're responsible for before you sign. At minimum, you'll need Gym Liability and Business Personal Property. Beyond that, your lease will tell you.
No matter what lease you sign, there are two things your landlord will expect and your business needs.
Gym Liability Insurance covers claims from injuries, accidents, and lawsuits. A member slips on a wet floor. A client sues after an injury in class. A visitor trips over equipment. This is the non-negotiable. Most landlords won't hand you the keys without it, and you shouldn't operate without it either.
Our Gym Liability package bundles general liability and professional liability together, which is unique. Most providers sell them separately, which means two policies, two bills, and gaps between them.
Business Personal Property Insurance covers your stuff. Your landlord's building policy (if they have one) covers the structure. It does not cover your squat racks, your rigs, your flooring, your sound system, or the $15,000 you spent on your buildout. That's all on you.
Takeaway: Every gym owner needs Gym Liability + Business Personal Property, no matter the lease type. The lease determines whether you also need to carry building/property coverage and business income protection.
If your lease puts building insurance or maintenance on your plate (double net, triple net), a Business Owners Policy (BOP) bundles your liability, property, and business income coverage into one policy. It's simpler and usually cheaper than buying everything separately.
Business income coverage (included in a BOP) is worth understanding: if a covered event like a fire or storm forces you to close temporarily, it covers the income you lose while you're shut down. On a triple net lease where you're carrying all the risk, this matters.
Almost every commercial lease has an insurance clause. It usually requires three things:
Gross Lease — Landlord pays building insurance. You need: Gym Liability + Business Personal Property.
Single Net (N) — Landlord pays building insurance. You need: Gym Liability + Business Personal Property.
Double Net (NN) — You pay the building insurance premium. You need: Gym Liability + BOP recommended.
Triple Net (NNN) — You pay everything. You need: Gym Liability + BOP strongly recommended.
Modified Gross — Negotiated. You need: Depends on your lease.
Bottom line: The more your lease puts on your plate, the more a BOP makes sense. If your landlord covers building insurance, you just need Gym Liability and Business Personal Property. If you're covering everything, bundle it.
Most gym owners pay around $1,300/year with Gym Insurance by PushPress. That's for Gym Liability (general + professional liability bundled). A BOP with property and business income coverage costs more depending on your equipment value and location. No broker fees, no middlemen. See your rate.
It means your landlord is added to your liability policy. If someone gets hurt at your gym and sues both you and the landlord, your policy covers the landlord too. Almost every commercial lease requires this. We include blanket additional insured at no extra cost.
Yes. You can download your Certificate of Insurance instantly from your policy dashboard. No waiting for business hours, no calling an agent.
Most leases require $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate. Our standard limits are $1M per occurrence / $3M aggregate, which exceeds most requirements. If your lease calls for something different, talk to our team and we can walk through your options.
Yes. Knowing your insurance costs upfront makes lease negotiations easier, and having proof of coverage ready speeds up the whole process. Many landlords won't finalize the lease without seeing a certificate.
Look at your lease agreement. Search for "net" or "gross" in the lease terms. If it says NNN or "triple net," you're responsible for taxes, insurance, and maintenance on top of rent. If you're still not sure, ask your landlord or reach out to us.
Don't let high costs or inadequate coverage hold your gym back. Protect your business and your students with insurance built for you.