Your insured starts operating a dog grooming business in their garage, which is attached to...

The correct answer is C. because starting a dog grooming business in an attached garage creates a business-use exposure that is outside the normal intent of a standard homeowner’s policy unless the insurer specifically accepts it. A broker must recognize that even a small home-based business can create additional risks, including business property, customer property in care, custody or control, liability from clients visiting the premises, injury to animals, and increased activity in the home. The fact that the client still lives there does not remove the business exposure.

A. is incorrect because owner occupancy does not mean the policy automatically covers business operations. B. is also incorrect because the size of the revenue alone does not determine whether coverage is acceptable; many insurers focus on the nature of the business , not just income. D. is wrong because the risk already exists now, even without employees or full-time operations.

From a RIBO perspective, the broker’s duty is to identify the material change, explain the coverage concern, and advise that the insurer may require either a home-based business endorsement or a separate commercial policy . Proper advice protects the client from a possible denial arising from undisclosed business activity and ensures the coverage matches the actual exposure.