If you live in an apartment, condo, or other rented living space, you have probably needed a rental insurance plan. After all, apartment insurance can protect you from paying for the repairs or replacement of items damaged or stolen from your home, right? Well, that depends.
While it is a good idea to get some form of a renter insurance policy, it may not cover all hazards and all of your possessions. There may be some situations and circumstances where your renters insurance coverage won’t help you. Let’s take a look at what the typical renters insurance policy covers, what it doesn’t cover, and figure out how much renters insurance coverage you will need.
What Does a Renters Insurance Policy Cover?
Even cheap renters insurance plans provide liability coverage for visitors injured in your home and financial assistance replacing damaged or stolen items. The good thing is that most apartment insurance/renters insurance policies offer wide coverage for several scenarios that could damage your possessions. Most rental insurance policies cover damages caused by:
- Fire
- Lightning
- Smoke
- Theft
- Explosions
- Vandalism
- Falling snow/sleet/hail/ice
- Windstorms
- Frozen or exploding pipes
- Volcanic eruption
- Hurricanes (within certain limits and conditions)
Another positive is that your renters insurance coverage isn’t just limited to your home. Unless otherwise noted, your policy will cover damage or stolen items from your car, your luggage when you’re on a trip, or your belongings that are locked away in a storage unit. It’s a good policy to have in case your necklace is stolen from your minivan or if your laptop is damaged when water pipe bursts in your hotel room.
Most renters insurance plans can provide assistance to repair or replace damaged items such as:
- Furniture
- Clothing
- Electronics such as televisions, computers, etc.
- Personal electronics such as smartphones, tablets, etc.
- Jewelry
- Music instruments
- Sporting equipment
- Artwork
- Other possessions noted in the policy.
It is typically more expensive to replace such items out-of-pocket compared to the renters insurance cost. It could certainly help get your life back to normal if a disaster strikes your rented space. However, not everything is covered by rental insurance.
What is NOT Covered Under a Renters Insurance Policy?
While renter insurance can cover a wide range of scenarios and items, there are a few limitations to most policies. Depending on the worth of certain possessions, such as jewelry, you may need to purchase a separate special policy to ensure that the cost of replacement isn’t over your renters insurance payment limits. If you have an expensive art piece, antique, or other pricey possession, it is best to get it professionally appraised and get special insurance coverage for that particular item.
While rental insurance covers a variety of disasters, it doesn’t cover everything. Flooding caused by rainfall or other natural causes isn’t usually covered by a renters insurance policy, requiring you to purchase a separate flood insurance plan. Earthquakes and sinkholes are also usually excluded from most policies. Be sure to read through your policy and ask your insurance agent if you can purchase additional coverage for any hazards that aren’t listed as covered events.
Damage caused by pets isn’t typically covered by a renter insurance plan, so you can’t replace a scratched up couch or soiled carpet with your policy. In terms of liability for your pets, a few rental insurance policies can cover dog bites if your pooch bites a visitor, however that coverage comes with certain conditions. However, you should know that most renters insurance quotes won’t offer coverage for your furry friends or any other pets.
How Much Renters Insurance Do I Need?
This answer can vary from person to person. If you don’t have a lot of expensive possessions, you can get a cheap renters insurance policy that can provide decent coverage for only a few dollars a month in many cases. However, it is wiser to get as much coverage as you can afford. Take an inventory of your possessions and calculate the cost it would take to replace them all if disaster strikes. This way you will know the estimated cost of it all and can get an accurate renters insurance quote that can provide the coverage with a payout limit that will properly repair/replace what you have lost.
Now that you know what a renters insurance policy covers, the best time to get a plan is right now. Call Freeway Insurance at (800) 777-5620 to get a free quote or you can get you a free renters insurance quote online. Get your possessions protected and covered today!
